CC Sabathia is now a Baseball Hall of Famer, and one of his Yankees teammates is entering Cooperstown with him.
Ichiro Suzuki sailed into the Hall of Fame on Tuesday as the balloting of eligible Baseball Writers’ Association of America members was announced.
Sabathia, who led the Yankees to a 2009 world championship in his first Bronx season, cleared the 75 percent hurdle for election.
Both Sabathia and Ichiro were on their first BBWAA Hall of Fame ballots. They were Yankees teammates from the middle of 2012 through 2014.
Former Mets closer Billy Wagner was the other player elected, getting the nod on his 10th and final year on the ballot.
CC Sabathia’s Hall of Fame credentials
Sabathia joined the Yankees in the winter prior to their 2009 world championship season, having signed a $161 million, seven-year free agent deal – the largest for any MLB pitcher at the time.
The 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner with Cleveland, Sabathia was traded to Milwaukee at the 2008 trade deadline and lifted the Brewers to their first playoff appearance in 25 years, posting a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts.
Beyond Sabathia’s career 3,093 strikeouts – one of just three lefties in MLB history with at least 3,000 Ks – and 251 wins, his big heart and competitive drive made him a standout and a clubhouse favorite.
Sabathia, a six-time All-Star, ranks third on the all-time strikeout list (18th overall), and among lefties he’s behind only Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton.
In 2019, pitching in relief, Sabathia exited Game 4 of the 2019 AL Championship Series, having thrown his last few pitches against the Houston Astros with a partially dislocated left shoulder.
He covered his face with his glove, trying to mask the pain and the emotion of the moment.
Sensing this was the end of a Hall of Fame career, an appreciative Yankee Stadium crowd provided Sabathia a lengthy standing ovation as he walked off the mound.
Later that night, Sabathia would provide the perfect summation of his pitching career.
“It’s kind of fitting,’’ Sabathia. “I threw until I couldn’t anymore.’’
Ichiro Suzuki’s Hall of Fame credentials
Arriving in the majors at age 27 as an established star in Japan, Ichiro made 10 straight All-Star teams with the Seattle Mariners, capturing 10 Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder with a strong, accurate arm, and collecting 200-plus hits in 10 consecutive seasons.
In 2001, Ichiro became the second player to win both the Rookie of the Year and MVP Award in the same season.
Ichiro finished his MLB career with 3,089 career hits and a .311 batting average.
