C. C. Sabathia

Carsten Charles Sabathia Jr. (born July 21, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the New York Yankees. He also played for the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers. Sabathia batted and threw left-handed.

Sabathia made his major league debut with the Indians in 2001 and placed second in the 2001 AL Rookie of the Year voting behind 2001 AL MVP Ichiro Suzuki. Sabathia played the first seven and a half seasons of his career with the Indians, with whom he won the 2007 Cy Young Award. He led the Indians to the 2007 AL Central Division title and their first postseason berth since his rookie year. Following a trade, Sabathia played the second half of the 2008 MLB season with the Milwaukee Brewers, helping them make the playoffs for the first time in 26 years.

In the 2008 offseason, Sabathia signed with the New York Yankees for seven years and $161 million; at the time, this was the largest contract ever signed by a pitcher. With the Yankees, Sabathia led all of Major League Baseball in wins in both 2009 and 2010 and won a World Series ring in 2009. He was also voted the 2009 American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player. After mid-career struggles attributed to lost fastball velocity, chronic knee injuries, and alcoholism, Sabathia again found success in the late 2010s after reinventing himself as a control pitcher. In February 2019, he announced that 2019 would be his final season as a professional baseball player.

During his career, Sabathia was named an All-Star six times and won the Warren Spahn Award three times in a row (2007–09). In August 2017, Sabathia became the all-time American League leader in strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher. On April 30, 2019, he became the seventeenth pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000 strikeouts and the third left-hander to do so (joining Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton). When he retired following the end of the 2019 season, he led all active Major League players in career wins, career innings pitched, and career strikeouts. With 251 career victories, Sabathia is tied with Bob Gibson for the second-most wins by a black pitcher in major league history (behind Ferguson Jenkins); he is also the first (and thus far, only) pitcher to debut in the 21st century and post at least 250 career wins in regular-season play.

Early life

Sabathia was born in Vallejo, California and attended Vallejo High School, where he excelled in baseball, basketball, and football. As a teenager, Sabathia played summer baseball in the Major League Baseball youth program, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI). In baseball, he compiled a win–loss record of 6–0 with an 0.77 earned run average (ERA) and 82 strikeouts in innings pitched during his senior season. He was the top high school prospect in Northern California according to ''Baseball America''. In football, he was an all-conference tight end. He received scholarship offers to play college football, including one from the University of California, Los Angeles; he signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and to play baseball and football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Sabathia graduated from Vallejo High School in 1998 and went directly from high school to minor league baseball.

Professional career

Draft and minors

The Cleveland Indians selected Sabathia in the first round, with the 20th overall selection, of the 1998 MLB draft. He signed for a $1.3 million signing bonus and pitched in the Indians' minor league system for three seasons.

In 2000, Sabathia was selected for the 28-man United States Olympic Team roster. He appeared in one pre-Olympic tournament game in Sydney, Australia, but was not on the official 24-man, Gold Medal-winning roster because he was called up by the Cleveland Indians. He was named the Indians' 2000 Minor League Player of the Year (receiving the "Lou Boudreau Award").

Cleveland Indians (2001–2008)

In 2001, at age 20, Sabathia began his rookie season as the youngest player in the Major Leagues. He ended the season with a 17–5 record, finishing second in the AL voting for Rookie of the Year behind future Yankees teammate Ichiro Suzuki. Sabathia also made his first postseason appearance in 2001.

On February 23, 2002, Sabathia signed a four-year, $9.5 million contract with the Indians that contained a club option for 2006. In the 2002 season, he was tenth in the AL in strikeouts, with 149 in 210 innings. In 2003, he had the tenth-best ERA in the AL (3.60). He was also named to the American League All-Star team for the first time. Sabathia made his second All-Star selection in a row as he finished the 2004 season by going 11–10 with a 4.12 ERA and 139 strikeouts.

