During a pregame ceremony on Saturday evening, Cleveland Guardians legend CC Sabathia was greeted by thousands of fans at Progressive Field.
They showered him with love and applauses, cheering for who had been one of their most influential players in the 2000s.
Sabathia was welcomed into the Guardians Hall of Fame, joining franchise legends and earning teamm immortality.
The Guardians posted some cool pictures and videos about the touching moment in which Sabathia received the honor and said hello to the fans who were there to witness his growth as a pitcher and as a man from 2001 to 2008.
A legend on and off the field, forever immortalized in our Hall of Fame.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/DioHUr95qV
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 4, 2024
He entered the Guardians as a young left-hander fireballer with no control, and left with a Cy Young and as one of the most dominant and durable lefties in the game.
Sabathia was with Cleveland since 1998, when he was selected in the first round of the draft at just 17.
He pitched parts of eight campaigns with Cleveland, posting a 3.83 ERA with 1,265 strikeouts.
In 2007, his Cy Young year, he had a 19-7 record in 34 starts with an MLB-best 241 frames and a 3.21 ERA.
Over the course of his career, Sabathia won 251 games and had a 3.74 ERA.
He had a huge peak and won a World Series with the New York Yankees, with multiple All-Star berths.
There is a case to be made he deserves to be in the National Baseball’s Hall of Fame, and he will eligible for selection starting this year.
For now, he gets to enjoy the benefits of being in the Guardians Hall of Fame, and that’s no small thing.
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