Cleveland has another Baseball Hall of Famer.
CC Sabathia was inducted on Sunday after an epic career.
Though he found most of his success with the New York Yankees, he’ll always hold the organization close to his heart.
That’s why, after the ceremony, the southpaw admitted a lingering regret.
“My biggest regret in baseball is not winning a championship for the fans in Cleveland,” Sabathia said, via Jim Berdysz.
"My biggest regret in baseball is not winning a championship for the fans in Cleveland."
– C.C. Sabathia during his #HOF speech in Cooperstown#Indians #Guardians #Cleveland
— Jim Berdysz (@BirdmanCLE) July 27, 2025
The franchise took the California high school pitcher with the No. 20 pick of the 1998 MLB Draft, rolling the dice on a big-bodied 17-year-old with a lot of promise.
Three years later, he made his way to the big leagues, almost winning Rookie of the Year.
Sabathia spent eight years with the organization, helping them make the playoffs twice and winning the 2007 AL Cy Young Award.
Then, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2008 season, and after that, he signed with the Yankees as a free agent.
Two years later, he was named ALCS MVP on the way to winning the World Series.
Sabathia had to deal with some personal issues throughout the course of his career, so it wasn’t always easy or smooth sailing for him.
Fortunately, he managed to have one of the most dominant careers by any pitcher in recent MLB history.
Though he wasn’t able to fulfill his ultimate goal during his days with Cleveland, he is considered one of the best players in franchise history.
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