It was the honor of a lifetime Tuesday and a responsibility CC Sabathia will always carry, hoping the impact of his Hall of Fame election will resonate forever.
While Sabathia was a runaway choice in the Hall of Fame election, selected on 86.8% of the ballots by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America – joining peers Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner – this ultimate honor meant much, much more than just a museum plaque in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Sabathia carved out a piece of history, becoming only the third Black pitcher (besides former Negro Leaguers) to be voted into the Hall of Fame in 44 years, joining Bob Gibson and Fergie Jenkins. Sabathia just wishes that Jim “Mudcat’ Grant were alive to see it. Grant was instrumental in his career and a fellow member of the “Black Aces,’’ a fraternity of only 15 Black pitchers with a 20-win season.
“I got a chance to meet Mudcat Grant younger in my career,’ Sabathia said. “I didn’t understand what it meant to win 20 games as a Black starting pitcher. He made sure that I understood what it would mean.
“I’m very appreciative of having him in my life, and in my career, and just happy I was able to fulfill this dream he put in front of me.’
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Jenkins, who met Sabathia in 2022 when the Chicago Cubs unveiled a statue outside Wrigley Field in his honor, telephoned Sabathia on Tuesday after the announcement to let him know what the honor meant to every Black pitcher.
“This is pretty significant,’ said Jenkins, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991, 10 years after Gibson. “When I signed with the Phillies, there were only nine Black pitchers in all of baseball. There’s not a whole lot more now in the game. I’m so happy to see this happen.’’
There were only six Black starting pitchers on opening day rosters in the Major Leagues last season, with MLB trying to address the deficiency with programs and camps designed to help recruit Black pitchers and catchers into the game.
“This is big for Black pitchers in general,’ said Dave Stewart, who won 20 games in a row four consecutive seasons, and is one of only seven living members of the Black Aces. “When there’s that type of excellence and fortune, it makes teams and scouts look for more Black pitchers in the game. They can’t just bypass the Black pitcher on the mound, and discard them.
“Those guys paved the way for me and everyone else, and just why CC can pave the way for the next generation of Black pitchers.’’
Sabathia, one of only three left-handers to win at least 250 games and strike out 3,000, was not only of the finest pitchers of his generation, but revered by teammates and rivals for his leadership.
He became a folk hero in Milwaukee after being traded to the Brewers in July 2008. Sabathia went 11-2 and yielded a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts, leading the Brewers to their first playoff berth in 26 years. Remarkably he pitched three consecutive games on three days’ rest, even if it meant potentially jeopardizing his health a month away from free agency.
“It was the most unselfish performance I have ever seen,’ former Brewers GM Doug Melvin said, “from someone who looked beyond his free agency to lift our entire organization and fan base to a high level of excitement.’
Said Sabathia: “This was more about that crew of guys, being so close, and so special. That’s why I took the ball. I told them I’ll pitch as much as you want me to pitch. …
“The time I spent in Milwaukee was very special to me. I thought I made a big impression on Milwaukee, but Milwaukee left a huge impression on me.’
That was Sabathia, the modern-day workhorse. He threw more innings (3,577⅓) than any pitcher during his career, including eight years of at least 200 innings. He pitched 494 innings in 2007-2008, and for five consecutive years finished among the top five in Cy Young voting.
“The biggest separator for CC was his mentality,’ former Yankee teammate Andy Pettitte said. “He was tenacious. He had that bulldog approach to the point where he had a lack of care for his own well-being at times, and he wanted to take the ball every chance he could. He was a true warrior on the mound, and that type of make-up is very rare.’
His status among Yankees teammates became legendary on Sept. 27, 2018, when the Yankees were facing the Tampa Bay Rays. Rays reliever Andrew Kittredge threw a 93-mph fastball towards Yankees catcher Austin Romine’s head. Sabathia, one of Romine’s closest friends, was furious. Romine, aware that Sabathia was just two innings short of reaching an inning contract incentive that would pay him $500,000, tried to talk him out of it. Sabathia refused to listen. He threw at Jesus Sucre with a 92.5-mph fastball, his fastest pitch of the game, and was immediately ejected, not caring that it cost him a half-million bucks. (The Yankees later paid the bonus, anyways).
“For me, it was more just about taking care of my guys,’’ Sabathia said.
That was Sabathia, and even with 251 victories, 3,093 strikeouts, six All-Star appearances, a Cy Young award and a World Series championship, his intangibles made him one of the most respected players of his era.
“CC was an incredible competitor, teammate and leader who embodied the heart and soul of our team and this city,’’ two-time MVP Aaron Judge said in a statement. “As a leader, CC led by example, demonstrating courage, resilience and integrity in the face of adversity, literally leaving it all out on the field. As a teammate, CC was the ultimate glue that held us together, celebrating our successes and supporting us through our challenges.
“His legacy extends far beyond his accomplishments, as he’s left an indelible mark on the lives of everyone who got the opportunity to share the field with him.”
Said Hall of Famer Derek Jeter: “His career on the field speaks for itself, but it’s his career as a teammate that stands out the most.’
Sabathia, who grew up an Oakland A’s fan and watched his first professional game at the Oakland Coliseum, endured plenty of hardship and obstacles growing up in Vallejo, Calif. He had maturity issues as a young pitcher in Cleveland and battled alcoholism, later writing a book about his struggles.
“I think most people know my story at this point,’ Sabathia said, “the trials and tribulations I had coming out of Vallejo. So, I’m very proud of where I came from and where I’m sitting today.’
And, oh, is the Bay Area ever proud of him.
“This is so well deserved, man,’ said Stewart, born and raised in Oakland. “There’s the story behind the story with the adversity he had to go through battling alcoholism, and everything he’s gone through. He came from the Bay Area. Now look at him. He’s someone everyone can look up to, with a legacy that will live on.’
Sabathia, whose Hall of Fame plaque will have a Yankee cap, says he’ll never forget his past. He talked about the thrill of falling in love with baseball as an Oakland A’s fan and watching Rickey Henderson. And he still can’t believe he’ll be inducted in the same class as Dave Parker, who he has never met, with Parker being elected in December along with Dick Allen by the Classic Era Committee.
Now, they will forever be teammates in Cooperstown.
“For a long time, I tried to fight being a baseball guy, or a baseball fan,’ said Sabathia, who works as an ambassador in the MLB Commissioner’s Office. “When I was done playing, I thought I’d never go back to the park. I thought I’d be away from the game and do these different things. But I love the game. I love being around the guys. I love being in the office. …
“This game has meant everything to me.’
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