'Old goats' Pettitte, Martinez set for Series showdown

Andy Pettitte and Pedro Martinez, in their prime the star pitchers of baseball's greatest rivalry, take center stage one more time Wednesday in game six of the World Series with a crown at stake.

New York Yankees starter Pettitte, a 37-year-old US southpaw and baseball's career playoff win leader, will again face Martinez, a 38-year-old Dominican right-hander and long-time Yankee nemesis with arch-rival the Boston Red Sox.

"I've had such a long career," Martinez said. "I'm blessed to go full cycle around, actually be able to compete again in a World Series, just see two old goats out there doing the best they can and having fun with it."

The Yankees lead defending champion Philadelphia 3-2 in Major League Baseball's best-of-seven final with the Phillies needing a victory to force a seventh game Thursday at Yankee Stadium.

New York will try to claim a record-stretching 27th World Series title but the first since 2000 for a club that had baseball's biggest payroll this year at 201 million dollars and spent 450 million dollars on free agents for 2009.

"For us both to still be pitching and then to be pitching in the World Series, I just feel very fortunate to have this opportunity," Pettitte said.

"What an opportunity, to be able to pitch the game that will bring the Yankees a 27th championship. It's exciting. I hope I can throw a great game."

Pettitte surrendered four runs on five hits over six innings to win game three and will start on three days of rest, one less than usual. Martinez gave up three runs over six innings in a game two loss last Thursday.

"I don't have enough words to describe how excited I am about being here," Martinez said. "This is just a great gift to me."

The Yankees have the baseball's top-scoring sluggers, including Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez. Philadelphia is powered by Chase Utley, whose five home runs in the Series have matched the all-time record.

But the focus of game six is on two men turning back the clock to Yankee-Red Sox battles that produced some of the sport's most dramatic moments over the past decade, 11 years after their first time as mound opponents.

"How strange is this after all the battles with him being in Boston? I know I've faced him a bunch of times," Pettitte said. "To come full circle, this many years have passed, him with the Phillies and me back here, it's going to be neat."

Pettitte pitched for Houston and flirted with retirement before signing on for one more ride with the Yankees. Martinez joined the Phillies at mid-season after sitting home in the Caribbean for the first half of the campaign.

"A few months back I was sitting at home not doing anything, Martinez said. "Today I'm here probably pitching one of the biggest games ever in the World Series, two great teams with a whole bunch of legendary players.

"When you mention Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, I see those guys as probably the future of the game, the next Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron."

The Yankees will try to become the first club since Minnesota in 1991 to win a World Series title using a rotation of only three starting pitchers but so far the fatigue factor has not hit Pettitte.

"I really don't think there's that big a difference," Pettitte said. "You probably fatigue a little quicker than you normally would just because your body gets into a routine.

"If I get my command and my mechanics are comfortable, I feel like I should be successful. I've been resting the last few days. I've had the time off that I need and mentally I will be able to get into the pace."

Pettitte and Martinez have adapted to aging with experience, craftiness replacing force.

"What has helped us be able to stick around is when you see our velocities go down, we know how to pitch," Pettitte said. "Change speeds and locations and you will continue to get guys out."

That's what Martinez has in mind.

"What you see is a combination of experience and instinct," Martinez said. "Everybody that grows up in the Dominican and didn't have a rich life, that's what we call it - survival.

"In baseball, I'm a survivor. I'm someone that wasn't meant to be and here I am on one big stage. That's a great joy."