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Former New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, and during an appearance after the news dropped, he spoke about what it is like to actually go to the Hall of Fame, and encouraged current players to make the trip to Cooperstown so that they have a goal to shoot for in their careers.
“The first time I walked in the plaque room I almost cried,” CC Sabathia said, via baseballhall's Instagram post. “Like I had no idea and I think current players should go to the Hall of Fame. When I was playing, I was like, ‘I'm never, I don't need to go to Cooperstown.' I remember Ichiro, every offseason, he would visit Cooperstown, and it's so inspiring. Watching that movie in the auditorium, it's something that I think every player should see, and I think every current player should see, and it gives you something, a North Star to shoot for. I mean, I wish I would have taken each year and been driving up there every offseason to be inspired. Because it's something to see and it's something to play for. But not until I took my 12-year-old up there for a tournament did I get a chance to walk into the actual Hall of Fame and see what it was like.”
It is interesting to hear Sabathia's revelation about Ichiro Suzuki going each offseason. Now, the two players are going into the Hall of Fame together in the same class. The two were in the running for the American League Rookie of the Year Award in the same season as well, with Ichiro winning out.
Sabathia got into the Hall of Fame because of how long he had been a successful pitcher. He was dependable and threw a number of innings that we likely will not see from many moving forward. He made his mark on three franchises, playing with the Cleveland Indians at the time, the Milwaukee Brewers in just a few short months, and winning a World Series in 2009 with the Yankees.
