C.C. Sabathia News: Pro Sports Daily

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March 15

Bergen Record

"In 4 1/3 innings against the Pirates' regular lineup, CC Sabathia found the rhythm missing in his last start — when Pittsburgh hammered him for five runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings. "I felt a lot better … more together," Sabathia said, after giving up three runs on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts in a 10-5 loss at McKechnie Field. Akinori Iwamura hit a solo homer, aided by a gusting wind. The other two runs were inherited by Jonathan Albaladejo. Sabathia came out at 57 pitches (his limit was 60), but there was a slight scare as athletic trainer Steve Donohue raced to the mound when Andy LaRoche's single seemed to deflect off Sabathia's pitching hand. Rather, it nicked his ..."

NY Yankees' ace CC Sabathia can feel his big step forward

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March 15

Newark Star-Ledger

"As he's racked up innings through the years, CC Sabathia has developed a keen sense of what's happening with the moving parts in his body that are required to throw a baseball. It's a critical sense for any pitcher who hopes to learn an important skill: the ability to self-correct. But for the first few starts of spring training, Sabathia had lost his feel and his ability to quickly adjust his mechanics. So, guess what he found on Sunday? While Sabathia allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 10-5 loss to the Pirates, the numbers hid the most important development. The Yankees' ace showed signs of improvement, which led to a cleaner outing, especially when it came to the smoothness of his ..."

CC looks sharp ... unhurt in liner scare

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March 15

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"The baseball had barely touched the outfield grass when Steve Donahue and Dave Eiland were off the bench, out of the dugout and on their way to the pitcher's mound at McKechnie Field. This would be odd, this urgent duo of trainer and pitching coach, given that to every eye inside the picturesque park it seemed like a routine base hit off the bat of Adam LaRoche, a line drive up the middle that didn't seem to cause the pitcher any undue stress. Except the person in the line of fire was one Carsten Charles Sabathia. And suddenly it made perfect sense. "The ball just ticked off my glove," Sabathia would explain later. "No big deal at all." But he is CC Sabathia, and he is the ace of the World ..."

With third outing, New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia is feeling OK

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March 15

New York Daily News

"After a pair of outings that CC Sabathia described as "so-so" and "terrible," the big lefthander finally walked off the mound pleased with his day's work. Sabathia was charged with three runs over 4-1/3 inningsÂ Sunday in the Yankees' 10-5 loss to the Pirates, although two of them were inherited runners that Jonathan Albaladejo allowed to score. Sabathia had struggled with his delivery in each of his first two starts, failing to correct a mechanical flaw. He didn't have any problems with that yesterday, his lone mistake being a third-inning wind-aided solo homer by Akinori Iwamura. "I felt more together," Sabathia said. "My fastball felt more crisp, the cutters were good, down in the dirt, ..."

Sabathia unhappy with start

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March 10

The Journal News

"CC Sabathia tried to be realistic. He tried to have some perspective. It was only spring training, after all. These games don't even count. It didn't really work. Sabathia gave up five runs and seven hits in 2Ÿ innings against the Pirates on Tuesday, and afterward he was more than a little disappointed. "Everything was up — belt-high and above," he said. "It's pretty easy to hit when it's like that. I always say results don't matter until I give up eight runs in two innings to the Pirates." But wait, one writer said, you only gave up five runs. "It should have been eight," Sabathia replied. Joe Girardi said he wasn't concerned about Sabathia, who had a similarly bad outing against the ..."

CCen this before

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March 10

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"Perhaps CC stands for carbon copy. In his second start last spring, CC Sabathia was hammered all over Joker Marchant Stadium in a 7-4 loss to the Tigers, surrendering five runs on six hits over 12/3 innings. History repeated itself yesterday when Sabathia was crushed again, surrendering five runs on seven hits, including a home run and three doubles over 21/3 innings in a 12-7 loss to the Pirates at Steinbrenner Field in his second spring training start. "I was terrible," Sabathia said. That's not the worst part. The worst part is that he was expecting a call from his mother, Margie, wanting to know why he pitched so poorly. "My mom will be all over me. She worries, she's always like ..."

