CC Sabathia says his farewell to baseball
Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia speaks to the media about his injury and his career before Game 5 of the ALCS against the Astros on Oct. 18, 2019, at Yankee Stadium. Credit: Newsday/William Perlman
Last November, Yankees lefthander CC Sabathia said the 2019 season would be his last in Major League Baseball.
On Monday, the 39-year-old Sabathia posted his farewell on social media, a platform that did not even exist when Sabathia began his career with the Indians in 2001.
"It all started in Vallejo, CA in my grandma’s backyard throwing grapefruits at a folding chair," Sabathia wrote in a post shared on his social media accounts. "I could have never imagined how much this game has meant to me since. Through the ups and downs, baseball has always been my home. From Cleveland, to Milwaukee, New York, and everywhere in between, I’m so thankful to have experienced this journey with every teammate past and present. All I ever wanted was to be a great teammate and win. I’m so proud of this year’s team, we fought til the end. Love you guys! I’m going to miss going out there on the mound and competing, but it’s time to say farewell. Thank you, Baseball."
Sabathia suffered a dislocated joint in his pitching shoulder in the eighth inning of the Yankees' ALCS Game 4 loss to the Astros last Thursday night. He was replaced on the roster the next day, bringing an end what could one day be a Hall of Fame career.
Sabathia won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009, his first year with the team after signing as a free agent. He won a Cy Young Award with the Cleveland Indians in 2007 and was selected to six All-Star games in his career.
In 19 seasons, Sabathia went 251-161 (a .609 winning percentage) with a 3.74 ERA and 1.259 WHIP. His 3,093 career strikeouts ranks 16th on baseball's all-time list and is third among lefthanders.
Mark La Monica is a deputy sports editor at Newsday. He also covers mixed martial arts.
