CLEVELAND — He was one of the best pitchers in team history, and now he will earn his rightful place among the franchise's greats.
The Guardians announced Thursday that legendary lefty CC Sabathia has been elected to the club's Hall of Fame. He will be formally enshrined in a pregame ceremony at Progressive Field on Aug. 3 prior to a showdown with the Baltimore Orioles.
Wearing what was then the uniform of the Cleveland Indians from 2001-08, Sabathia won 106 games and was a three-time All-Star during that stretch, while also leading MLB with six complete games in 2006. The former first-round draft pick's best performance, however, came in 2007, when he went 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA, 209 strikeouts, and 6.3 bWAR to capture the American League Cy Young Award, the Tribe's first since Gaylord Perry back in 1972.
Sabathia helped the Indians to a pair of postseason appearances during his tenure, but with the team falling out of contention in 2008, he was sent off to the Milwaukee Brewers just before that year's trade deadline. While the deal would bring future All-Star Michael Brantley to Cleveland, many fans were frustrated that the team seemingly could not afford to retain its ace.
Sure enough, following a spectacular two months with the Brew Crew, Sabathia signed a lucrative contract with the New York Yankees that offseason, and remained there for the final 11 years of his career. In 19 seasons in the big leagues, CC notched 251 victories, six All-Star appearances, and 3,093 strikeouts (good for 18th all-time) while also picking up a World Series ring with the Yanks in 2009. Additionally, his 1,265 Ks with Cleveland rank seventh in franchise history.
The Guardians have inducted more than 50 uniformed and non-uniformed members of the organization to their Hall of Fame since its inception in 1951, though the process has endured multiple hiatuses over the years. Most recently, following a six-year absence, the club honored superfan drummer John Adams with enshrinement in 2022 (just months before his death) before officially resurrecting the pregame ceremony last summer by inducting Dale Mitchell and Manny Ramirez.
Coincidentally, Sabathia's place in the Guardians Hall of Fame comes just as he is set to debut on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame this winter. He is considered a top candidate for induction, with Guards owner Paul Dolan previously expressing his hope that an Indians cap will be featured on CC's plaque (Sabathia has not confirmed what his final decision will be).
With this year's ceremony on Aug. 3, the first 15,000 fans through the gates will receive a special Sabathia bobblehead doll. There will also be a fireworks show after the game.