CC Sabathia struggles as New York Yankees lose to Pittsburgh Pirates, 12-7

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March 10

New York Daily News

"A year ago, CC Sabathia gave up five runs against the Tigers in the second inning of his second spring start, prompting the typical questions that seem to accompany every high-profile, big-money free agent who signs with the Yankees. Can he handle New York? Will the Yankees regret giving him so much money? Is the pressure getting to him already? Sabathia wasn't worried. His mother, Margie, on the other hand, was slightly alarmed. "She just thinks that every time I get two strikes on a guy he should be struck out," Sabathia said, only half-joking. Margie couldn't have liked what she saw Tuesday, as the Pirates knocked Sabathia around for four runs in the first inning before he recorded an ..."

Easy-going New York Yankee CC Sabathia shares details into what makes him tick, on the mound and off

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March 7

New York Daily News

"CC Sabathia won a Cy Young Award in 2007 with the Indians but he had to become a Yankee to come of age as a pitcher. Sabathia was a three-sport captain in high school, admired for his maturity and leadership, yet it wasn't until he was robbed at gunpoint as a 21-year-old major leaguer that he realized how much he had to grow up. The big-as-a-mountain lefty is already a Yankee through and through, delivering the championship for which the ballclub signed him to that seven-year, $161 million contract. For such a high-priced star, however, Sabathia managed to keep an awfully low profile in his first season in New York. It's the way he likes it. He's as easy-going as he is popular with his ..."

CC Sabathia, Roy Halladay look sharp in debuts

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March 5

New York Daily News

"CC Sabathia's view from the bench mostly was blocked by his teammates standing along the rail of the visiting dugout. But he saw enough of Roy Halladay's first appearance for the Phillies and heard enough mutterings from the Yankees Thursday to suggest that the former Toronto ace is as "filthy" as ever. Halladay also gave Mets fans a preview of what to expect this season in the NL East, striking out three of the seven batters he faced and throwing all but three of his pitches for strikes in matching Sabathia over two scoreless innings in the Phillies' 3-2 win at Bright House Field. "I couldn't see because so many people were up there, but I've seen him pitch before and he's filthy. He was ..."

New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia to take it easy against Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

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March 1

New York Daily News

"Under normal circumstances, a matchup against Roy Halladay would get CC Sabathia's competitive juices flowing. But when the two former Cy Young winners duel on Thursday in their first starts of the spring, it will be little more than another day in March. "I'll be in the dugout eating seeds and goofing off," Sabathia said. "His games are usually quick, though. He's a great pitcher, but this is spring training." Sabathia threw his first and only live batting practice session yesterday, setting his regular five-day routine into motion. The big lefty will throw a bullpen session tomorrow before making his start on Thursday, when he'll throw two innings or 35 pitches, whichever comes first. "I ..."

Yanks love CC Sabathia's can-do attitude

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February 21

Bergen Record

columnist Bob Klapisch

"It is 11 a.m. at Steinbrenner Field, which is about the time CC Sabathia - half-man, half-bear (and you could argue the percentage) - is beginning his first bullpen session of the spring. The 6-foot-7 left-hander is a jungle of arms and legs in his delivery, a challenge for right-handed hitters, pure poison for lefties. The workout consisted of fastballs and change-ups and was over in 12 minutes, just 30 pitches. Afterward, Sabathia ran sprints with the other pitchers and retired to the clubhouse. He told reporters he felt "great" and that he's ready for another summer where he'll, "take the ball any time they give it to me." The Yankees love Sabathia's can-do attitude; it's his blessing ..."

Posada compares CC to ex-Yankee David Wells

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February 21

New York Post

"God must dig large lefties. After catching CC Sabathia in a George M. Steinbrenner Field bullpen yesterday, Jorge Posada marveled at Sabathia's left arm."He could pitch for 50 more years," Posada said of the 29-year-old ace. "He has an arm like David Wells." Other parts of Wells' big body broke, but never his arm, across a 21-year career. Outside of a scare last year against the Marlins in Miami that wasn't serious, Sabathia's talented wing was problem free. Yesterday's 35-pitch effort that only included fastballs and change-ups was nothing more than Sabathia getting a feel for the mound. "I wanted to make sure my delivery is all right. It felt good," said Sabathia, who will open the ..."

