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Who is CC Sabathia?
CC Sabathia, like Dory asking Nemo to keep swimming, always told himself to keep pitching. That is how he rose to become one of the best pitchers of the twenty-first century. The California-born pitcher made his MLB debut as the league’s youngest player, yet he retired as the best pitcher in history.
CC Sabathia spent most of his career with the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees.
During his 19-year baseball career, the pitcher set multiple records and won numerous trophies and accolades.
Sabathia is a six-time all-star, three-time Warren Spahn Award winner, two-time AL shutout leader, and World Series champion, to name a few accomplishments.
Until 2013, the baseball great had stellar stats and a fantastic career.
Aside from that, the story will take you on CC Sabathia’s road to becoming a baseball superstar and his life after retirement.
CC Sabathia | Childhood
CC Sabathia was born on July 21, 1980, to Carsten Charles Sabathia Senior and Margie Sabathia.
Sabathia grew up in his birthplace of Vallejo, California.
Sabathia’s siblings are unknown, and it is unclear if he is the only child in his family.
Sabathia’s parents split when he was 12 years old.
Sabathia was reared by a single mother when her mother seized care of him.
As a single parent, his mother worked multiple jobs to satisfy her financial obligations.
Sabathia was thus primarily nurtured by his grandma.
Sabathia’s grandma used to call him C.C, which ultimately became his official moniker.
Sabathia had a close relationship with his father despite the divorce.
Sabathia’s father, like Sabathia, was a sports aficionado.
Sabathia’s passion for sports was influenced greatly by his father’s interest in sports.
Sabathia was interested in several sports, but baseball was his favorite.
He used to play baseball with a folding chair by throwing grapefruits at it.
He also insisted on attending live games at stadiums.
Education | CC Sabathia
Sabathia went to Vallejo High School, where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball.
He participated in the Major League Baseball youth program, where he achieved school records.
As a result, he was regarded as the best high school prospect.
Sabathia was similarly talented on the football field, earning scholarships to play for different universities, including UCLA.
However, baseball fans preferred baseball over football.
As a result, instead of attending university, he chose to play minor-league baseball.
CC Sabathia | Professional Background
The Draft and the Olympic Games
The Cleveland Indians selected CC Sabathia for 20th overall in the first round of the 1998 MLB draft.
He got a $1.3 million contract and spent three seasons in the Indians’ minor leagues.
Sabathia was named to the United States Olympic Team in 2000.
In Sydney, Australia, he competed in one pre-Olympic tournament game.
However, he was called up by the Cleveland Indians and thus was unable to participate in the Olympics.
The Indians named Sabathia Minor League Player of the Year the same year, and he got the Lou Boudreau Award.
Major League Debut and Career Highlights
Sabathia became Major League Baseball’s youngest player when he made his debut in 2001 at the age of 20.
On February 23, 2002, he signed a four-year, $9.5 million contract with the Indians.
He was named to the American League All-Star squad for the first time that year.
Sabathia’s fastball averaged 94.7 mph in 2005, making him the fastest pitcher.
Sabathia played six complete games the next season, demonstrating his outstanding performance.
Sabathia garnered worldwide attention in 2007 after being the youngest pitcher in history to hit the century mark.
As a result, he received the AL Cy Young Award.
Aside from that, he received other trophies, including the Players Choice Award for Outstanding AL Pitcher and the Warren Spahn Award.
On July 7, 2008, Sabathia was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Despite being traded, he continued to perform admirably, attracting the attention of the New York Yankees.
Sabathia signed a seven-year, $161 million contract with the New York Yankees on December 19, 2008.
It was the most costly contract ever offered to a pitcher in Major League Baseball at the time.
Sabathia had a wonderful career with the New York Yankees, and he was the dominant pitcher in MLB, holding numerous records and honors.
The pitcher was selected as the American League Pitcher of the Month and the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player (ALCS).
He received the Warren Spahn Award for the third year in a row, making him the first Yankee pitcher to do so since Andy Pettitte in 2003.
The Difficulties and Failures
However, Sabathia was plagued by ailments during the 2013 season.
He was unable to play the full season, which had an impact on his numbers.
