THROWBACK: Five Moments That Made CC Sabathia A Hall of Fame Yankee

CC Sabathia may have won his Cy Young Award as a member of the then-Cleveland Indians, but he will forever be remembered in his baggy, pinstriped New York Yankees uniform, his navy hat pushed up high on his forehead. As he waits to find out if he will be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame this week, here’s a look back at the memorable moments that make Sabathia a true Yankee.

Sep. 27, 2018, against the Tampa Bay Rays Even with $500,000 riding on him just finishing with 155 innings pitched on the season, Sabathia didn’t hesitate to back up his boys. When Rays reliever Andrew Kittredge threw behind the head of the Yankees’ Austin Romine, Sabathia retaliated and hit Jesus Sucre in the left thigh to open the sixth inning. Just to make sure they knew why, Sabathia pointed into Tampa Bay’s dugout and said, “That’s for you, [expletive]!”

Sabathia knew he’d be ejected. That meant he ended up just two innings shy of hitting an incentive bonus in his contract that would have paid him $500,000. (The Yankees paid him anyway.) 2009 ALCS Sabathia went into his free agency thinking he would come out an Angel. Instead, he was blown away by the Yankees’ seven-year, $161 million offer and ended up eliminating the Angels in the Championship Series. He allowed just two runs in two starts, striking out 12 over 16 innings as he was named the ALCS MVP.

He got the Yankees back to the World Series and helped them win. 2012 ALDS Sabathia threw a strong 8 ⅔ innings to open the series against the Orioles, but what made him special was how he closed it. In the decisive Game 5, with the Yankees back in the Bronx, Sabathia went out and pitched a dominating complete game. He struck out nine in nine innings and allowed just one run.

After knee issues cost him his velocity, he rebuilt himself as a crafty lefthander. This season was his resurgence as a pitcher, and Game 5 of the AL Division Series against his former team was the debut of the “new CC.” He struck out nine in just 4 1/3 innings, out-dueling the 2017 Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to get the Yankees back into the ALCS. 2019 Season Sabathia’s final season was remarkable, even as we watched him struggle with injuries and age. On May 1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sabathia recorded his 3,000th strikeout, becoming only the third left-hander to reach that milestone. That was the high point of the year. Sabathia struggled all season and his career ended with him walking off the field at Yankees Stadium in pain.

 

Related Posts

POWER HUNT IGNITED: The Mets are circling a 56-home-run force as free agency opens doors tension hums in front-office corridors where ambition meets risk and numbers turn into destiny every call, every whisper, every pause on the other end feels like a spark waiting to detonate the chase for raw power isn’t just about home runs — it’s about identity, fear, and the hunger to reshape October futures and if this pursuit goes all the way, New York may trade quiet patience for a bat built to break seasons apart..ll

The New York Mets have plenty to fix this offseason, and David Stearns knows it. Pitching remains priority number one, but there’s another hole quietly

POWER DRAIN EXPOSED: The Red Sox feel another crack as the Mets swoop in and steal their director of pitching whispers of instability turn sharper as leadership bleeds talent and futures shift in silent hallways every exit raises the stakes, every departure cuts deeper and as New York builds while Boston leaks, a new question rises in the shadows — is this a minor loss, or the beginning of a front-office unraveling..ll

For the fourth time this offseason, the Red Sox are losing a member of their front office to another team.

NEXT-LEVEL RISING: How Cam Schlittler, Ben Rice, and Will Warren can each elevate their games every move, every adjustment, and every effort could redefine their careers their skills colliding with opportunity as the season unfolds and expectations skyrocket..ll

The trio’s emergence was a boon in 2025, but development doesn’t stop once your reach the majors.

ROAD TO RETURN: Yankees ace throws off the mound every pitch a step closer to reclaiming glory progress is measured in inches tension builds with each throw and questions loom over whether he can dominate again this season..ll

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole shared a video of a throwing session off a mound, a major step with an early-2026 return in mind

BROADCAST BLUNDER: Yankees Hall of Famer slams Fox’s Joe Davis every call, every misstep, and every awkward pause draws fire the legend demands accuracy, fans erupt online, media scrambling to respond and the embarrassment lingers as the game moves on..ll

Former New York Yankees and Oakland A’s slugger Reggie Jackson hit 18 home runs in 318 postseason plate appearances. Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy has 15 homers in the postseason, in 323 plate appearances. Should those statistics be given equal treatment on a World Series broadcast — or is further context necessary? MORE: One image…

TRADE CHAOS WARNING: Yankees must block out all noise around Bryce Harper every rumor and every whisper threatens to distract the team from their championship goal media frenzy, locker room tension, and fan speculation swirl endlessly while management struggles to maintain focus every move counts and one wrong step could redefine the season’s fate..ll

It wouldn’t be an offseason without the New York Yankees being mentioned in just about every rumor imaginable. From free-agent pitching targets to blockbuster