Former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher CC Sabathia was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Sabahia pitched 17 games for the Brewers in 2008 when he was acquired from Cleveland via trade. During that stretch the south paw posted an 11-2 record with a 1.65 ERA, 128 strikeouts and seven complete games during his stretch in Milwaukee, including during a playoff run.
Although brief, his time with the Brewers was one of several examples of Sabathia’s case for the hall of fame.
Following his tenure in Milwaukee, Sabathia went on to place 11 seasons with the New York Yankees, helping the franchise capture its 27th World Series crown in 2009 and would later become one of three left handed pitchers with over 3,000 career strikeouts.
During his speech, Sabathia made sure to pay tribute to the women in his life, notably his mother Margie and wife Amber, who stood by him and had his back throughout his career.
“It’s been a long road from Vallejo, Calif.,” Sabathia said according to MLB.com, “and I wouldn’t have made it all this way without the women redicrecting me when I got lost.”
Margie was the one who originally sparked Sabathia’s passion for the game of baseball, taking him to games at Oakland Coliseum since he was a young boy. But she also taught him the ability to persevere through adversity which was key throughout his career.
“From her, I learned if we are here, if we are breathing, if we are standing, we can get through it,” Sabathia said. “There’s always something on the other side of the storm.”
Sabathia is also one of 15 players who make up the Black Aces – a group of African American and African-Canadian pitchers to win at least 20 games in a season. With the duration of starting pitchers’ innings diminishing, Sabathia also noted in his speech that he hopes to not be the final member of the group.
“I don’t want to be the final member of the Black Aces,” Sabathia said. “I don’t want to be the final Black pitcher standing here giving a Hall of Fame speech.”
Joining Sabathia in the class of 2025 was Ichiro Suzuki, Bill Wagner, Dave Parker and Dick Allen.
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