Jeter thinks Pettitte still can be Pettitte

       Derek Jeter believes Andy Pettitte still can be the same outstanding pitcher he was, even after a year off and despite closing in on his 40th birthday.

      "Yeah, why not? I don’t think he would come back if he didn’t think that," the captain said.

      Jeter just gave a knowing grin when he was asked if his longtime teammate had ever mentioned to him that he was thinking about this comeback. Take that as a yes. Then again, nothing is certain until it's certain.

       "You can think about it all you want, but you really don’t know. There are a lot of things that come into play before you can just say I’m back. I’m sure if you asked Boomer [Wells], he’d say I want to come back. I’m just using Boomer as an example," Jeter said.

        As for what the comeback means for the Yankees, the captain said, "It’s great. Andy has done a lot for the organization, other guys love him. He adds to our team, on the field, off the field. He’s a good guy, you know what I mean? He’s just a good person. I haven’t heard too many people say anything bad about Andy Pettitte."

       And, oh, by the way, Jeter was asked about his own health, what with the sore left calf that kept him out yesterday and will keep him out today. "I'm good," he said. "Thanks for asking."