The Indians picked up their $7 million club option for 2006 on April 27, 2005, and Sabathia signed a two-year, $17.75 million deal. In 2005, he was fourth in the AL in strikeouts/9 IP (7.37), seventh in strikeouts (161) and eighth in wins (15). He threw the fastest fastball in the AL in 2005, averaging 94.7 miles per hour.

In 2006, Sabathia led the major leagues with six complete games. He also led the AL in shutouts (2) and was third in ERA (3.22) and eighth in strikeouts (172).

Sabathia "burst onto the national scene" in 2007, "when he won the AL Cy Young after recording a 19–7 record, a 3.21 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, 209 strikeouts, and a major league-leading 241 innings pitched and 5.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio". He collected his 1,000th career strikeout on May 21, 2007, fanning the player who beat him out for Rookie of the Year honors: Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners. He was also named to the American League All-Star team for the third time. On September 28, he became the youngest pitcher to record 100 career wins since Greg Maddux in 1993. On October 23, Sabathia won the Players Choice Award for Outstanding AL Pitcher. His pitching performance led Cleveland to its first American League Central Division Championship since 2001, his rookie season. For his performance, he won the 2007 American League Cy Young Award, joining Gaylord Perry as one of only two Cleveland Indians pitchers to ever win it. ( Cliff Lee, Corey Kluber, and Shane Bieber have since also won, with Kluber winning twice.) Sabathia also won the Warren Spahn Award given to the best left-handed pitcher in the Majors. Despite his strong regular season, Sabathia did not perform well against the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. In two starts, he went 0–2 with a 10.45 ERA.

Sabathia began the 2008 season 6–8 with a 3.83 ERA in 18 starts. With the Indians out of playoff contention, and with Sabathia an impending free agent, the Indians traded him.

On July 30, 2008, Sabathia took out a large $12,870 ad in the sports section of Cleveland's daily newspaper, '' The Plain Dealer''. The ad, signed by Sabathia, his wife Amber, and his family read:

Sabathia finished his tenure with the Indians with 106 wins against 71 losses in 237 starts, a 3.83 ERA and 1.265 WHIP, and 1,265 strikeouts in innings.

Milwaukee Brewers (2008)

On July 7, 2008, Cleveland traded Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers for Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson. During his press conference, Sabathia told the assembled members of the media that he would prefer his name to be spelled "CC" rather than "C. C."

On September 28, 2008, Sabathia pitched a complete-game four-hitter against the Cubs in the final game of the regular season; the Brewers won, 3–1, and clinching the wild card when the New York Mets lost later that evening. The team's 2008 postseason appearance was its first since 1982. Sabathia started Game Two of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies; it was his fourth consecutive start in which he pitched on three days' rest. Sabathia surrendered five runs in 3 innings, walking pitcher Brett Myers and giving up a grand slam to Shane Victorino. The Phillies would go on to win the World Series.

For the season, Sabathia was 17–10 overall with a 2.70 ERA in 35 starts and struck out 251 batters in a major-league leading 253 innings, posting 10 complete games (five shutouts). Sabathia was sixth in the voting for the 2008 NL MVP award. Sabathia was particularly dominant during his tenure with Milwaukee, going 11–2 across 17 starts with a 1.65 ERA and a 1.003 WHIP, striking out 128 batters against just 25 walks in innings, and throwing seven complete games (three shutouts). Despite only spending half the season in the National League, he finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award voting and sixth in the NL MVP vote (finishing as the highest-ranking pitcher). He was also awarded the Warren Spahn Award for the second year in a row.

New York Yankees (2009–2019)

2009: Major League Wins Leader, ALCS MVP, World Series champion

On December 18, 2008, Sabathia signed a seven-year, $161 million contract with the New York Yankees. It was the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history at the time. On March 26, 2009, manager Joe Girardi announced that Sabathia would be the Opening Day starter and the starter for the home opener at the new Yankee Stadium. Sabathia finished the season 19–8 with a 3.37 ERA (the fourth-best in the American League) and 1.15 WHIP across 34 starts. He struck out 197 batters in 230 innings against 67 walks, gave up 197 hits and just 18 home runs, held opponents to a .232 batting average, and threw two complete games (one shutout). His 19 wins were tied for the most in the major leagues that year alongside Félix Hernández, Justin Verlander, and Adam Wainwright. He was also awarded the August 2009 AL Pitcher of the Month Award, posting a 5–0 record in 6 starts with a 2.64 ERA and 49 strikeouts in innings. Sabathia was particularly dominant after the All-Star break, going 11–2 in 15 starts, striking out 102 batters in innings and posting a 2.74 ERA. The Yankees finished the regular season with a 103–59 record, the best in the Major Leagues.

