In a press conference in front of the Steinbrenners, most of the Yankee roster and his wife and kids, C.C. Sabathia has officially announced his intentions to retire at the conclusion of the 2019 season.
Included in a statement released by the team was written statements from a wide-ranging collection of voices, including Derek Jeter, Joe Girardi, LeBron James, Fat Joe, Steve Kerr, the major of Sabathia’s hometown Bob Sampayan, Tiki Barber and more. It’s quite the show of support for Sabathia, whose storied career will come to an end after 2019, his 19th year in the league. In a career that included stops with the Indians, Brewers and Yankees, Sabathia has thus far amassed 246 wins in 3,470 innings across 538 regular season appearances, all starts. Presently, he trails Bartolo Colon by one win for the lead among active players.
Sabathia is a 6-time All-Star and American League Cy Young award winner in 2007. He was named MVP of the ALCS in 2009 after going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in helping the Yankees down the Los Angeles Angels to win the pennant. The Yanks, of course, won the World Series that season, with Sabathia earning his keep in two World Series starts against the Phillies, though the Yanks split the two games in which Sabathia started. Though Sabathia’s career can largely be viewed as a two-part story – the first part in Cleveland, the second with the Yankees – his most memorable performance might be the work he put in for half a season in Milwaukee in 2008. He famously went 11-2 down the stretch with a 1.65 ERA and an insane 7 complete games and three shutouts in 17 starts. Going on short rest multiple times, Sabathia put on a show of endurance and durability plucked from a different era. In doing so, he also became the only pitcher of the Modern Era (since 1900) to record 120 strikeouts with two teams in a single season.
We could spend all day lauding Sabathia’s many accolades, and he’s not done yet. For now, Sabathia is fifth in AL history with 2,858 strikeouts, the most ever by a lefty. He is the active leader in that category, as well as innings pitched and quality starts. He has a good chance of overtaking Colon at some point this season for the active lead in wins. The Yankees are likely to closely monitor Sabathia’s workload this season, though he continues to pitch well deep into his thirties, taking 29 turns last year with a 3.65 ERA in 153 innings. Today’s announcement grants Sabathia, 38, the opportunity of a farewell tour as he makes his final starts in ballparks around the league.
CC Rider!
If you look up CC rider in slang dictionaries, you’ll find that a CC Rider is a prostitute who will ‘ride’ for $200. CC being the Roman numeral 200. But since the song was written so long ago, I’m not sure if 200 would be a realistic figure or not, or even if it is today.
C.C. Ryder was Joe Namath’s character name in the movie “C.C. & Company” though that is Ryder, not Rider.
It’s a nickname in Compton for a Crip.
Cream Cheese or CupCake…
Hammer… Crayola Crayons
Creative Commons
Coconut creme
Another Yankee farewell tour. Anybody else as excited for this as I am??
Outside the Bronx? No.
no
I’m ready. They don’t make em like CC anymore. I hope the Yankees can send him off with a ring.
He is already married so he already has a ring. Ridiculous comment.
Also he won one of those ring things in 2009.
He meant a World Series ring.
Nope
Bet you didn’t complain about Big Papi getting one.
I don’t complain about any of them. Let’s not act as if it’s a Yankee thing. Chipper Jones was the first one and David Ortiz was the last one.
I sure did, He was released by the Twins and takes off, tests positive and is canonized. Go Figure.
As for CC. He’s a HOF player. What he did while playing for the Brewers was one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen. That alone puts him over the top.
I was asking yukon who I believe is a Sox fan
I don’t have any problem with CC getting a send off. He deserves it. He was good for baseball. Not just the Yankees, but for baseball.
Ridiculous for Papi a cheater in my view to have gotten such an over the top tour. Yes he did and does a lot of great off the field stuff but to think he suddenly found himself in Boston and was able to have one of his best years at age 40 is likely being naive. I’m as big acidic fan as there is and if/when he gets elected to the HOF is when I stop caring. The fact that other suspected cheaters are akready in the Hall doesn’t make it right. Too many others who have no PED alleged connection will never get in because their achievements are wrongly compared against the PED generation players.
