C.C. Sabathia, the newest inductee into the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame, was surrounded by a sea of support during the ceremony before Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. His family, colleagues, and former great players from those 1990s teams such as Manny Ramirez, Sandy Alomar Jr, Carlos Baerga, Mike Hargrove, Jim Thome, Kenny Lofton, etc., all came together to celebrate his achievements.
Cleveland is where it all started for him. He is popular for playing 11 seasons with the New York Yankees, but his first eight seasons with the Indians were where he truly made his mark. Sabathia came into the organization in 1998 at the age of 17. He made his debut in 2001 and his impact was immediate. He finished his rookie year with a 17-5 record, second for A.L. Rookie of the Year behind Ichiro Suzuki.
The Indians won the division. One of his best moments came in Game Three in the Division Series against a powerhouse Seattle Mariners team. He controlled the Mariners hitters with his changeup and breaking ball. The Indians would go on to win that game 17-2 but lost the following two games. Indians broadcaster Tom Hamilton brought this up in the ceremony, but in the video, the teleprompter wasn’t showing the highlights from his rookie season. There must’ve been some issues behind all of that.
During his time with Cleveland, he was a three-time All-Star and won the 2007 American League Cy Young Award. He posted a 19–7 record, a 3.21 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 209 strikeouts. It was a fantastic season for Sabathia. Although he won his first championship with the Yankees in 2009, he should’ve had his first ring in 2007. Not to bring up the bad moments, but the Boston Red Sox ruined the party and Game Five of the ALCS changed the momentum of the series. It should’ve been Indians (name at the time) against the Rockies in the World Series. But the Baseball Gods had a different plan.
Getting inducted into the Guardians Hall of Fame was well-earned. He paid his dues. Sabathia has had many highs and lows professionally and off the field. Hopefully, he will get the call for Cooperstown next year.
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