CC Sabathia's arm as good as ever for New York Yankees

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February 21

New York Daily News

"CC Sabathia has started more games and pitched more innings over the past three years than any pitcher in baseball, yet when he took the mound Saturday for his first official bullpen session of the spring, his arm felt as good as ever. Joe Girardi has said he plans to ease Sabathia and the other starters into the spring, hoping to avoid overworking them before the regular season. Sabathia doesn't feel he needs any special treatment, quickly adding with a smile, "But I'll take the days off. I've got no problem with that." Sabathia, who has logged 779-1/3 innings over the past three years (regular season and playoffs), took 3-4 weeks off after the World Series, then started playing catch ..."

Yankees giving aces CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte special treatment

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February 18

New York Daily News

"The Yankees rode the arms of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte to the World Series title last fall, sticking with a three-man rotation through the entire postseason. They won't have it nearly as rough this spring, as the Bombers plan on going slowly with all three. While the three hurlers will make the standard six starts during spring training, Joe Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland have devised a schedule that will give each one three bullpen sessions and one batting practice before they make their first start, a slight alteration of the typical spring schedule."

CC Sabathia keeps eye on the prize

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February 17

Bergen Record

"Having grandly met the heavy expectations of his first pinstriped season, CC Sabathia appeared more than ready to start it up all over again. With 19 regular-season wins and a 1.98 postseason ERA, he had derived plenty of satisfaction in being a major part of the Yankees' 27th world championship season – Sabathia's first. "You want to win again," he said, describing the aftertaste of champagne and tickertape. Now, the ace left-hander's motivation is to become a collector of World Series rings, mirroring the overflowing jewelry boxes of teammates Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada. "If those guys can stay hungry after five rings, and they come in excited to get to ..."

Yankees ace Sabathia has Grand hopes

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February 17

New York Post

"One day after Curtis Granderson said he did not want anybody to predict he would hit a ridiculous amount of homers, CC Sabathia said he hopes the biggest offseason addition to the world champions adds muscle to the lineup. "He is going to be a great ballplayer for us," Sabathia predicted. "Hopefully, he will hit like 50 home runs in our stadium." Because Granderson clubbed a career-high 30 homers last year for the Tigers — 10 of which went out of spacious Comerica Park — and is taking his left-handed swing to hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium, some believe he will improve that home run total."

Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia could wine and dine LeBron James to N.Y. and Knicks

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February 17

New York Daily News

"Since CC Sabathia is a huge NBA fan and pals with LeBron James, the Yankee lefty might be in a position to change the New York hoops landscape. Joking with reporters Tuesday at the Bombers' minor-league complex, Sabathia quipped that he'd start recruiting James to New York over the summer. Get ready to dream, Knicks and Nets fans. James, who is from Akron, certainly seems to have an affinity for New York - he's been spotted multiple times wearing a Yankee cap. "I'm sure he'll be up here in the summertime and come to a couple (Yankee) games," Sabathia said, laughing. "It'll start then. Get him some good seats. Maybe buy some seats - nah, it's too expensive."

Sabathia wins third straight Spahn Award

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January 27

MLB.com

"CC Sabathia's busy offseason in the afterglow of the World Series title continued on Tuesday, when the big lefty was honored in Oklahoma City with his third consecutive Warren Spahn Award. The Spahn Award is presented annually to the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball and is based on a pitcher's wins, strikeouts and earned run average. Sabathia had 197 strikeouts, 19 wins and a 3.37 ERA during the 2009 season, earning honors as the MVP of the American League Championship Series in his first season under a seven-year, $161 million contract with the Yankees."

Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia goes home in giving mood

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December 22

New York Daily News

"CC Sabathia remembers "having tough times growing up - I grew up in the inner city, the ghetto." So, Sabathia says, "I always want to do what I can." Monday that meant donning a red-and-white hat and playing Secret Santa. He and his wife, Amber, took 22 kids who are in foster care on a shopping spree at a Sports Authority in Vacaville, Calif., near their Bay Area hometown of Vallejo. "We let them go wild," the Yankee ace said in a telephone interview afterward. "A couple kids got baseball stuff, some got shoes, bikes, a punching bag. It was a lot of different things. It was pretty cool. "I love Christmas a lot. To see these kids get everything they want feels good. I remember what it was ..."

