CC Sabathia was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee last summer. Now he will be immortalized in Monument Park. On Wednesday, the New York Yankees announced Sabathia’s No. 52 will be retired on Sept. 26. He will be the 24th player to have his number retired by the franchise.
“The Yankees was the place that wanted me,” Sabathia said after being voted into Cooperstown. “I’ve been here now 16 years. I love the other organizations, but this is home. I found a home in the Bronx and I don’t think I’ll ever leave this city.”
Signed to a then-pitcher record $161 million contract in December 2008, Sabathia was the ace of New York’s most recent World Series championship team in 2009, and he played 11 of his 19 MLB seasons with the Yankees. He was most successful early during his tenure in the Bronx, pitching to a 3.22 ERA and averaging 239 innings per year from 2009-11.
Sabathia went to three All-Star Games with the Yankees and finished in the top four of the Cy Young voting three times. He received MVP votes in three seasons as well. All told, Sabathia went 134-88 with the Yankees and had a 3.81 ERA in nearly 2,000 innings. He is top 10 in franchise history in wins, starts and strikeouts.
Beyond his on-field contributions, Sabathia was also a beloved teammate, clubhouse leader and remains a fan favorite. He still regularly attends games at Yankee Stadium as a fan. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has credited Sabathia with changing the team’s culture after signing ahead of the 2009 season.
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Sabathia will be the first player to have his number retired by the Yankees since Paul O’Neill’s No. 21 in August 2022. The Yankees have the most retired numbers in baseball and even requested that their coaches not wear numbers so more are available for their players.
Before signing with the Yankees, Sabathia pitched for Cleveland (2001-08) and the Milwaukee Brewers (2008). He retired with a 251-161 record and 3.74 ERA. His 3,093 strikeouts are third all-time among lefties behind Randy Johnson (4,875) and Steve Carlton (4,136).
The Yankees will also dedicate a plaque in Sabathia’s honor in Monument Park on Sept. 26th. The team has not reissued his No. 52 since his final season. He has a Yankees logo on his Hall of Fame plaque.