Loved ace long way to Cooperstown

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It was an honor of a lifetime Tuesday, and a responsibility CC Sabathia will always carry, hoping the impact of his Hall of Fame election will reverberate forever.

While Sabathia was a runoff in the Hall of Fame election, chosen on 86.8% of the ballots by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America — along with peers Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner — this ultimate honor meant much, much more than just a museum plaque in Cooperstown, NY

Sabathia carved out a piece of history, becoming only the third black pitcher (besides former Negro Leaguers) to be voted into the Hall of Fame in 44 years, joining Bob Gibson and Fergie Jenkins. Sabathia just wishes Jim “Mudcat” Grant was alive to see it. Grant was instrumental in his career and another member of the “Black Aces,” a fraternity of only 15 black pitchers with a 20-win season.

“I got a chance to meet Mudcat Grant younger in my career,” Sabathia said. “I didn’t understand what it meant to win 20 games as a black starting pitcher. He made sure I understood what that would mean.

“I’m very grateful to have him in my life and in my career, and I’m just happy that I was able to fulfill this dream that he set before me.”

Jenkins, who met Sabathia in 2022 when the Chicago Cubs unveiled a statue outside Wrigley Field in his honor, called Sabathia on Tuesday after the announcement to tell him what the honor meant to each black pitcher.

“This is pretty important,” said Jenkins, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991, 10 years after Gibson. “When I signed with the Phillies, there were only nine black pitchers in all of baseball. There aren’t a whole lot more now in the game, I’m so glad to see this happen.”

There were only six black starting pitchers on opening day rosters in the Major Leagues last season, with MLB attempting to address the shortages with programs and camps designed to help recruit black pitchers and catchers to the game.

“This is big for black pitchers in general,” said Dave Stewart, who won 20 games in four straight seasons and is one of only seven living members of the Black Aces. “When there’s that type of expertise and fortune, it makes teams and scouts look for more black pitchers in the game. They can’t just bypass the black pitcher on the mound and discard them.

“Those guys paved the way for me and everyone else, and that’s exactly why CC can pave the way for the next generation of black pitchers.”

Sabathia, one of only three left-handers to win at least 250 games and strike out 3,000, was not only one of the finest pitchers of his generation, but revered by teammates and rivals for his leadership.

He became a folk hero in Milwaukee after being traded to the Brewers in July 2008. Sabathia went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts, leading the Brewers to their first playoff berth in 26 years. Remarkably, he pitched three straight games on three days’ rest, even though it meant potentially jeopardizing his health a month away from free play.

“It was the most selfless performance I’ve ever seen,” said former Brewers GM Doug Melvin, “from someone who looked beyond his free agency to elevate our entire organization and fan base to a high level of excitement.”

Sabathia said: “This was more about that crew of guys, that they were so tight and so special. That’s why I took the ball. I told them I’m going to pitch as much as you want me to pitch. …

“The time I spent in Milwaukee was very special to me. I thought I made a big impression on Milwaukee, but Milwaukee made a big impression on me.”

It was Sabathia, the modern workhorse. He threw more innings (3,577⅓) than any pitcher during his career, including eight years of at least 200 innings. He pitched 494 innings in 2007-2008 and finished in the top five in Cy Young voting for five straight years.

“The biggest separator for CC was his mentality,” former Yankee teammate Andy Pettitte said. “He was tenacious. He had that bulldog approach to the point where he had a lack of concern for his own well-being at times, and he wanted to take the ball every chance he could. He was a true warrior on the mound, and that type of make-up is very rare.”

His status among Yankees teammates became legendary on September 27, 2018, when the Yankees faced the Tampa Bay Rays. Rays reliever Andrew Kittredge threw a 93-mph fastball at Yankees catcher Austin Romine’s head. Sabathia, one of Romine’s closest friends, was furious. Romine, aware that Sabathia was just two innings away from reaching an innings contract that would pay him $500,000, tried to talk him out of it. Sabathia refused to listen. He threw a 92.5 mph fastball to Jesus Sucre, his fastest pitch of the game, and was immediately ejected, not caring that it cost him half a million dollars. (The Yankees paid the bonus later anyway).

“For me, it was more about just taking care of my guys,” Sabathia said.

It was Sabathia, and even with 251 wins, 3,093 strikeouts, six All-Star appearances, a Cy Young Award and a World Series championship, his intangibles made him one of the most respected players of his era.

“CC was an incredible competitor, teammate and leader who embodied the heart and soul of our team and this city,” two-time MVP Aaron Judge said in a statement. “As a leader, CC led by example and demonstrated courage, resilience and integrity in the face of adversity, literally leaving it all out on the field. As a teammate, CC was the ultimate glue that held us together, celebrated our successes and supported us through our challenges.

“His legacy extends far beyond his achievements as he has left an indelible mark on the lives of all who had the opportunity to share the field with him.”

Said Hall of Famer Derek Jeter: “His career on the field speaks for itself, but it’s his career as a teammate that stands out the most.”

Growing up an Oakland A’s fan and watching his first professional game at the Oakland Coliseum, Sabathia endured plenty of adversity and obstacles growing up in Vallejo, California. He had maturity issues as a young pitcher in Cleveland and battled alcoholism, later writing a book about his struggles.

“I think most people know my story at this point,” Sabathia said, “the trials and tribulations that I had coming out of Vallejo. So I’m very proud of where I came from and where I sit in day.”

And oh, is the Bay Area always proud of him.

“This is so well-deserved, man,” said Stewart, born and raised in Oakland. “There’s the story behind the story with the hardships he had to go through in his battle with alcoholism and everything he’s been through. He came from the Bay Area. Now look at him. He’s somebody that everybody can look up to, with a legacy that will live on.”

Sabathia, whose Hall of Fame plaque will feature a Yankee cap, says he will never forget his past. He talked about the thrill of falling in love with baseball as an Oakland A’s fan and watching Rickey Henderson. And he still can’t believe he’ll be inducted into the same class as Dave Parker, whom he’s never met, where Parker was elected in December along with Dick Allen by the Classic Era Committee.

Now they will forever be teammates in Cooperstown.

“For a long time, I tried to fight to be a baseball guy or a baseball fan,” said Sabathia, who works as an ambassador for the MLB Commissioner’s Office. “When I finished playing I thought I’d never go back. to the park. I thought I’d be away from the game doing these different things. I love being in the office.

“This fight has meant everything to me.”

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

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