Cy of relief: CC happier with ring

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November 18

New York Post

"CC Sabathia required two words to describe being a World Series winner rather than copping a second Cy Young award. "Much happier," the Yankees' ace lefty wrote in a text message yesterday after Kansas City's Zach Greinke was named this year's AL Cy Young winner. CC Sabathia required two words to describe being a World Series winner rather than copping a second Cy Young award. "Much happier," the Yankees' ace lefty wrote in a text message yesterday after Kansas City's Zach Greinke was named this year's AL Cy Young winner. Greinke went 16-8 and led the majors in ERA for the woeful Royals and gathered 25 first-place votes among the 28 ballots. Seattle's Felix Hernandez (19-5; 2.49 ERA) was ..."

Sabathia solid after short rest

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November 2

New York Post

"CC Sabathia came so close to another great performance. He just didn't count on Chase Utley forcing him off the mound in the seventh inning last night, with the white rally towels at Citizens Bank Park alive and well. All told it was a respectable outing for the Yankees' ace. Factor into the equation that he was working on short rest, and three earned runs over 6 2/3 innings doesn't sound so bad. But there would be no victory for Sabathia. Pedro Feliz took care of that with a game-tying homer off Joba Chamberlain in the eighth, giving Sabathia a no-decision in the Yankees' 7-4 victory over the Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series. "I thought he gave us a gutsy performance," manager Joe ..."

Pitching at a premium in World Series

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November 2

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist Bruce Jenkins

"Girardi could always change his mind, with the benefit of a 3-1 series lead, but as of Sunday he had scheduled A.J. Burnett to work tonight's Game 5 on three days' rest. Even if Burnett is outdueled by Cliff Lee, the Yanks would still be in good shape to become the first team to use just three starters in a postseason since the 1991 Twins. In one sense, this is ridiculous. Teams routinely used pitchers on three days' rest in the past - even two days, in the desperate climate of the World Series. But we no longer live in that age. The Giants might think they have depth in their rotation, but an injury or ineffectiveness could dismantle the one thing that has given them an identity: starting ..."

CC gung-ho for Game 4

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November 1

New York Post

"CC Sabathia already has dispelled the notion he can't succeed on three days' rest in the postseason, so who better than the Yankees' $161 million thoroughbred to take the ball for Game 4 of the World Series against the Phillies? Manager Joe Girardi made the decision official yesterday before the Yankees' 8-5 victory in Game 3, naming Sabathia his starter for tonight, but stopped short of saying he'll employ a three-man rotation for the remainder of the series. Chad Gaudin remains a possibility to pitch Game 5 tomorrow. "The important thing on short rest is you have to know how your pitcher physically is feeling," Girardi said before last night's Game 3. "CC went through all his work ..."

Sabathia will start Game 4

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November 1

New York Post

"CC Sabathia has already dispelled the notion he can't succeed on three days' rest in the postseason, so who better than the Yankees' $161 million thoroughbred to take the ball for Game 4 of the World Series against the Phillies? Joe Girardi made the decision official today, naming Sabathia his starter for Sunday, but stopped short of saying he'll employ a three-man rotation for the remainder of the series. Chad Gaudin remains a possibility to pitch Game 5. "The important thing on short rest is you have to know how your pitcher is physically feeling," Girardi said, adding that Sabathia feels strong. "[Short rest] is not necessarily something you want to do in the context of a long season, ..."

Bombers nab edge by prepping CC, A.J. on short rest

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October 31

New York Post

"Advantage, Yankees. Can a team that hit .222 in the first two games of the World Series, is batting a putrid .200 with runners in scoring position in those games and has bullpen issues be the favorite in a best-of-seven Series that is tied 1-1 going into tonight's Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park? When the next three pitching matchups likely will be the Yankees' Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett against the Phillies' Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton and Cliff Lee, respectively, the answer is "Yes." The moment Phillies manager Charlie Manuel opted not to pitch Lee, who dominated the Yankees in Game 1, on three days' rest in Game 4, the pendulum swung toward the Yankees. The Phillies needed ..."

