From ineffective to electrifying, from distracted to determined, from a disgrace to the toast of Gotham, there were two Andy Pettittes pitching for the Yankees in the 1996 World Series.
There was the Pettitte who, as he puts it, “laid an egg” in Game 1. And then there was the one who pitched an all-time gem under enormous pressure in the pivotal Game 5.
The first outing came after the 24-year-old left-hander had been chosen by manager Joe Torre over more battle-tested veterans Jimmy Key, David Cone and Kenny Rogers to open the World Series against the Atlanta Braves.