CC Sabathia will be recognized for his 19-years of greatness on the mound at the 2019 MLB All-Star Game in Cleveland, and rightfully so.
Ever since he made his major league debut in 2001, CC Sabathia has been nothing short of a legendary pitcher.
So it was only fitting that when he announced before the season that the 2019 campaign would be his last, MLB would move to pay tribute to one of the game’s best pitchers at this year’s All-Star Game in Cleveland, the city where Sabathia’s legend came to be.
In a press conference announcing the tribute, MLB Commissioner Rob Mandred said that Sabathia will be honored for “his contributions to the game and his longtime service to the community.”
With the 90th Midsummer Classic held in Cleveland this year, you can bet that MLB and the city will go out of their way to honor Sabathia.
CC spent his first eight seasons with the Indians, dominating hitters and helping to lead Cleveland back to contending status in the AL. When the Indians began to backslide in 2008, the team traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers, and after one season in Brew Town, he signed a free agent deal with the New York Yankees where he won his first-and-only World Series Championship.
The MLB has long used the Midsummer Classic to send off its retiring warriors, from Ted Williams to Tony Gwynn, to Medal of Honor recipients to the famous year-long Derek Jeter sendoff.
If we can go on history for how Sabathia will be honored, it will be emotional and touching, especially for Cleveland fans. However, this will be slightly different than in years past.
Sabathia will not be playing in this year’s All-Star Game, which strips out the awkwardness of honoring a great pitcher while trying to play a real baseball game.