Phils ace their Sabathia test

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October 29

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"JOE Girardi has so many mov ing parts with his rotation in this World Series. He has to decide whether Chad Gaudin, a $100,000 August pickup, was worthy of starting a Fall Classic game for the $200 million Yankees. He had to contemplate what pitching on three days' rest might mean to A.J. Burnett's head and Andy Pettitte's arm. But the backbone to support Girardi in all of his decision-making was that CC Sabathia would outpitch Cliff Lee, possibly as many as three times. The Yankees had maneuvered through the first two rounds of the playoffs because Sabathia had set the tone by winning openers, and then pitching marvelously in ALCS Game 4 on three days' rest after the Yanks' first loss of ..."

Yankees ace has no answers for Chase

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October 29

New York Post

"The word was Chase Utley's foot hurt. The word was his hip hurt. Last night, Utley made the Yankees hurt. Utley delivered two big Game 1 blasts to send the Phillies to a 1-0 lead in the World Series. Utley hit two home runs, both off CC Sabathia and both to right field in the Phillies' 6-1 victory. The blasts continued Utley's domination over New York. Across town, he hit four home runs in eight games at Citi Field this season. Utley became the second left-handed batter in World Series history to hit two homers off a left-handed pitcher in one game. The other? Babe Ruth in Game 4 of the 1928 World Series when he hit two off Bill Sherdel. "I guess that's pretty good company," Utley said. ..."

CC not satisfied with loss

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October 29

New York Post

"Even though CC Sabathia surrendered only two runs and logged seven innings, he wasn't happy with his performance. And not just because he was the losing pitcher. Sabathia said his impressive line was deceiving in the Yankees' 6-1 World Series Game 1 loss last night. "I didn't pitch well," he insisted. "Three walks. I was behind everybody," he said. "I wish I could stand here and say it was just two pitches. But I was behind pretty much the whole game. I was able to battle back and make some pitches when I need to. But that's not at all how I've been pitching in the postseason." That last part is semi-true. In each of his three postseason starts, Sabathia had been brilliant, limiting the ..."

Sabathia struggles in first World Series start in Game 1 against Philadelphia Phillies

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October 29

New York Daily News

"CC Sabathia would love to be able to say his loss Wednesday night was the result of the two poor pitches that Chase Utley swatted for home runs. But his problems, he says, ran deeper than that in his first World Series start. "I didn't pitch well," said Sabathia, who allowed two runs, four hits and three walks in seven innings. "Three walks. I was behind everybody ... I was behind pretty much the whole game. I was able to battle back and make some pitches when I needed to, but that's not at all how I've been pitching in the postseason." Sabathia, the ALCS MVP who saw his postseason ERA jump from 1.19 to 1.52, fell to 3-1 in the postseason. Now the big question about the big lefty is ..."

For Indians, tough to watch Phillies starter Cliff Lee beats CC Sabathia, New York Yankees

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October 29

New York Daily News

columnist Bill Madden

"In case you hadn't heard, Shapiro's Indians, like a lot of middle-to-small-market clubs in baseball, are experiencing some tough financial times that revenue sharing apparently hasn't been able to cure. As a result, Shapiro was forced to trade off Sabathia last year before he reached free agency, receiving the Milwaukee Brewers' top two outfield prospects, Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley. This year, he had to move Lee and catcher Victor Martinez. For Lee, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, Shapiro received four of the Phillies' top prospects: pitchers Jason Knapp and Carlos Carrasco, infielder Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson. It remains to be seen, however, if any of them will ..."

CC Sabathia & Cliff Lee will set World Series tone for Yankees and Phillies

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October 28

New York Daily News

"They have both won a Cy Young Award and they once pitched in the same rotation. They keep in touch via text message and admire each other's talents. One is thrivingÂ in the playoffs after struggling the past two Octobers, while the other is thriving in his first postseason action. And Wednesday night, the two lefties will be facing each other in Game 1 of the 2009 World Series. Philadelphia's Cliff Lee and the Yankees' CC Sabathia are the two dominant pitchers of this postseason, aces who could face each other three times if their managers decide to push both pitchers on short rest. Lee's performance could determine whether the Phillies repeat as champs and Sabathia might be the key to ..."