I don’t think anyone in Boston approved of it. It drained the team and lead to a first round exit.
Yes but those players maintained their all star caliber play when they got old.
I am, Ortiz deserved all kudos his last yr. CC will be in the HZoF but it didn’t help like Ortiz had winning the WS.
Say it ain’t so!!!
Hall of Very Good.
I hope he goes out like Moose did and wins 20.
I highly doubt it. He’s pretty much a 5-inning pitcher at this point. If he does, the Yankees are in pretty great shape with a #5 starter winning 20 games.
Geez, I said ‘I hope’.
you sound like a blast at parties
you are aware you DONT have to comment on everything, right?
Sure
4.2 innings more likely.
He averaged over 5 IP last year.
Yea and he ran down in Aug-Sept, and don’t forget the heart issues.
I know. I’m not saying he will average more than 4.2 FYI. Just saying he was able to last year. But with the Yankees pen he probably doesn’t have to pitch more than 4.2
Every buffet restaurant in America will inform its staff that it will be closing…….
I was wondering how long it would take to get that comment or how the budget for the NYY clubhouse spread will be reduced substantially…
Great dude! Going to miss him.
Another tiresome yearlong goodbye to a yankee. Jeter really ruined these for everyone
Another future executive for the Marlins!
…Pastry Chef……
Sabathia is fifth in AL history with 2,858 strikeouts, the most ever by a lefty. That’s kinda shocking.
He currently ranks 17th all-time with 2,986. If he has a healthy season, he could conceivably move past 13th place which Pedro Martinez holds at 3,154 Ks.
Meh. He’d need 169 Ks to do that. And he hasn’t reached that number since 2013. I’d bet the farm he doesn’t get to it this year. He’ll get skipped a few times, he’s already suspended for his first start, he’ll have his innings monitored, and he’ll probably go out like Jeter, toss a few innings in his last home game and get taken out to a standing O.
He’d need around 180 innings, while keeping his K/9 from last year in order to reach it.
Strikeouts are at an all time high. It’s basically the reverse of the wins stat. 20th century starting pitchers had far more wins, but far fewer strikeouts.
Ks are at an all time high for hitters but spread across the pitching staff due to the specialized roles. Power pitchers have learned to pitch to contact to get that 3 pitch groundball out instead of that 7 pitch strikeout.
Earning his keep in WS vs Phillies? Uhh he lost. And it was ugly
Hmm. No delete button. Lol
I’m wrong (hardly ever! Haaa)
Was thinking of 08 nlds
Colon doesn’t have a contract so is he really still active? I don’t see anyone signing him.
The Marlins still need starters.
As do the Marlins. No real reason any of those types of teams shouldn’t just take the 1 year commitment on him.
They should sign for just for promotional purposes. “Big Sexy $2 Fish Tacos”, “Big Sexy Hot Dogs”
Since Colon is still seeking employment in MLB I guess he’s still considered active. It’s very doubtful that anyone picks him up but who knows.
Colon’s going to open 162 times for the Rays……
Hahaha
Really rooting for CC to go out on a strong note.
The free stuff he’ll receive from every visiting ballpark will be outstanding. Smart move. Well done.
Hell of a career and I wish him the best.
Couldn’t he just announce this after the season was over though? Now between the constant Aaron Judge ball-washing all you’ll hear is CC this and that “last time ever” blah blah blah
+1
Hope he has an amazing final season. Even though he left small-market Cleveland for the money and lights of New York, he is still really well liked in The Land. This guy is total class and an awesome competitor.
When I saw him and Bartolo coming up with the Tribe two decades ago, who knew they’d still be actively playing in 2019?!?!?
He was traded to the Brewers. Then signed a contract with the Yankees in free agency. He didn’t leave anything.
Traded because he was 100% leaving in free agency…
Can you blame him for wanting to leave a franchise that was at the time a raging dumpster fire? Cliff Lee was also traded because he was leaving, and both are World Series Champions.
You do what’s best for your career as a professional, not what’s best for your employer. Professional sports are the only business in the world where “loyalty” is expected on the part of the employees; I guess nobody here has ever left a job to take one with more money and better benefits, possibly even in a better city with bigger opportunities. Or worse, stayed with an employer holding out hope that empty promises would be fulfilled only to find out it was a sinking ship and your job is being sent overseas, making you expendable.
