On Saturday, legendary Cleveland Guardians pitcher CC Sabathia will be inducted to the team’s Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony.
The tall left-hander will get to greet the fans who helped shape him into who he is today, the ones who were there to witness the first few steps of his career.
Cleveland fans watched how Sabathia matured from a wild pitcher with no control into a Cy Young-caliber pitcher.
He pitched for the franchise from 2001 to 2008, when he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Guardians insider Zack Meisel tweeted some thougths Sabathia had the day before his induction, on Friday.
He has nothing but good things to say about Cleveland fans.
He thanked them, but also apologized to them in a shocking turn of events.
“What does CC Sabathia want to say to Cleveland fans as he gets inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame this weekend? “Thank you. … I have to say sorry, too. I feel like if I pitched better in 2007, we win the World Series and we’re not still looking (to end) that drought,” Meisel tweeted.
What does CC Sabathia want to say to Cleveland fans as he gets inducted into the team's Hall of Fame this weekend?
"Thank you. … I have to say sorry, too. I feel like if I pitched better in 2007, we win the World Series and we're not still looking (to end) that drought."
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) August 2, 2024
Sabathia is probably referring to the 2007 postseason.
In the regular season, there was no one like him: he won the AL Cy Young award with 241 innings of a 3.21 ERA.
In the Division Series, however, he posted a 5.40 ERA in five innings.
Things got even worse in the AL Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox: he had a ghastly 10.45 ERA in 10.1 innings after conceding 12 earned runs in two starts.
He lost both, and Boston left Cleveland behind in seven games.
Sabathia is right: had he won at least one of his two starts, Cleveland makes it to the Fall Classic.
Fans still love him, though.
NEXT: MLB Network Analyst Praises The "Fantastic Four" At The Top Of Guardians Lineup