Sabathia looking forward to pitching for New York Yankees in World Series

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October 28

New York Daily News

"When the Yankees commence the chase for their elusive 27th world championship tonight against the defending champion Phillies, the pressure on CC Sabathia will be formidable. To which Sabathia says, "Bring it on." "That's what you come here for, to pitch and play in these big games," Sabathia said. "I think the No. 1 starter is a guy that goes out there and gives his team a chance to win every time out. He has the respect in the clubhouse that guys feel pretty good when you go out there. That's all I try to do." Sabathia accomplished that and more in the first two rounds of the playoffs, going 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA against the Twins and Angels. But it gets tougher as he will be facing a ..."

World Series starters Sabathia, Lee highlight Cleveland Indians' deconstruction

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October 28

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"They will be watching from Puerto Rico and Cleveland. From Texas to Virginia and a lot of places between. CC Sabathia vs. Cliff Lee in Game 1 of the World Series Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. "I'm mad because we'd like to have them pitching for us in the World Series," said catcher Kelly Shoppach, from Fort Worth, Texas. Even if you don't believe in the Curse of Rocky Colavito, the Curse of Jose Mesa and that evil forces guided Edgar Renteria's high-chop single over Charlie Nagy's outstretched glove in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, it's going to be hard to be an Indians fan in Game 1. "They'll probably be licking their wounds in Cleveland," said Darek ..."

Indians supplied aces Cliff Lee, CC Sabathia to World Series foes

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October 28

St. Petersburg Times

"Before CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee throw their first pitches in tonight's World Series opener, the Cleveland Indians are already the big losers. That's because the Indians traded away both pitchers, and now - having lost 97 games and fired manager Eric Wedge - have to watch their pair of former aces in the spotlight. "They can't be feeling too good about it," Lee said. "I mean, it's two guys they could have had on their team that are now on different teams facing each other in the World Series. That's the way this game works sometimes, though." Sabathia was traded to Milwaukee last season then signed with the Yankees. Lee was dealt to the Phillies this July. They became close friends in ..."

Lee and Sabathia goes from friends to foes

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October 28

Camden Courier-Post

"The friendship began seven years ago -- Sept. 15, 2002, to be exact -- when Cliff Lee made his major-league debut at the Metrodome in Minnesota and wowed CC Sabathia, his new Cleveland Indians teammate. "He went out and dealt," Sabathia said Tuesday. "He was the Cliff that he is now." Over the years, they've grown closer, kidding each other about their vastly different backgrounds, encouraging one another to become better. Even after Sabathia got traded last season, they stayed in touch via almost daily text messages. And after facing off in the first game at new Yankee Stadium in April, they dined at Sabathia's house. Tonight, the friendship will add another chapter. Sabathia and Lee -- ..."

Lee vs. Sabathia: A pitching matchup only Cleveland could hate

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October 28

Philadelphia Daily News

columnist Rich Hofmann

"The question goes to the very origin of the baseball species. CC Sabathia will pitch Game 1 of the World Series for the Yankees, Cliff Lee will pitch for the Phillies, and the city of Cleveland will lament what was. The lesson for everyone is simple, really primal.It is good to be the carnivore.Baseball is a zero-sum game. The Indians' loss was the Yankees' and the Phillies' gain. Lee vs. Sabathia. It is emblematic of what still can be the innate unfairness of this sport - less unfair than it used to be, but still so unequal when it comes to revenues. It is emblematic, too, of the journey the Phillies have taken as a franchise over the last few years. Because it wasn't that long ago when ..."

Manuel was an early advocate for Sabathia

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October 28

Philadelphia Inquirer

"A natural focus is on tonight's World Series Game 1 pitching matchup between CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, former teammates in Cleveland and former Cy Young winners in the year before they were traded by the Indians.Yesterday, Sabathia talked about another reunion. His first Indians manager was Charlie Manuel."Charlie was great," Sabathia said. "I owe him everything, because at the time when I came up, I was 20 years old, and the front office at the Indians didn't want to bring a 20-year-old up to the big leagues."Manuel made it clear: Sabathia was heading for the big leagues. He just got him there a little quicker."First couple of times I saw him pitch, I knew he could help us," Manuel said. ..."

CC shooting for 3

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October 27

New York Post

"If it's going to be CC on three in the World Series, manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland face some tough decisions. When the Yankees convene at the Stadium today for their workout leading into tomorrow night's Game 1 of the World Series against the Phillies, expect Girardi to name CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte as his starters for the first three games. Beyond that, there are multiple variables at work. "I'll leave Joe and Dave to discuss that publicly," GM Brian Cashman said yesterday when asked about the rotation. Sabathia going on three days' rest to pitch Games 4 and 7 makes the most sense, given the manner in which the left-hander responded to short rest ..."

