When news of Andy Pettitte’s playoff start with the Thunder broke, there were a wide array of reactions.

Some fans were elated that the left-hander was on his way, ready to give their team a major boost toward a third championship.

Others were excited, not for the team, necessarily, but to see a potential Hall of Famer take the hill in their backyard.

There’s was one reaction, though, that confused the hell out of me: outrage. Some fans, on Facebook and Twitter, said that it simply wasn’t fair that Pettitte was able to come down from New York, pitch a few innings and potentially swing a series that players on both sides had worked so hard all year to reach.

I couldn’t agree less.

When you get right down to the nitty gritty of the minor leagues, it’s not about wins and losses. It’s about development and making the big club better, pure and simple.

Would the Yankees like all of their minor league clubs to win championships every year? Absolutely, because it usually means that their players are developing well, not because it adds any additional cachet to the organization as a whole.

So, if someone like Pettitte needs to get in a few game-situation innings to make himself ready for an October run in New York, then so be it.

Let’s also not make the mistake of assuming that Pettitte’s mere presence guarantees they’ll move on to the second round.

Far from it in fact.

The Thunder have twice had a big leaguer in their midst for September baseball — Hideki Matsui joined the team in 2006, and Tom Gordon was part of the 1999 squad’s bullpen.

Know Trenton’s record for those two series? Zero wins, two losses.

Of course, there is the other side of the coin.

Travis Hafner’s name is verboten in Bowie after he ran roughshod over the Baysox in 2008, including two home runs and a line drive that hit ace Chris Tillman and knocked him out of the game.

Double-A was the highest level of the minor leagues still active at the time, however, so that’s where the Indians sent him, Bowie’s feelings be damned.

Also, if you can’t wrap your head around that train of thought, here’s another idea.

Some of the players on both rosters will never make the major leagues. Some won’t even see major league camp at spring training. Others still won’t be baseball players next year.

You think they might get a bit of thrill from suiting up behind a guy who could be a Hall of Famer in a few years?

Then there’s the monetary argument.

Waterfront Park will be rocking on Thursday, and it won’t have a thing to do with the playoffs. Some people who buy a ticket will do so solely to see a pinstriped legend.

That’s going to make the Thunder front office very, very happy.

So, when Pettitte finishes his warm-up tosses tomorrow, throw aside your concerns and enjoy just another four innings in what’s been a great season.

It's official, Andy Pettitte, he of the 18 career playoff victories, will make the Game 2 start against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Thursday night at Waterfront Park.

The left-hander was originally scheduled to pitch in tomorrow’s Game 1, but was moved up a night to keep him on normal rest.

He’ll throw four innings or 65 pitches, according to Yankees manager Joe Girardi. The last hurdle for Pettitte to clear was an early bullpen session yesterday morning, which he passed with flying colors. He threw 20 pitches and reported no pain.

For Thunder fans, seeing Pettitte on the hill will be the thrill of a lifetime. For the players, however, it could mean the difference between a series win or an early exit.

Pettitte will likely oppose right-hander Zach Stewart, one of New Hampshire’s two aces who have befuddled the Thunder offense all season long.

Although he’s only come away with one win, Stewart has worked to a 3.29 ERA against Trenton in five games, and has held the team to just one longball, which came off the bat of the since-promoted Brandon Laird.

Adam Warren, the tentatively scheduled starter for Thursday night, will more than likely be pushed to Friday’s Game 3, which will be played at New Hampshire’s Merchantsauto.com Stadium.

Pettitte’s appearance marks the third player to rehab with the Thunder during the playoffs. Former Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui showed up in 2006, and reliever Tom Gordon did the same in 1999.

The Thunder lost both of those sets.

Neither of those players, however, had a postseason resume of anything close to Pettitte’s caliber.

In his career, the “Core Four” member has dominated in the playoffs. He’s gone 18-9 overall, including clinching victories in the ALDS, the ALCS and the World Series last season.

As for the opposition, it doesn’t sound as if the Fisher Cats are exactly shaking in their boots about stepping into the box against him.

“He’s a Hall of Famer in my book. If we get to face him in the playoffs, it would be fun,” All-Star center fielder Darin Mastroianni told the Manchester Union-Leader, “but we’re going to play to win. He’s not going to be the deciding factor.”

TRENTON – Yankees utility man Lance Berkman will join the Thunder for a two-game rehab stint starting with tonight’s game against the Akron Aeros.

Berkman, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 19 with a sprained right ankle suffered in a game against the Detroit Tigers, was acquired just before the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31.

The Yankees sent reliever and former Thunder pitcher Mark Melancon, as well as Low-A shortstop Jimmy Paredes to Houston to complete the deal.

The first baseman did some light running before today’s game with the White Sox. The ankle held up, and the Yankees made the call to assign him to Trenton, one of just two affiliates playing at home tomorrow. The other option was the Charleston RiverDogs, but their distance from New York makes sending him there less than desirable.

Berkman’s arrival could give a much-needed boost to a lineup that has struggled mightily over the last week. Over their last six games entering yesterday, the Thunder have averaged just more than two runs a game. They scored three or fewer runs in five of those six contests.

Before going on the shelf, the switch-hitting Berkman was hitting .179 with four RBIs with the Yankees. With his numbers from Houston thrown in, he’s at .237 with 13 longballs and 53 RBIs over 97 games.

This will be the Thunder’s second rehab assignment this season. The first one, of course, was right-hander Alfredo Aceves, who made four rehab appearances in Trenton before moving up to Triple-A.

The last time a Yankees hitter joined the Thunder was last year, when Jose Molina joined the team for three games. He went hitless with two walks over nine plate appearances.

John Maine also made a rehab appearance at Waterfront Park as a member of the Binghamton Mets.

According to George King of the New York Post, Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte will make a rehab start in Trenton on Tuesday, if everything goes well in today's throwing session in Tampa.

That would make two rehab appearances in a four-day span for the Thunder. Alfredo Aceves, who pitched for the Thunder in 2008, is slated to start against the Senators on Friday. Pettitte has been on the disabled list since July 20 with a left groin strain.

Pettitte was 11-2 with a 2.88 ERA before the injury.

It was announced today that Alfredo Aceves, out since May 12 with a bulging disk in his back, will make a rehab appearance in Trenton on Friday against Harrisburg. Before the injury, Aceves, 27, was 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 appearances.

Aceves, who was signed in February 2008 in the same deal that brought Manny Banuelos into the organization, went 2-2 with a 1.80 ERA over seven starts -- including a complete-game shutout -- later that year. He debuted with the Yankees on August 31, 2008.

Add Aceves to Jason Jones and Orlando Hernandez, both of whom are on the Senators' roster, and you've got the recipe for a very interesting weekend set at Waterfront Park.

For the second straight series, the Thunder will face a major leaguer. After roughing up Josh Fogg, with the Reading Phillies, on Tuesday, Trenton will deal with Mets righty John Maine on Sunday at Waterfront Park. Here are the rest of the details, courtesy of the Thunder's website.

Five-year Major League veteran John Maine is expected to make a rehabilitation start for the Binghamton Mets as they travel to Trenton to face the Thunder on Sunday afternoon at 1:05pm. The right-hander has been on the DL since May 20. Maine has a career MLB record of 40-33 with a 4.22 ERA in 99 career games.