Sabathia earned his first career postseason victory with the Yankees in the first game of the 2009 ALDS against the Minnesota Twins. He gave up two runs (one earned) in innings with eight strikeouts as the Yankees swept the series in three games, their first postseason series win since 2004. Sabathia also won the American League Championship Series (ALCS) Most Valuable Player Award; in two starts against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, he went 2–0 with a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings, throwing eight innings of one-run ball in both of his starts. The Yankees beat the Angels in six games to advance to their first World Series since 2003.

Despite failing to pick up a win in either of his World Series starts, Sabathia was effective, posting a 3.29 ERA in innings to help lead the Yankees to a series win over the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies in six games. The World Series championship was the Yankees' 27th, their first in the new Yankee Stadium, their first since 2000, and the first of Sabathia's career. In five postseason starts, Sabathia went 3–1 with a 1.98 ERA in innings. Sabathia finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting behind Zack Greinke, Hernández, and Justin Verlander and 21st in the MVP voting (being one of six Yankees players to receive MVP votes). He also received the Warren Spahn Award for the third year in a row, becoming the first Yankees pitcher to win it since Andy Pettitte in 2003.

2010–2012: Continued dominance

On July 4, 2010, Sabathia earned his fourth All-Star selection, and his first as a Yankee. At the time of the All-Star break, Sabathia was 12–3 with a 3.09 ERA in 131 innings (19 starts). On August 22, Sabathia recorded his 16th consecutive start of at least six innings allowing three earned runs or less, breaking a tie with Ron Guidry (from his Cy Young Award-winning 1978 season) for the longest streak in franchise history. His streak was snapped in his next start on August 28, where he allowed five earned runs in seven innings to the Chicago White Sox. The 2010 season was the first in Sabathia's career in which he won 20 games. He ended the season with 21 wins, the most in the major leagues, against just 7 losses. In innings pitched, Sabathia posted a 3.18 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, gave up 209 hits, struck out 197 batters against 74 walks, threw two complete games, and held opponents to a .239 batting average. 26 of his 34 starts were quality starts, a career-high. The Yankees won the AL Wild Card after finishing second in the AL East to the Tampa Bay Rays with a 95–67 record. Despite posting a 2–0 record in three playoff starts that year, Sabathia posted a 5.63 ERA across 16 innings as the Yankees were defeated in the ALCS by the Texas Rangers in six games. He finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting behind Félix Hernández and David Price, as well as 13th in the MVP voting.

During the offseason, Sabathia was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee, requiring arthroscopic surgery performed by Dr. Christopher Ahmad to repair. Sabathia began therapy immediately after the surgery and began his regular routine in preparation for spring training after three to six weeks. He lost weight in an effort to prevent future problems with his knee.

In 2011, Sabathia was the opening day starter for the Yankees for the third year in a row. Sabathia was named to his fifth career All-Star game, replacing James Shields on the roster; however, he elected to pitch the Sunday before the All-Star game and his spot on the active roster was given to Alexi Ogando. In his final start before the All-Star break, Sabathia threw a complete game, four-hit shutout against the Rays at Yankees Stadium, his first at home since he joined the Yankees. He struck out nine and walked one, outdueling Shields as the Yankees beat the Rays 1–0. He became the first Yankee pitcher to have 13 wins by the All-Star break since Andy Pettitte in 1996, and his 2.72 ERA was the lowest ERA by a Yankee starter in the first half of the season since David Cone

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