COOPERSTOWN, New York — CC Sabathia arrived in Cooperstown feeling both honored and humbled. “Every corner of the room was one of my favorite players,” he said the day before the ceremony. “Now I’m teammates with them. It’s surreal.”
Sabathia joined Ichiro Suzuki, Billy Wagner, Dick Allen, and Dave Parker as part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2025. He was elected in his first year on the ballot, receiving 86.8 percent of the BBWAA vote.
The day before his speech, Sabathia spoke about his journey to the stage and what it means to join the Hall. “I didn’t want to go to New York as a free agent,” he said. “But my wife told me, ‘If you want to win, how can you not go to New York?’ That’s when I realized I was born to be a Yankee.”
He added, “When it’s just the guys in the Hall of Fame in a room, it feels like you have a responsibility to carry the game forward. For me, that’s about helping more Black kids play the game. How do we get more Black pitchers into the Hall of Fame? Who’s the next one?”
Sabathia’s speech focused on his family and upbringing. “Today I felt compelled to tell the story of the village—the women—who got me to the sport,” he said. “A lot of people were proud today.”
“I looked out and saw my high school coach. My Little League coach. I was crying before we even got to the Hall,” he said after the ceremony.
He also reflected on his mother’s influence: “She was my anchor. She was my rock. She’s the GOAT.”
Sabathia spoke passionately about the Black Aces, the historic group of African-American pitchers who have won 20 games in a season. “I feel compelled to push that forward,” he said. “We’ve lost so many—Bob Gibson, Dave Stewart. Now I’m sitting here thinking, who’s next? Who’s the next Black starting pitcher that’s going to win 20 games? Will there be another?”
He emphasized his connection to Cleveland: “I always say I was raised in Vallejo, but I grew up in Cleveland. My biggest regret is not winning a championship there. But I love that city.”
Sabathia pitched 19 seasons for Cleveland, Milwaukee, and New York. He was a six-time All-Star, 2007 AL Cy Young winner, and 2009 World Series champion. His 3,093 strikeouts are third-most all-time by a left-hander.
He joins a small group of pitchers with 250+ wins, a .600 winning percentage, and 3,000+ strikeouts. His 560 starts rank 28th all-time.
Sabathia represented Team USA in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic, further cementing his role as one of the premier arms of his generation.
With his induction, Sabathia strengthens his place among the game’s all-time great left-handed starters—and uses his platform to ensure others follow.
CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner share a laugh during Hall of Fame media availability in Cooperstown on July 27, 2025. (Photo: World Baseball Network)
