CC Sabathia honored to make Hall of Fame

CC Sabathia didn't make it to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by himself. That's why the former Cleveland Indians ace dedicated much of his induction speech to the women and men who guided him along the way, including his mother, Margie, whom he described as "the reason that I'm a baseball fan." "When I was young, she put on the catcher's gear so I could throw in the backyard, and years later, after my starts in Cleveland, we would sit in the garage and talk [about] pitch selection," Sabathia said Sunday in Cooperstown. "My mom is here today, just like she has always been there for me." Sabathia was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Clark Sports Center, helping to headline a class also including former outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, closer Billy Wagner and sluggers Dave Parker and Dick Allen. The left-handed Sabathia went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts in 3,577.1 innings over 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Yankees from 2001-19. He won the American League Cy Young Award in 2007 with Cleveland, and he was a six-time All-Star. Sabathia is one of four left-handers to record at least 3,000 strikeouts, and one of 15 pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts and 250 wins. Sabathia recalled Sunday wanting to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2009 season because it would allow him to play closer to his hometown of Vallejo, Calif. "I definitely didn't want to go to New York and play for the Yankees, the furthest team away," Sabathia said. But Sabathia and his wife and agent, Amber, ultimately decided on New York, viewing it as a place where they could raise their young family. "Winning mattered, and money made a difference, but my free agent decision was really about where we were going to spend our lives," Sabathia said, adding, "We had three kids, and we wanted to plant roots. That's what we talked about. That's how we made the best decision we ever made." The 6-foot-6, 300-pound Sabathia signed a seven-year, $161 million contract with the Yankees and immediately lived up to his lofty billing, performing as an ace on the field and a culture-setter in the clubhouse. Sabathia went 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA during the 2009 postseason, earning ALCS MVP while helping the Yankees win the World Series. He spent his final 11 seasons with the Yankees, with whom he went 134-88 with a 3.81 ERA and 1,700 strikeouts over 1918 innings. "Baseball has always been a great game for Black athletes, but baseball culture has not always been great for Black people," Sabathia said. "Through The Players Alliance and our work with the commissioner's office and the (Commissioner's Ambassador Program), I hope we're starting to turn that around." He continued, "I don't want to be the final member of the Black Aces, a Black pitcher to win 20 games in the big leagues, and I don't want to be the final Black pitcher standing here, giving a Hall of Fame speech." Sabathia is the 22nd person to enter the Hall as a Yankee, joining a list that includes former teammates Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, who were among the Hall of Famers on the dais Sunday. "You have to be talented, but talent only gets you far," Jeter said in a video introducing Sabathia. "It takes that drive and dedication, and he had it." Sabathia and Suzuki were both voted into the Hall by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) in their first years of eligibility, while Wagner received the requisite 75% in his 10th and final year on the ballot.