"SKINNY" IS LIKE LEARNING TO RIDE A BIKE

You know why I like CC Sabathia? Because he is a man that stands tall and let's you know the loss is "on him". To me, anyone who can take blame when they're at fault is someone who I can admire.  He could have thrown anyone under the bus today, but he didn't, because he's a team player.   Not to mention, after he shook my kid's hand and gave him his autograph back in December, CC Sabathia is now the greatest pitcher that ever lived! I have no beef with CC, because CC is a stand up guy, on and off the field.

CC had a rough outing today. 3 runs on 4 hits and CC admitted to the Yankee World... "I sucked".  OK then.  2 things I need to point out to you all. Number 1... this is Spring Training. Ignore it. Seriously.  It makes no difference that his performance isn't up to par... it's March 11th. Unless CC has a rotator cuff injury or some other ailment, you need to realize that this is meaningless.  It's growing pains like it always is with CC Sabathia. It's Training... it's in the name "Spring Training".

Have we forgotten that CC is a slow starter? You did, didn't you?  Over the years, CC heats up as the season moves on.  I haven't been too alarmed about CC this early in years. But the media is and I'm not sure if it's genuine worry, or just a tool to sell papers. I remember quite clearly a piece written by Bob Klapisch last year with the headline being "Yankees can't afford slow start from CC Sabathia." In it, he wrote: "Sabathia was merely the victim of his own history, as he’s always been vulnerable early in the season: he has a 4.13 ERA in 55 March/April starts, but has always been better in September and October (2.86)." Remember, that was in 2013, but I remember thinking "Sure, you can beg the guy to NOT be a slow starter, but that's the way the man  is built and that's the way he operates. The numbers reflect it... stop trying to figure it out and live with it."

Couple it with his new, skinny frame and Yankeeland is in a tizzy. Am I right?  I'm here to say I'm not going to freak out about this, and you shouldn't either.  First off, are people seriously still going to attack a guy for getting healthy? Oh, so what... his velocity is down, he's thin, so he's clearly finished? Wrong. I have a simple theory... how about we just let this play out. OK?

Look, you ever ride a bike? Make a speech for the first time in front of a large audience? Kiss someone? Recite a poem? Write a blog? How about pitching overweight for years and then suddenly pitch skinny? Remember... it's the first time your doing 1 of those things. The point is, nothing's perfect in the beginning.  It's always a work in progress. Soon, you kiss perfectly.  Soon, you speak eloquently in front of a large group of people. Soon, you find out how to re-invent your pitches, throw a new cutter, and figure out how to work through an outing with lighter velocity... and you do it with your new frame. 

In other words, you all need to realize that CC has a new body. With a new body comes new hurdles. He will figure it out. How do I know? Because CC is a competitor and no one wants to win more than him.

Sabathia will be dominant again, but he needs to figure it out and to be honest, he doesn't need me, or you, or Larry Rothschild or even Bob Klapisch telling him how to do it.  He needs to figure it out on his own... and he will.  Because he's CC Sabathia... he's a monster... and the monster will dominate again.  I know that because my kid believes in him and why not... he's a great role model...a winner, a leader and a healthy New York Yankee... mean and lean and there's nothing wrong with that!

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