Sabathia was thus added to the disabled list. After 2013, my career began to decline.
He sustained severe injuries and required multiple procedures.
Aside from that, his major breakdown occurred in 2015, when he began drinking heavily.
He became an alcoholic, which had a negative impact on both his personal and professional life.
As a result, he went to rehab to treat his alcoholism, and his life spiraled out of control.
Sabathia claims that if he hadn’t gone to treatment, the booze would have killed him.
Sabathia returned from rehab and went on to play four more seasons, all of which he excelled.
He resumed where it began to descend and returned to the track.
However, in 2019, Sabathia developed a blockage in one of his heart’s arteries and underwent surgery to install a stent to relieve the blockage.
Sabathia’s physicians advised him not to play baseball again.
Retirement
Sabathia announced his retirement from baseball on October 21, 2019.
He also wrote a touching message for his supporters and teammates.
Sabathia believes he was born to play basketball and is happy for the opportunity to play baseball.
Despite his baseball career’s ups and downs, he said baseball has always seemed like a home to him.
He also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in this wonderful baseball excursion, as well as for his fans and teammates that accompanied him on the trip.
Sabathia said his last goodbyes to everyone and his eleven-year baseball career with a sorrowful heart.
Off The Court with CC Sabathia
CC Sabathia worked in a variety of industries apart from baseball, including podcasting, book authoring, and filmography.
Sabathia began a podcast for the player’s tribune in 2017, which was eventually shifted to an uninterrupted podcast network the following year.
In 2020, HBO aired a documentary called Under the Grapefruit Tree, which told the tale of Sabathia’s life.
CC Sabathia published a book called ‘Till The End in 2021, in which he talked about his baseball career.
CC Sabathia | Awards and Honors
- Six All-Star appearances (2003, 2004, 2007, 2010–2012)
- Champion of the World Series (2009)
- MVP of the ALCS (2009)
- AL The Cy Young Award (2007)
- Warren Spahn Award winner three times over (2007–2009)
[125] - MLB has been the leader twice (2009, 2010)
- AL shutout leader twice (2006, 2008), NL shutout leader once (2008)
CC Sabathia and his family
Sabathia is married to Amber, his long-term girlfriend.
In high school, the pair met and began dating.
On June 9, 2003, the high school sweethearts married.
The couple is the proud parents of four children.
Carsten Charles III, his son, was born in 2003, and Jaeden Arie, his daughter, was born in 2005.
Amber gave birth to their third child, Cydia, in 2008, and they had a son called Carter in 2010.
The family lived in Fairfield, California, just outside his hometown of Vallejo, near San Francisco, at first. The family later relocated to Alpine, New Jersey.
CC Sabathia | Net Worth
Sabathia is one of baseball’s wealthiest players, with a net worth of $155 million.
Sabathia agreed to terms with the Cleveland Indians on a one-year, $1.3 million contract.
He eventually agreed to a four-year contract worth $ 9.5 million with them.
Sabathia got the highest contract for a pitcher in MLB history in 2008, for $161 million.
It was the most costly contract available at the time.
He was ranked 61st on Forbes’ list of The World’s Highest-paid Athletes in 2017.
That year, he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the New York Yankees.
Similarly, Sabathia amassed a fortune as a baseball player and continues to live a lavish lifestyle even after retirement.
Facts
To honor Sabathia, Vallejo High School launched “CC Sabathia Day” and dubbed the school’s baseball field Sabathia’s PitCCh In Foundation to upgrade the region.
Sabathia detailed his battle with alcoholism in a piece for ‘The Players’ Tribune.
In 2021, the Cleveland Indians will dedicate a baseball field to him, naming it “CC Sabathia Field at Luke Easter Park.”
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Presence on Social Media
CC Sabathia enjoys staying in touch with his followers and admirers, which is why he is active on most social media networks.
The baseball player has numerous verified social media accounts with large followings.
Sabathia constantly updates his followers on his family, games, and friends.
His social media platforms act as a bridge, connecting fans to their world.
So, if you want to learn more about Sabathia and stay up to date on his life, be sure to follow him on his social media accounts.
Instagram has 483 thousand followers.
372K followers on Facebook
Twitter has 473 thousand of followers.
