CC Sabathia on the Cleveland Guardians and being inducted into the Cleveland Hall of Fame

Let's send it out to Jay Crawford who's now standing by with CC Sabathia. What's up Jay? Hey, Mike, how are you? Good to talk to you. Uh First of all, I want to start by just having everybody take a look at CC Sabathia. The first thing I said when I saw him is where did the other half of you go? He looks like he's in phenomenal shape. In fact, you said you're down about 50 pounds. Yeah, I, I played like 3, 10, 315, like 2 72 75 right now. So you're in for two reasons. The biggest one is you're going into the Guardian's Hall of Fame over the weekend tomorrow, tomorrow. What is that like? What does that mean to you? Oh, it's, it's special. It's humbling. Um you know, getting drafted by this organization at 17 years old, uh mean a lot. And uh you know, I always say, I don't think my career ends up the way it does. Had I not getting drafted by this organization, you know, March and Pyro, you know, Dan o'dowd, John Hart. Um all these different guys that, you know, had a huge impact on my career helping me turn him from, to, from a amateur, you know, boy into a professional man. So, um, you know, you know, I was born in, in the Bay area in Bee, but I felt really feel like I grew up here in Cleveland. You know, I got married here, three or three out of four of my kids were born here, bought my first house here. Um, so I really feel like, you know, special and connected to the city. So it feels uh feels great when you go to the law, it kind of puts a ball on your Cleveland career. Really? I mean, there's no higher honor as a guardian going to their hall of Fame. When you look back on your career, obviously, you had to make decisions that were in the best interest of your financial interest in your family. But I, I know that you enjoyed your time here in Cleveland. All things equal. I kind of feel like you would have rather spent your entire career. Oh, absolutely. I mean, that wasn't my decision for you. It was not my decision uh to leave Cleveland. Um But I think it was a necessary one and I think it was one that a lesson that I need to learn. Um You know, all the guys that came before me, whether it was telling me, Manny, all these different guys, I, I'm like, oh, I'm different them. I'm, I'm gonna get you know, I'm gonna stay here forever. You know, I'm, I'm their guy and then, you know, learning the lesson that, you know, it's a business and, you know, getting a chance to get traded to Milwaukee and, you know, understanding that, you know, it's baseball, you know, you go up there and you do your job and this place will always be special to you. But, um, you gotta understand the business side of it. And I think uh that was the lesson that I need to learn. Yankee fans could be of a certain breed guardians and civilians fans assert freedom. Second. Um I think, I think I feel like there's a fan base here is a, yeah, but you know, the small community here, the baseball fans that are here, it's a real baseball community. It's a real uh fan base and you know, these people come out and support you where was, um, I'm a play here and try to perform here. And, um, you know, I still have that called 2007 and if I pitched Bamo Series, I so, um you know, I still feel like I let this, this fan base down. I don't think they, I really don't, that, that makes you feel better. But, you know, it's still, it's still hard for the memory aid, the fans collectively during your career here winning a Cy Young and doing all of the things you did. I, I have no doubt in my mind that the Cleveland fan holds you near and dear and very special place in their heart. What are you expecting that ovation be like when you take the field tomorrow to take that really highest honor that a Cleveland Indians Guardians player can take. Yeah. No, I'm excited. Um, you know, I mean, hopefully it's loud, you know, uh uh people um feel the same way as I do about this city in this fan base. So, um you know, like I said, I'm excited to go in tomorrow. I have my family here, my mom's here, you know, two of the four of my kids here, the two older. So, um I think it would be a special day. What do you want Cleveland fans to know about your time here and your thoughts on that? Um I think uh the biggest thing I think, I think I want people to know is, you know, my career doesn't turn out the way I got drafted. We're gonna bring it up and I was able to turn into a Messiah adventure here. We talk about the Guardians like talking to you earlier. There are some that are still looking at it as if it's when you get past that 100 game, there's enough sample size. You kind of are what you are. What is this team? What is their season man? The, the, the thing that I've been impressed with is they bang, they get a hit man. It's not just Hosie, you know, I feel like in the last couple of years and it's just, you know, you wait for Hosie to hit a three run home, you waiting him, come up late in the game and hit a double, you know, to drive us a run. But it's Naylor, it's, you know, Stephen Quad, it's all these different guys that can drive runs and, and get the power, I think. Uh, I think the leagues wide open, you know, I think, um to me, me personally, I think, you know, Baltimore is probably the best team in the American League and they just gave up 10 runs to the Guardian. So, uh and, and the