Cleveland sucked as a franchise when they had two of the best pitchers in the game at the time, and Cleveland as a city is so bad that nobody with money wants to live there.
Raging dumpster fire because they’re a small market team that gets saddled with one bad contract (Travis Hafner) that forces them to dump any piece they can while the big boys can spend and spend and eat a bad contract. No reason they can’t have a salary cap like every other major sport. The well run franchises will still be successful.
And there’s also no reason they SHOULD have a cap. The Royals won a title and they’re a much smaller market than Cleveland. And how many straight sell outs did they have when that new park opened?
Royals won a title and team imploded immediately. The window of opportunity is so narrow for a team like it is damn near impossible to sustain anything. WTF does a sellout streak have to do with a salary cap?
Salary Caps harm competitive balance though; look at the NFL and NBA, where the same teams win every year. That doesn’t happen in baseball.
The NBA is different because one franchise player can make ok the difference. What the Patriots have accomplished in the NFL is unreal. But we’ll run franchises will still maintain their status. Why MLB has no salary cap or ability to trade draft picks is just wrong IMO.
I guess he wants gifts to bestowed on him while he tours the AL this year.
Yep. He must think he was one of the all time greats to publicly announce it before the season. I would say he was an above average pitcher, with about 5 seasons that could be considered “ace” worthy. Not worthy of a farewell tour.
But he’s going out a Yankee so somehow all of baseball must step up with a farewell; had he retired a Royal a Padre or Ray he’d get his night in his home stadium and that’s it instead it will be the season long narrative for all of baseball.
As a brewers fan this guy is a god. Those 4 months were some of the best pitching I’ve ever seen. That Pittsburgh scorekeeper better still be losing sleep after robbing him of the no hitter.
Thanks for the memories CC and your money will never be good in Milwaukee.
Reminds of the baseball equivalent of football’s Emmitt Smith. Like Emmitt, CC maybe should have retired 5 years earlier when he still had game. The combination of playing longer to pad his stats and being on great teams for most of his career will most likely get him into the HoF one day.
Quiet yourself plz
Dude had a 3.65 ERA last year. Why exactly should he have retired? Athletes aren’t playing sports to keep YOUR memories of them being great.
Borderline HOFer in my opinion. Over the last 20 years he has the highest WAR among all pitchers in baseball , though if we reduce that to 15 years he ranks 3rd
Based on longevity he’s a HOFer. Based on averages (like ERA and K/9 and others) he’s well above average which IMO is borderline.
I was at his first game in his rookie season. 2001 against Baltimore. He started out throwing 100….then the Orioles measured him up and pounded him. I’m guessing he learned from that experience. Saw him pitch many great games for the tribe.
He did learn, he learned to take off the gas and pitch instead of throw as straight gas at 99 will get hit but placing it better at 95 would be better. Those few MPHs he gave up improved his stuff.
It was fun to see him light up the gun, but a pitch that is that fast that doesn’t move just isn’t special in the majors. If your pitches don’t move, you get lit up.
As a Sox fan I was glad when they signed him for this year. I just don’t think he has enough left in the tank. Last year it was a good signing. The farewell tour will make it tough to part ways with him during the season, unless they can park him on the DL. Great guy and I think a HOF-er. He is borderline, but his likability puts him over the edge. Has been a great pitcher for the Yanks no doubt.
Thanks but nobody cares
Go away, WideTrollofDoucheBaggery.
Very likeable guy. Those will be big pants to fill.
Uhh I hate farewell tours.
Arguing about farewell tours misses the point. CC probably isn’t a HOF-caliber pitcher, but they don’t make them much like him any more. Tell me what GM, with perfect foresight, wouldn’t have wanted to draft him and keep him?
If he was a Yankee earlier in his career, he would’ve had 300 wins.
Why? He was with very good Indians teams and a Milwaukee team that went to the playoffs. Yankees wouldn’t magically give him 40 more wins.
