Pettitte was an eager student of Clemens, his childhood idol, when the two began working out together as Yankees under the supervision of Clemens’s trainer, Brian McNamee. As pitchers, they were polar opposites, particularly in how they dealt with defeat. The brash Clemens would never admit to having any weaknesses, and the self-critical Pettitte often berated himself. Despite those differences, they soon grew so tight that they were seemingly attached by Velcro.

“It was strange if you didn’t see them together in the clubhouse,” said John Flaherty, a former Yankees catcher. “You’d see them running, lifting or throwing a football before games, then they’d play golf on off days. It was always Andy following Roger around.”

Flaherty said Pettitte was “as loyal a teammate as you would want to have,” which is why Pettitte’s potential testimony against the 48-year-old Clemens will be difficult for Yankees past and present. Asked how he would feel about the situation, Flaherty shifted his weight from side to side and averted his eyes.

“It’s disappointing because they got along so well,” he said. “Andy is going to be uncomfortable. I’m going to be uncomfortable. We’re all going to be uncomfortable.”

Yankees Manager Joe Girardi said that even hearing tidbits of news about Pettitte’s testimony would be painful.

“Andy was always prepared to handle the pressure, but in court, he is not in his comfort zone,” Girardi said. “It’s out of his realm, and it’s out of our realm, too. None of us want to see that.”

In lieu of testifying in front of Congress, Pettitte submitted a sworn affidavit describing what he claimed Clemens had said to him about his drug use. So what Pettitte will say on the witness stand may not come as a surprise. Rather, it will be the fact that he is saying it in a courtroom, sitting several feet from Clemens, that will probably produce a dramatic, if not agonizing, scene.