CC Sabathia's new letters as first-year Yankee: MVP of the 2009 ALCS

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October 26

New York Daily News

"How's this for delivering in the first year of a $161 million contract? Despite Alex Rodriguez's scintillating breakout performance in this postseason, CC Sabathia was named MVP of the ALCS after nervously watching Sunday night's 5-2 Game 6 victory over the Angels. Sabathia undoubtedly will be the Game 1 starter when the Yankees gun for their 27th world title beginning Wednesday night against the Phillies. "I thought it all along," Sabathia said when asked during the champagne celebration when he thought this was a World Series team. "Even when Al (Alex Rodriguez) went down (with a hip injury in spring training), we held it together for a while until he got back. ... And it's really not ..."

Sabathia is Yankees' gain, Angels' loss

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October 26

Los Angeles Times

"Do not trust the headline and the box score. The Angels did not lose the American League Championship Series on Sunday in New York. They lost the series on a Tuesday in Vallejo, a small town 30 miles inland from San Francisco. The date, to be exact, was Dec. 9, 2008. CC Sabathia had invited Brian Cashman to his home. Cashman, the general manager of the New York Yankees, did not leave until Sabathia had agreed to sign with his team and turn down the Angels. That decision haunted the Angels this October, and it could haunt them for Octobers to come. This pennant was lost, and more pennants could be lost, for want of $21 million. Sabathia was the most valuable player of this series. The ..."

CC Sabathia's calm demeanor has translated to three postseason wins CC Sabathia's calm demeanor has translated to three postseason wins

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October 25

New York Daily News

"Before a game early in the regular season, CC Sabathia spotted Jason Zillo, the Yankees' media relations director, walking down a hall and approached him with a smile, saying, "Hey, J. What's up?" Zillo, conditioned early in his career to tread lightly around starters on the day they pitch, mumbled a quick hello and kept walking. The next day, Sabathia sought out Zillo and said, "Hey, man, I was trying to make conversation with you!" While some pitchers are fire-breathing dragons on the day they pitch, refusing to talk to anyone and glaring at folks who come near, Sabathia is his mellow, easy-going self. He "sleeps all day" before a start, he says, and relaxes pre-game by playing video ..."

A friendly foe for Lee?

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October 22

Philadelphia Inquirer

"Phillies lefthander Cliff Lee and New York Yankees southpaw CC Sabathia are former longtime teammates and still good friends from their days together with the Cleveland Indians. If the Phillies and Yankees meet in the World Series, it's possible those two could pitch in the opening game. The Yankees hold a three-games-to-one lead over the Los Angeles Angels in their best-of-seven American League Championship Series heading into Thursday's game at Angel Stadium. The two players have remained in touch throughout this season. "We have texted back and forth, but we haven't talked," Sabathia said before Wednesday's workout at Angel Stadium."

Sabathia and Lee Facing Possible Stadium Rematch

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October 22

New York Times

"When the new Yankee Stadium opened on April 16, the starting pitchers were C. C. Sabathia for the Yankees and Cliff Lee for the Cleveland Indians. There is a good chance the same pitchers could meet at the same stadium for Game 1 of the World Series. Lee, who now pitches for the Philadelphia Phillies, has been as dominant in the National League playoffs as Sabathia has been in the American League. Lee is 2-0 with an earned run average of 0.74 in three starts; Sabathia is 3-0 with a 1.19 E.R.A. Sabathia and Lee were teammates for parts of seven seasons with the Indians, and each won the A.L. Cy Young Award in his final full season with the team. Sabathia won it in 2007 and was traded the ..."

CC Sabathia wins Game 4, proves he's worth more than A-Rod to New York Yankees

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October 21

New York Daily News

columnist Mike Lupica

"This continues to be the October of Alex Rodriguez, who hits the ball so hard and so often that he makes the way he can play baseball the lead paragraph of his own story again, his baseball back to being played ahead of steroids and strip clubs and all the scoring opportunities he wasted in all his other Yankee Octobers. He hit another home run Tuesday night, got three more hits and scored three more runs and the Yankees kept their manager in the dugout and are one win away from their first World Series in six years now. But CC Sabathia gives you more October than anybody on the team. Sabathia went out Tuesday night on three days' rest at Angel Stadium and went to 3-0 for the postseason, ..."

