Veteran feels like he still has to earn spot in Astros rotation

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Woody Williams says he’s got at least one more good season left in him.

But the Houston Astros need more than his word after the 41-year-old right-hander went 8-15 in 2007 with a career-high 5.06 ERA in 31 starts. Williams gave up 35 homers and 110 earned runs, also career worsts, after signing a two-year, $12.5 million contract to play in the city where he grew up.

“Combination of everything — not feeling well, not locating my pitches, just untimely mistakes,” Williams explained. “It seemed to snowball and I never recovered.”

Williams still arrived at spring training virtually guaranteed a spot in the Astros rotation. But Williams sat down with manager Cecil Cooper on Monday morning and tried to convince him that last year was an aberration, not a warning sign that he’s washed up.

“Like I told Cecil,” he said, “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could still do it. I wouldn’t try to kid myself. I still think I can go out there and be very, very productive.”

It helps Williams’ case that he had one of his best seasons in 2006 with San Diego, going 12-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 24 starts. Before last season, he’d also won nine of 12 decisions at Minute Maid Park.

“I know there’s a lot left in that tank and he just needs to be the Woody we know he is,” Cooper said.

Williams had tried for years to land a contract with his hometown team and finally got his wish when the Astros signed him in November 2006. A former Houston Cougar, he was an instant fan favorite, but the applause quickly faded as he dropped his first seven decisions.

Williams was more frustrated than demoralized by the bad start. He was preparing for each game the same way he always had and couldn’t pinpoint why he was struggling to locate his pitches.

“I don’t think I really lost confidence. I’m too competitive,” he said. “There was no way I ever went out there beat. When you get on the field, you forget about all that.”

He managed to go 3-1 in August, but he still finished with his worst record in 15 seasons. A few weeks after the season ended, Williams got a call from team owner Drayton McLane and the two sat down to discuss what happened, an offer Williams had never gotten from any owner before.

Turns out they were thinking the same thing.

“Basically, he told me, ‘This year is what it was and it’s done. I don’t want you to think about it anymore. Let’s move on and look toward next year,”‘ Williams recalled. “Not that I needed that, but it’s always nice to know that that’s what he thought, too.”

Williams didn’t change his offseason routine and arrived in Kissimmee refreshed and ready. He’s trying to correct a mechanical flaw in his motion that he noticed after poring over videotape from last season.

“I knew something wasn’t quite right,” he said. “It’s not fixed yet, but I’m gradually getting it.”

Cooper has Williams on a lighter schedule than the other pitchers because Cooper, Houston’s bench coach last year, thought Williams threw too much at spring training last year.

Williams dismissed that as an excuse for why he pitched so poorly. If anything, Williams said, he started pressing too hard as his season continued to unravel.

“When things aren’t going right, you don’t feel normal, you’ve got to keep pushing until you find it,” he said. “It seemed like that for the whole season. Well, I never found it. I tried to re-train myself this spring and hopefully when the games start, I’ll be ready to roll.”

Now, the only time Williams thinks about last season is when reporters ask about it. When he hears skeptics say he’s finished, that just motivates him more.

“After last year, I think a lot of people may doubt me or say, ‘You know what? He’s over the hill,”‘ he said. “But for whatever reason, I wouldn’t be here if I felt like that was the case. I feel like I still bring a lot to the ballclub.”

If he can’t pitch to his standards, Williams said he won’t hesitate to walk away and leave what’s left of his salary behind. The Astros hold the option to retain him for the 2009 season.

“That’s one thing I’ve always promised myself, that I wouldn’t embarrass myself,” he said. “I won’t hold on longer than I should. If things go the way they should, there is no reason to do that.”

Young was blindsided by slow start for him, Rangers in 2007

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Shortstop Michael Young never saw the disastrous start of 2007 coming — for himself or the Texas Rangers.

The four-time All-Star’s average was below .200 a month into the season, and the Rangers were out of contention before the end of May on their way to a 75-87 record and another last-place finish in the AL West.

“It’d be one thing if we didn’t prepare, but everyone worked hard last year and we had a good spring,” Young said Monday. “It just didn’t happen for us.”

Young signed an $80 million contract extension through 2013 before the start of last season, then had by far the worst start of his career.

Once he settled down, he found his trademark consistency and became just the third player since 1940 to record five straight 200-hit seasons. He finished with 201 hits after getting three on the final day of the regular season.

“I’ve never been a part of anything like that before,” Young said. “The key is a lot of guys seemed to pull themselves out of it, and we’re going to be stronger for it somewhere down the line.”

Ichiro Suzuki has 200 hits in each of his seven major league seasons to match Wade Boggs’ longest streak, from 1983-89.

Young, who has played eight seasons, tied Hall of Fame second baseman Charlie Gehringer (1933-37) for the most consecutive 200-hit seasons by a middle infielder.

“It means a lot to be in that company,” Young said. “It also means I’ve been able to stay healthy.”

Notes: RHP Kevin Millwood threw out of the stretch for the first time Monday and he said he was feeling good after his second bullpen session of the spring. “Both of my hamstrings were tight after running, but that was everybody,” he joked. Millwood went on the disabled list twice last season with a hamstring injury. “I think I’m in the best shape of my life,” he said. ... 2B Ian Kinsler signed a one-year contract with the club last week but is hopeful of signing an extension before the end of camp. ... RHP Vicente Padilla said through an interpreter Sunday that he knows he let the team down at the end of last season. He was suspended for seven games in the final two weeks for throwing at Oakland’s Nick Swisher. Manager Ron Washington said he just wants Padilla to stay healthy and concentrate on “pitching the way he’s capable of.”

