Since he was selected for National Baseball Hall of Fame, CC Sabathia has not had much time to reflect on the honor.
Sabathia was quickly whipped to Cooperstown the day after the announcement with the others chose, and he has been everywhere since.
He appeared in Tokyo for Los Angeles Dodgers-Chicago Cubs series at Tokyo Dome. He visited New York Yankees during spring training.
And he has seen his son, Carsten Sabathia III, play for Houston Cougars.
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CC Sabathia and his mother, Margie Sabathia, chop after Sabathia receives the Baseball Hall of Fame call at home in Alpine, NJ, January 21, 2025. (IMagn)
It has been a whirlwind since the night when Sabathia, surrounded by family and friends, reached the goal he had been dreaming of since picking up a baseball. He has started writing his Hall of Fame speech, something that can be nervous swing for men who have lived through intense pressure during their play career.
Sabathia revealed to Pakinomist Digital what he hopes to come over with his words.
“I feel like I want the theme of it to be … I was raised around a lot of strong black women. And I fancy without them, I wouldn’t be able to be in this position,” Sabathia said. “I want it to be the theme of my speech. I don’t know how it will work, but that’s right what I’ve been thinking about since I was chosen.
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“Just all the positive black women who have been in my life that got me to this point, whether it’s my grandmother, my mother, her friends, my aunts, my wife. So I think I want it to be the theme of my speech.”
Sabathia has been open to the women of her life, starting with her grandmother, whose backyard had a grapefruit tree that gave the perfect practice objects even if they were not baseballs. He would beat them on a folding chair to hone his abilities.
His mother Margie sacrificed for him with his father in and out of the picture to make sure he had everything he needed to succeed. In 2019, Margie said she used to go on Catcher’s gear to be the second half of the battery to her son.
And his wife, Amber, his girlfriend in high school, there was every step on the road as they built a family and a charitable foundation off the field as he cut men on it.
New York Yankee’s Start Pitcher CC Sabathia poses with her family (left right) daughter Cyia, wife Amber, son Carter and daughter Jaeden. (Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)
Not only is strong black women a crucial element of Sabathia’s history. Black culture played a big role in the star he became. Baseball fans know everything about Sabathia’s crooked hat, baggy jersey and the stylish Jordans he used to wear for each start.
Given that he grew up in an era where hip-hop exploded and eventually played where the genre was born, in New York, Sabathia embodied the person himself, he dreamed of looking at a baseball diamond that grew up in Vallejo, California.
“I grew up in the 80s and 90s. I grew up with the birth of it. So I was a little raised with that music genre,” he explained.
“Even the way I wore my hat; the way I wore my uniforms; wearing Jordans; the great, baggy and all these different things. I just wanted to talk to the baby in me. If I looked out at the haug when I was 9 years old I would [say]’I’ll be like that.’
“So, that’s what it was for me when I saw dave stewart, when in saw ricky henderson, when I saw dave parks. The swag that they played with, ricky popping his collar and all these differenti -things. That’s who I wanted to be. Years Older Than Me, But He Was 18 Playing In The World Series.
CC Sabathia celebrates after receiving the Baseball Hall of Fame call at home in Alpine, NJ, January 21, 2025. CC Sabathia, his mother Margie Sabathia and daughter Ciya Sabathia Toast. (IMagn)
“All of these different inspiration from black culture or hip-hop culture, and it just became who I am and who I was. It feels good and it is great to be that representation and be that guy and have all these connections in that culture and the world. It’s a lot of fun.”
Sabathia has little time to perfect his speech before sharing it with the world world over July 27 in Cooperstown.
While he wants to be sure to mention catchers, coaches and teammates in his time in MLB, he will elucidate those who helped him get to that point and had his back every step on the road.
Fighting allergies with xyzal
During his famous career, allergies were always something that Sabathia had to worry about. Spring can be difficult with allergies, and Sabathia used to get a shot from his team’s medical staff to handle them.
Now at retirement, the luxury of a team of doctors and staff is gone, and Sabathia had to find the right medicine to fight for these symptoms, especially with golf being his latest sports passion.
Xyzal, with whom he is now working together, was the perfect means.
New York Yankees The former pitcher CC Sabathia stands on the field before a game between Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs under the Tokyo series at the Tokyo Dome. (Darren Yamashita/Imag images)
“My allergies have been awful all my life. When I was a kid, I would go to school with rollers with toilet paper,” he said, laughing. “My allergies were super, super bad … so … I just tried to find different things. I came across xyzal and figured you can take it at night.”
Now Sabathia and his 14-year-old son Carter have made it part of their nightly routine to make sure they can get through the baseball season without these annoying allergy symptoms.