Angels can only tip caps

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October 21

New York Post

"The An gels have three monster problems: Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia and the umpires. But they will be put out of their misery shortly. After last night's 10-1 loss to the Yankees, they're looking out over the Laguna Cliffs, down 3-1 in the ALCS. Sabathia, starting on three days rest, stifled Mike Scioscia's offense over eight innings by mixing in more off-speed pitches than the Angels expected. Rodriguez continued to be Mr. A-Rod-tober, hitting his third home run of the series. He also did the little things, getting a great jump off third base to score the first run of the night in the Yankees' three-run fourth. Torii Hunter, the honest Angels center fielder, put it in perspective, ..."

CC proves he's a money pitcher

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October 21

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"The money is great and no one turns down that kind of money, and you take it with all the blessings attached. But the money also is a potential booby-trap. You take it and you take a lot more than the big paycheck every two weeks. You take it, as CC Sabathia did, and that means you also accept all the understandings that come with the largest contract ever given a pitcher. You are taking the $161 million from the Yankees, which is a bit like taking a loan from The Mob. There are strings attached. This is an organization with a championship-only DNA and a championship drought that they might kill for in, say, Cleveland or Milwaukee, but that costs people their jobs in the Bronx. "It is ..."

CC, A-Rod the right call for Yankees

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October 21

New York Post

"This is the remedy for just about anything they can throw at you in the postseason, whether it's a charge of over-managing or tightened throats with runners in scoring position or an umpiring crew that should've just gone with the Costanza Method every time they needed to make a big call and gone opposite everything. It's two simple letters: CC. And one simply brilliant hitter. And now, the American League pennant has been reduced to the simplest of magic numbers: 1. There was a time not long ago when it seemed the Yankee birthright to qualify for the World Series, but in reality it has been six years since they marched that far, six years of overspending and underachievement and an ..."

Yankees on brink of Series after 10-1 win

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October 21

New York Post

"If Joe Girardi was dumb Monday, he was a genius Tuesday. Heavily criticized for the way he used the bullpen in an ALCS loss to the Angels on Monday, Girardi's decision to start CC Sabathia on three days' rest in Game 4 turned out brilliant. Faced with pitching Chad Gaudin, Joba Chamberlain or Sabathia on short rest, Girardi wisely went with the staff ace and Sabathia responded with eight brilliant innings, hurling the Yankees to an 10-1 victory in front of 45,160 at Angel Stadium. The win gave the Yankees a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series and moved them within a victory of advancing to the World Series for the first time since 2003. Game 5 is Thursday night when A.J. Burnett ..."

On short rest, Sabathia makes short work of Angels

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October 21

L.A. Daily News

columnist Jill Painter

"CC Sabathia shouldn't have looked so intimidating Tuesday. The New York Yankees' ace pitched a gem in winning the first game of the American League Championship Series, but he was throwing on three days' rest in Game 4. No matter. Sabathia didn't lose much off his 95-mph fastball and worked in an effective changeup to keep the Angels off balance. Sabathia allowed just one run on five hits in eight innings to power the Yankees past the Angels 10-1 at Angel Stadium. The Yankees have a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series, thanks to their ace. Sabathia struck out five and walked just two in throwing 101 pitches. The Yankees need just one more win - Game 5 is Thursday in Anaheim - to ..."

The Ace of (broken) hearts

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October 21

Los Angeles Times

"The Yankees have an "Ace," and the Angels don't. Really, that's been the difference in this ALCS so far. The Yankees' CC Sabathia has dispensed two xerox masterpieces, a pair of dominant eight-inning, low-hit, one-run performances, and the guys who were runners-up in the off-season CC Sweepstakes have had no one to match him. So Mike Scioscia's overpowered guys are down 3-1, like their L.A. neighbors, and they will turn to the closest thing have have to an ace, John Lackey, to try to take this thing back to New York. Only Lackey is no Sabathia. He's no Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee, either. Maybe now you can understand why so many of us urged the Angels to make the deal for a truly elite ..."