New York Yankees: What’s up with the slimmed down, ripped CC Sabathia? (video)

On tv, New York Yankees fans got to see their old friend CC Sabathia in a new slimmed down and ripped body.  He sat masked six feet from New York Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman. He was there to watch Gerrit Cole pitch in his first outing of summer camp.

CC retired from ten years with the Yankees after the last season, one of the worst of his Hall of Fame-like career.  He had reoccurring knee problems all season that may have been exacerbated by his 6’6″ 300-pound frame. As seen at the New York Yankee Stadium, CC looks as if he may have lost as much as 50 pounds.  It would make one wonder if he had gone through this body transformation earlier if he would still be pitching.

C.C. Sabathia made his major league debut with the Indians in 2001 and placed second in the 2001 AL Rookie of the Year voting, behind 2001 AL MVP Ichiro Suzuki. Sabathia played the first seven-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Indians, with whom he won the 2007 Cy Young Award. I didn’t become aware of Sabathia until he was traded to the Brewers late in 2008.

It was a big story at the time, and one I will never forget. C.C. in an effort to help the Brewers win the World Series, he pitched three consecutive games on just three days rest. I remember saying to myself, “the Yankees need this guy”. To my delight just days before Christmas 2208, the Yankees signed Sabathia to a seven-year $161 million contract.

In the offseason, Sabathia was signed by the New York Yankees where he led the
Yankees to their last world series win in 2009 when he went 19-8 he
followed that with a 21 win season in 2010 and another 19-8 season in 2011.

His total record with the Yankees is 140-91. In the 2009 world series, he
was winless but recorded a 3.29. His impact was getting the Yankees to the
series. He won his first game in the 2009 ALDS giving up just two runs.
In the ALCS, he in two starts against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,
he went 2–0 with a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings.

C.C. has always been a dependable pitcher for the Yankees and always gave it his best. Over the years he changed from a hard-throwing power pitcher to reinventing himself as a finesse pitcher.  The New York Yankee fans were sorry to see him retire.  He was a leader in the clubhouse and one of the Yankee fans most favorite players. We wish him the best with his new fitness program and for his retirement.