The Cleveland Guardians recently announced that they will welcome franchise legend CC Sabathia to their Hall of Fame.
He will be inducted in a ceremony at Progressive Field on August 3, in front of the fans that supported him from his prospect days (late-90s, early 2000s) until he was traded in 2008.
There might not be a single Guardians fan who thinks Sabathia isn’t worthy of the honor he is receiving.
He had a very successful stint in Cleveland before continuing his career somewhere else, one that included the AL Cy Young in 2007, multiple All-Star selections, a 3.83 ERA, and 106 wins.
Guardians analyst Jensen Lewis was full of praise for Sabathia.
“‘As dominant in stretches as any hurler in Cleveland baseball history.’ @JLEWFifty and @AlPawlowski reflect on CC Sabathia’s legacy that has earned him a spot in the @CleGuardians Hall of Fame,” Bally Sports Cleveland tweeted.
"As dominant in stretches as any hurler in Cleveland baseball history."@JLEWFifty and @AlPawlowski reflect on CC Sabathia's legacy that has earned him a spot in the @CleGuardians Hall of Fame.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/Jgcy0GCGEt
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) May 10, 2024
Sabathia’s absolute prime came in that 2007-08 period in which he spent a year-and-a-half with Cleveland and half the 2008 season with the Milwaukee Brewers.
He had a 3.21 ERA in 241 innings in 2007, winning the Cy Young over Josh Beckett; but followed that up with a brilliant 2.70 ERA showing in 2008 between the Guards and the Brew Crew.
Then, he played for the New York Yankees from 2009 to 2019, winning his only World Series with them in that 2009 campaign.
In Cleveland, however, he matured from a young thrower to a pitcher.
He was known for his rubber arm and presence on the mound, and had a 106-71 record in Cleveland from 2001 to 2008.
There have been many brilliant hitters in Guardians history, but it’s hard to think about a more impactful pitcher in recent history over a longer period of time.
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