Guardians have won 33 out of four against them this year. So, um you know, there's a chance there. So I'm excited to see what happens when you just mentioned your series. Uh It brings up so many emotions for food fans because obviously in the history of the series, long time ago, there was a rich history, but it's been since 1948 close calls a number of times when you were here, obviously the close call in 2016. Do you think this team the way it's composed right now can pull off the Texas Rangers from last year or Braves from a few years ago and shock everybody? I honestly do. I honestly do. I mean, I think that's what I was saying. I think the the league is wide open and I think the way these guys hit and hit the power, anything can happen, especially with the bullpen, their bullpen is elite. Um, and I think that's what you mean, going down the stretch and I thought I might watch the bull right now as to whether or not a reliever should be considered for a nine. It hasn't happened since Gandhi in the early two thousands when you look at it. No, I think he definitely to get your consideration to be, you know, talk about game that year that he had four. I mean, it's unbelievable. So, uh if there's no clear cut runaway winner will tie up from a starter standpoint, which I don't really see outside of school. I mean, I think, you know, you, you gotta give some, some consider. I just checked that out. I mean, it is what it is. We just looked at the odds. I think he's plus 10,000 or something. Not that, that means he's of what's gonna happen. But who knows September baseball, you pitch some big games down the stretch and, you know, you pitch some national games and you know, the thing you might change as you look around here, the reason we're here, we're New Easter Field. Um This is something that I know is near and dear to your heart and yeah, so this is the baseball camp that we're doing the foundation. Um, and we do these camps every year. We do them in California. We live in the Bronx. We do it here in, in, in Cleveland. And the goal is just to turn, you know, these kids into baseball fans. You know, I think for the longest time I want to turn kids into a baseball player, but we need fans. And I think about my experience growing up, uh, my mom was a baseball fan so we went to the Coliseum all the time. She put on the catcher's gear to go catch me. So I think, you know, watching all these parents come out here and bring their kids out here. I want to create more experiences to create more fans. That's how we create more baseball. Have you seen an impact from what you've been doing? I know you've been doing this for years. Have you seen a tangible impact? Yeah, I mean, what, what's crazy is, you know, my last year in 2019, I'm out on the field in Toronto and, um I was actually talking to Marsha P just, you know, randomly sitting out on the field and Rowley Tales was running up to me and, and, you know, I had never met him before and he came, he goes, hey, you know, I just want to say hello and you know, I grew up watching your camps as a kid as well. So, like, you know, my last year and, you know, having a kid in the big league that went to my camps like circle, you know. So, uh, yeah, I mean, I've definitely seen it back. Uh It makes me feel good. It makes us feel good while we do these camp. That's pretty cool when you come back and play. I know you love to eat. You eating much different. Do you have a couple of favorite eating spots that you have to stop by? Uh, we always go to Marble Room. That's always the, the dinner spot that we always go to. So I, I'm sure I'll be there at some point this weekend. Um That's really it. Now in my, uh, my smelt days, uh, you know, II, I keep it, I try to keep it light if you were to get on the right now with the radar gun. 0 68 you throw it. I, there's no way you're throwing a baseball. Now, I know you tell us about your kid because we followed him on the Cleveland Sports Show and we know that he's a huge pro prospect. Like he's in a bit of a transition period, an injury. What's going on with him? Yeah. So he's here now. He, uh, he was down in the Cape and uh practiced hand, bro. So he had surgery about two weeks ago, just got the stitches out. Uh, he's in the portal. So in the next couple of days, he's gonna make an announcement about where he's going. But, you know, everything's looking good. I mean, he's a, he's a big kid, he works his butt off, looks nothing like his dad at 20 years old. Um, so I'm excited for him. He's got a lot of power. Um, he's a good hitter, he plays first base, he can play the outfield. So, um, he's got a bright future and, and, and honestly, um he's a smart kid. So, you know, I think he's got a bright future in the game. Maybe, you know, baseball hops, you know, all these different things that you can do in the game. His mind works for that. Great to see so much. Congratulations on going into the Guardian's Hall of Fame. It's gonna be a huge day for you tomorrow and enjoy it. And, uh, it's great to see you here, take care. So there he have, uh, I, I know he says that he's throwing 68. I don't buy it, don't buy it for a second. Um I just can't get over the actual physical specimen that this guy is. I, I'm telling you he could still put on a major league uniform and no one would think that he's out of place. No one. Thanks. Thanks you back guys. See you.