numbers probably are the best argument for Pettittes induction. His career Ee said. "I w

NEW YORK -- Andy Pettitte has never thought of himself as a Hall of Fame pitcher. Now that hes announced his plans to retire after this season, an interesting debate will begin. The New York Yankees left-hander is 255-152 with a 3.86 ERA in 18 major league seasons. That makes him one of 26 pitchers -- the only one still active -- with a record at least 100 games over .500. Eighteen of those pitchers are in the Hall of Fame, and five who arent have not been retired long enough to appear on the ballot. According to STATS, the only exceptions are Bob Caruthers, who went 217-98 from 1884-1893, and Roger Clemens, a 354-game winner tainted by steroids allegations. Pettitte admitted using human growth hormone years ago, saying he tried the banned substance in an effort to recover faster from an injury. "I dont think about the Hall of Fame unless someone asks me," he said Friday, adding hes grateful just to be mentioned in that conversation with other stars such as Yankees teammates Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter. "Ive had the success that Ive had because of so many great players that have been around me." Players must wait five years after their final game before they are eligible to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot sent to voters who are 10-year members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. "Do I feel like Ive dominated this sport as a pitcher? No," Pettitte said, smiling. "Every outing for me, I feel like has been an absolute grind, to tell you the truth. I mean, when I look at lineups and teams that Im facing, it seems like every hitter is hitting .300 off of me. So for people to bring that up and for me to know that theres even a chance at that, its just an honour and its a blessing to me. And Im not worried about that." Pettitte holds major league records for post-season wins (19) and starts (44). A three-time All-Star, he has helped New York to seven AL pennants and five World Series championships during 15 seasons in pinstripes. He was the MVP of the 2001 AL championship series and is the franchise leader in career strikeouts with 2,009. Those numbers probably are the best argument for Pettittes induction. His career ERA is higher than that of any pitcher in the Hall of Fame. "Thats nothing Ive ever even considered. If that was something that I really desired, I would have never retired," Pettitte said. "I would just continue to pitch, if thats what it was all about." Pettitte is 19-11 with a 3.81 ERA in the post-season, giving him more post-season wins than eight major league teams. He also ranks first in post-season innings (276 2-3) and is second in strikeouts (183). In 2009 with the Yankees, he became the first pitcher to start and win the clinching game of all three series in one post-season. "Andys a professional. He expects a lot out of himself. He beats himself up a lot. We laugh at him because hes always by himself, talking to himself," Jeter said. "Its fun watching him beat himself up, because he expects to be perfect. Nobodys perfect, but he has those expectations and thats the reason why hes had so much success." Ottawa Senators Jerseys .C. -- Gleason Fournier scored the shootout winner as the Grand Rapids Griffins defeated the Abbotsford Heat 4-3 Friday in American Hockey League action. Mark Stone Jersey .Y. -- Nothing seems to phase No. http://www.senatorssale.com/authentic-daniel-alfredsson-senators-jersey/ . Howard had 17 points and a career-high-tying 26 rebounds in his Houston debut, James Harden added 21 points and the Rockets cruised to a 96-83 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. Matt Duchene Jersey . "Youre not really spending time to sit back and analyze what your competitions doing and things like that," Anthopoulos said. "Youre so focused on what were trying to get done." Ultimately, while the landscape around them changed with trades both major and minor, the Blue Jays did nothing before Thursdays non-waiver deadline. Custom Ottawa Senators Jerseys . - Mark Sanchez found out the New York Jets had acquired Tim Tebow on a conference call with team management.New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Despite missing 25 games, reigning MVP Kevin Durant was selected to the All-Star Game Thursday as a reserve, while Kings center DeMarcus Cousins and Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard were among the players snubbed. Durant, who was named MVP of the 2012 All-Star Game and will be appearing in it for the sixth straight time, has only played in 21 of Oklahoma Citys 46 games while dealing with foot and toe injuries. There are plenty of familiar faces among the Western Conference reserves, including Durants teammate Russell Westbrook, Rockets MVP candidate and NBA scoring leader James Harden and Clippers point guard Chris Paul. Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson will be making his first appearance. Spurs big man and future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan will be making his 15th appearance in the All-Star Game, tying him with Kevin Garnett and Shaquille ONeal for third-most all-time. Portland power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who has put off thumb surgery, rounds out the West roster. Harden is expected to move into the starting lineup in place of injured Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who is sidelined for the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Lillard, Cousins and Grizzlies guard Mike Conley are among the potential replacemeents on the roster.dddddddddddd There were few, if any, surprises among the Eastern Conference reserves, with the conference-leading Hawks placing three players in the game for the first time since 1980. Point guard Jeff Teague made his first All-Star game, forward Paul Millsap his second and center Al Horford will represent the East for the third time. Miami will be well-represented as well, with veterans Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh earning their 11th and 10th consecutive trips, respectively. Clevelands Kyrie Irving and Chicagos Jimmy Butler round out the roster. Irving, the reigning All-Star Game MVP, will play in the game for a third consecutive year, while Butler is set to make his first appearance. The Western Conference starters as voted by fans were Bryant, Golden States Stephen Curry, New Orleans Anthony Davis, Memphis Marc Gasol and Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers. New Yorks Carmelo Anthony, Chicagos Pau Gasol, Clevelands LeBron James, Torontos Kyle Lowry and Washingtons John Wall were voted as starters for the Eastern Conference. Atlantas Mike Budenholzer and his staff will coach the East, while first-year Golden State coach Steve Kerr and his staff will lead the West. The game will be held at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Feb. 15. 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