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| [ PHOTO: NEW YORK POST ] |
May 7, 2018
Peter Solari, Editor in Chief
CC Sabathia is just about ready to call it a career, but not before he gets one more ride down the Canyon of Heroes.
“I want one more parade and pretty sure that will be it,’’ Sabathia told the New York Post.
According to the Yankees' southpaw, if the Bronx Bombers win the World Series in 2018, he will retire at season's end. In fact, he would have preferred to have done it even earlier. Here's more from the New York Post:
Asked if he would have retired had the Yankees gotten by the Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS, which he started, and beaten the Dodgers in the World Series, Sabathia said that would have been the end of what has been a Hall of Fame worthy career.
“That’s what you play for,’’ the 37-year-old Sabathia said of winning another World Series title before retiring and enjoying his family. “But you got to get it first.’’
It has been 10 seasons since Sabathia helped the Yankees beat the Phillies in the 2009 World Series. They haven’t been back since, though they came nine outs away a year ago.
“You always want that feeling. It feels like 20 seasons [ago],’’ Sabathia said of the Yankees’ 27th World Series title in 2009. “That’s all you play for.’’
Brett Gardner and Sabathia are the lone leftovers from the 2009 title team. David Robertson was on the team but left following the 2014 season to sign with the White Sox and was dealt to the Yankees last July.
Sabathia broke onto the scene in 2001 with the Indians and spent parts of eight seasons in Cleveland. He signed with the Yankees as a free agent after the 2008 season, and was the ace of a staff that won the World Series in 2009; the lone championship in Sabathia's illustrious career.
Sabathia also spent several months as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, and though his time in the Brew City was short, he left a lasting impression on the city and the ballclub, In fact, the Milwaukee months may have been the greatest performance of Sabathia's entire career.
It might sound cliche, but Sabathia really did put the Brewers on his back and carried them to the playoffs in 2008. In 17 starts for the Brewers, Sabathia was a staggering 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA, including seven complete games, three shutouts, and a controversial one-hitter, which in reality, should have been a no-hitter. The hefty lefty made his final three starts of the regular season on three-days rest, propelling Milwaukee to its first playoff appearance since 1982, as the Brewers finished one game ahead of the New York Mets to win the National League Wild Card.
Overall, Sabathia is 239-146 with a 3.68 ERA in 515 Major League starts over 18 seasons with the Indians, Brewers, and Yankees. The six-time all star twice led the Majors in wins in 2009 and 2010, won the American League Cy Young Award in 2007, and was named MVP of the ALCS in 2009.
Currently, the Yankees are the hottest team in baseball, having won 15 of their last 16 games, and are very much expected to compete for a World Series title in 2018, making Sabathia's dreams of a fairy tale ending, a very real possibility.