I think having Mariano as his closer earlier in his career would’ve added to his total. I don’t know if it would’ve added 40 though.
A difference of maybe 4 wins not 50.
Indians went to the postseason only twice while he was there and they lost more than 90 games twice.
Thanks for the research, now go back and see which wins he had sewn up were blown by the bullpen and then see if somehow he gets those 50 wins somebody claimed he would’ve gotten with Rivera closing.
PS: they lost over 90 games only once in his time with the Indians. I know it’s convenient to pay homage to the Yankee great but the Indians drafted and developed him, turned him from a thrower to a pitcher, he got his Cy Young there and 3 of his 6 All Star Game nods.
I was about to ask how this writer could have forgotten about Randy Johnson, but then stopped and read the article again. Talking about Sabathia, ‘he has the most strikeouts by a lefty in AL history.’ If you only count the strikeouts he recorded while playing in the AL, Randy ended up with 2441 strikeouts. Kinda crazy that so many of Randy’s strikeouts happened while he played in the NL. But of course, it is only really crazy because I will always think of Randy as a Mariner.
Just putting this out there in case anyone else mis-reads this like I did the first couple times I read it.
Yeah, Johnson went to the NL when the league was historically weak and, of course, a starting pitcher in the NL gets a couple automatic outs per game pitching to the pitcher. I think CC has a good shot at the Hall; I wonder if he goes in as a Yankee or an Indian, though; he pitched longer for the Yanks but won his Cy Young with Cleveland.
Honestly I think it is so dumb a player has to go in the Hall as a player of one team. The bust/plaque could have the player without a hat or with a logo less hat.
CC as an Indian was a great pitcher. His short stint as a Brewer was surreal. His tenure with the Yankees was just pretty good overall. He should go in wearing the Cleveland cap, when he was playing like a genuine HoFer.
Get those 3,000 K’s and 250 wins, C.C. HOF is next.
… retirement tours are obnoxious – telling.
I miss when players announced their retirement when they were actually retiring.
The media also wasn’t hounding them back then with a 24/7 sports radio news cycle. Different times. They would ask him about it every day. That’s the main reason they announce it.
They’ve had 24/7 sports news cycles a hell of a lot longer than they’ve had gushy farewell tours.
Yeah, like Lou Gehrig. That wasn’t remotely a media event, was it?
Time for a six month retirement party!
Can’t have a party on the DL.
Pity party?
Speaking of Hall of Fame… they need a shrine to commemorate the great players like Ruth, Cobb, Williams… those guys. Maybe an annex of the Hall of Fame where the legends live. “Hall of Legends”. Guys like Baines and trammell were great to watch, but do they really belong along side the legends?
Actually, what the Hall needs is a per-segregation and post-segregation wing. It’s very hard to call Gehrig or Cobb or Ruth the best player of all-time when they never had to play against like 2/3rds of the best players.
You can’t ask for things like that while we still have BET, NAACP, Black History Month, Negro College Fund, Miss Black USA, and a plethora of other “black” exclusive clubs and colleges. Segregation is still very much alive, the problem is people are doing it to themselves now. As far as judging their competition, even if you added all the premier negro hurlers into MLB at that time, Ruth and Gehrig would still have had stellar careers. A better comparison would be how they would have fared against sliders, curves, and changeups which were not predominantly used back then.
Just what the world needs. Another Yankee farewell tour.
If it doesn’t effect the game you go to or watch than it shouldn’t matter to you.
Develop a HOFer or 3
I agree bro. I heard opening day at Petco is Kurt Bevacqua Day. You going?? I’m psyched!!
To my knowledge and recollection, a man who played the game right and gave it his all each year. From a fan who usually rooted against him and his team, congrats on a great career.
Says something to be one of the top50 lefty pitchers ever. A true workhorse that always gave his all – regardless of injury or other issues. A guy that would always go 100 pitches in a game, u fortunately lately those 100 are in the first 5. He mentored, always was available for the charities, and seemed to have fun doing it. Getting to 3,000 strikeouts and 250 wins with a cy young and ws is a rare feat. Well done legaCCy
Popeye to his spinach. CC to his Captain Crunch.