It is tough to become a first ball Hall of Famer with 62 out of 349 players being enshrined in their first year on the ballot, though there are 18 since 2014.
CC Sabathia easily cleared the threshold of 75 percent by getting 342 votes (86.8 percent) and became the 15th starting pitcher elected on the first try. Sabathia’s candidacy seemed to be a forgone conclusion though you never knew for sure and there were plenty of things to demonstrate his strong credentials.
In an era when the value of wins started to get diminished, Sabathia completed a 19-year career in 2019 with 251 regular-season wins and 10 more in the postseason. Eight of those were as a Yankee, including two that prevented the Yankees from getting eliminated.
Sabathia reached 250 wins on June 19, 2019 by beating the Tampa Bay Rays, the same team who nine months earlier sacrificed a bonus to protect his teammates (though he later got the bonus anyway). Getting to that number seemed to assure his spot since every non-active pitcher in the modern era since 1900 with at least 250 other than Tommy John and Jamie Moyer and former Yankee teammate achieved enshrinement
In the immediate aftermath of Sabathia’s milestone win, manager Aaron Boone seemed highly confident the left-hander would get in and join Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine as some of the first-ballot starting pitchers to get to the Hall of Fame.
“I think it’s a lock,” Boone said then. “This is it for him. I think, five years, they come calling,”
FILE- New York Yankees’ CC Sabathia throws during the first inning of Game 1 of the Major League … [+]
By the time of his milestone, Sabathia was a pitcher who underwent an evolution. The diminished speed on his fastball began in 2013 when his 4.78 was his second-highest in any non-injury season. Around that time and into 2014, he learned how to deploy the cut fastball thanks to the tutelage of Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, who retired after the 2013 season.
Sabathia was able to get 43 wins over his final five seasons, including 14 to help the Yankees to an unexpected 91-win season in 2017. His evolution to adjusting with diminished velocity is part of a legacy that includes a 2007 Cy Young Award with Cleveland, 21 wins for the 2010 Yankees and seven seasons of at least 15 victories.
“It means a lot to be in the Hall of Fame, period,” Sabathia said during his video conference call with reporters Tuesday. “But first-ballot, I know what that means as a baseball player. It’s very special.”
There also is the fact he pitched over 3,500 innings and surpassed the 200-inning mark eight times, finishing in the top-ten in five straight seasons from 2007 through 2011. That was when Sabathia was his most dominant, winning 95 times and 1,084 strikeouts.
It was a time of unforgettable moments such as the 11 wins and 130 2/3 innings for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008. Even though he was putting future earnings at risk, Sabathia was the ultimate gamer in helping the Brewers to their first postseason appearance since 1982, posting seven complete games and nearly throwing a no-hitter in those 17 memorable starts.
The clutch performances turned into an lengthy association with the Yankees, who were coming off missing the playoffs for the first time since 1993 when they signed him along with A.J. Burnett and Mark Texeira and returned to the Yankees to World Champions status in 2009.
“Throughout his time in pinstripes, he embodied the best of what it means to be a Yankee,” said Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner in a statement released by the team. “I offer my wholehearted congratulations to CC and his family on his election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“During my career with the Yankees, I had the honor of playing with so many talented players,” former Yankee captain Derek said in a statement. No player exemplified a Hall-of-Fame player and person more than CC Sabathia. His career on the field speaks for itself, but it’s his career as a teammate that stands out the most. I look forward to welcoming CC to Cooperstown.”
Sabathia was instrumental in changing the Yankee culture into a more relaxed environment, often lounging on couches in the clubhouse and serving as a de facto captain while occupying the same locker as Jeter after the shortstop retired following the 2014 season.
“There’s going to be a lot of talk today about the accomplishments that led CC to Cooperstown on his very first ballot, and rightfully so,” GM Brian Cashman said in a statement. “His combination of dominance and longevity set him apart from so many of his peers and made him one of baseball’s all-time greats.
“Despite CC’s impressive statistical credentials, he set team goals ahead of personal goals. And when you have a player of his stature displaying that type of selflessness, it tends to manifest itself inside every corner of the clubhouse. CC was a difference maker for this organization in a multitude of ways, and it’s gratifying for us to see him receive baseball’s highest honor.”
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
