Sabathia Joins Elite Yankees Circle With Retired Number 52
Sabathia Joins Elite Yankees Circle With Retired Number 52
The New York Yankees retired CC Sabathia's No. 52 and unveiled his plaque in Monument Park during a pregame ceremony Friday, ahead of a doubleheader opener against the Baltimore Orioles. The Hall of Fame left-hander became the 24th player or manager in franchise history to receive both honors.
Sabathia signed with the Yankees before the 2009 season on a seven-year, $161 million contract, then the largest ever given to a free-agent pitcher. He delivered immediately, going 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA in 34 starts, winning ALCS MVP honors after a 2-0, 1.13 ERA performance against the Los Angeles Angels, and starting Games 1 and 4 as New York beat Philadelphia for its 27th World Series title. He joins Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada as the fifth member of that championship roster to have his number retired and plaque placed in Monument Park. bet georgia
Across 11 seasons in pinstripes, Sabathia went 134-88 with a 3.81 ERA and 1,700 strikeouts, ranking fourth in franchise history in strikeouts, seventh in starts, 10th in wins and 11th in innings pitched. Over a 19-year career split between Cleveland, Milwaukee and New York, he finished 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts - third among left-handers all-time, behind only Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2025 with 86.8% of the vote, entering alongside Billy Wagner and former Yankees teammate Ichiro Suzuki.
Friday's ceremony included video tributes from Jeter, Paul O'Neill, Posada and Bernie Williams. Sabathia unveiled his plaque alongside his wife, Amber, two of his children, his mother, Margie, and two friends, then greeted fans from a golf cart along the warning track. General manager Brian Cashman presented him with a blue blazer, a framed plaque and retired-number display, and a commemorative ring. Sabathia closed the ceremony by throwing the first pitch to his son Carsten, a minor league first baseman in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