>> The Associated Press

Andy Pettitte apologizes, feels embarrassed, regrets taking HGH

TAMPA, Fla. — Andy Pettitte had finished 55½ minutes of apologies, explaining why he used human growth hormone and why he said what he did about Roger Clemens.

Derek Jeter walked over, and the captain wrapped his arms around the visibly relieved Pettitte.

Following an offseason of turmoil, Pettitte was welcomed back to the New York Yankees with open arms.

“My boys are hanging out over there,” Pettitte said Monday after arriving at his news conference Monday and unexpectedly seeing Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera off to his right, sitting in a row.

Whether Pettitte can repair his relationship with Clemens remains to be seen. They haven’t spoken in more than a month, since Pettitte corroborated allegations of drug use against the seven-time Cy Young Award winner.

“Obviously it’s put a strain, I think, on our friendship,” Pettitte said. “I love him like a brother.”

On the day he reported to spring training, Pettitte faced reporters for the first time since the Mitchell Report was released in December and revealed accusations he had used HGH.

“I felt like I need to come out, be forward with this,” Pettitte said. “Whatever circumstances or repercussions come with it, I’ll take and I’ll take like a man and I’ll try to do my job.”

Other athletes have ducked tough questions about allegations of drug use, using evasions and nonspecific replies. Pettitte admitted his mistakes and several times patiently asked reporters, “Did I answer your question?”

Flanked by manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman, Pettitte had a hint of the shadow on his face that he’s shown on the mound during so many postseason games. He seemed skittish at the start as he read from notes.

“I want to apologize to the New York Yankees’ and to the Houston Astros’ organizations and to their fans and to all my teammates and to all of baseball fans for the embarrassment I have caused them,” he said. “I also want to tell anyone that is an Andy Pettitte fan I am sorry, especially any kids that might look up to me.”

He said he was a “nervous wreck” and “scared to death” before the news conference, held under a tent behind the third-base side of Legends Field. He relaxed after a few minutes and went into far greater detail than most accused athletes have about their transgressions.

“We’ve been through a lot of tough times in baseball. Why not support him?” Rivera said. “I consider Andy my friend. I’m glad I was there.”

Brian McNamee, the former personal trainer to Pettitte and Clemens, said in the Mitchell Report that Pettitte used HGH in 2002 while with the Yankees. Two days after the report was released Dec. 13, Pettitte issued a statement through his agent confirming McNamee’s account and saying that was the only time he used HGH.

In a deposition and an affidavit to a congressional committee two weeks ago, Pettitte said he injected himself with HGH for one day in 2004 while with the Astros after obtaining two syringes from his father.

“I am sorry for not telling the whole truth in my original statement,” Pettitte said. “I never wanted to bring my dad into a situation like this. This was between me and him, and no one else. I testified about my dad in part because I felt in my heart I had to, but mainly because he urged me to tell the truth, even if it hurt him.”

Pettitte said there were no other times he used performance-enhancing drugs.

“That’s it. There are no other surprises out there,” he said. “That’s all there is and anything that would come up would be definitely false allegations.”

McNamee said he injected Clemens with steroids and HGH at least 16 times from 1998-01, and all three were among those called before a congressional committee. Pettitte told Congress that Clemens had discussed nearly a decade ago using HGH.

In addition, Pettitte testified McNamee, the former personal trainer for Clemens and Pettitte, had spoken in 2003 or 2004 about steroids use by Clemens.

Clemens claims Pettitte “misremembers.”

“I’m just not going to go there,” Pettitte said. “I’ve had to testify under oath. So has Roger. And, you know, I don’t think that’s anything I need to sit here and try to elaborate on with anyone else.”

He “prayed awfully hard” to be dropped from testifying at last Wednesday’s hearing. Pettitte was excused from testifying in public alongside Clemens and McNamee, and said he didn’t watch the hearing.

Pettitte realizes he may have to testify again, either in Clemens’ defamation suit against McNamee or if the Justice Department launches a criminal case against Clemens or McNamee.

“He can’t put this behind him because of Roger’s selfishness and inability to admit the facts,” Richard Emery, one of McNamee’s lawyers, said in a telephone interview. “Clemens is putting Andy in the middle of a meatgrinder again. He’s going to have to testify again in a deposition, probably this summer, and it’s going to be far more extensive than anything Congress did. He is the key witness.”

Joe Householder, Clemens’ spokesman, declined comment.

Given permission to report four days after other Yankees pitchers, Pettitte threw 35 pitches during a bullpen session at the minor league complex before the news conference. He acknowledged he had considered not playing because of the ongoing situation.

Pettitte plans to apologize to his teammates. He met with George Steinbrenner and the owner’s sons, Hank and Hal, before facing reporters.

“I just wanted to tell them face to face that I’m sorry and apologize to him, you know, for the embarrassment that this has brought,” Pettitte said. “He was a little stubborn in accepting my apology and said that he’s behind me 100 percent, tried to tell me that I haven’t brought any embarrassment to the organization. But I disagree with him a little on that.”

The 35-year-old lefty with 201 regular-season wins and four World Series championship rings said he did not feel as if his accomplishments were tainted. He said he used HGH only because he felt pressure to pitch while injured because of his multimillion salary and doesn’t consider himself a cheater because HGH wasn’t banned until 2005.

“I didn’t do it to try to get an edge on anyone. I didn’t do it to try to get stronger or faster or throw harder,” he said. “I did it because I was told that it might be able to help me.”

>> Ronald Blum