BREAKING DOWN CC SABATHIA

The 2013 season is finally underway, and with the division rival Boston Red Sox coming to the Stadium, CC Sabathia was set to start us off.  It did not work out as well as we hoped. He lasted five innings and left with a 4-2 deficit. After the horrendous injury-filled spring, it is hard not to wonder if this is not a sign of things to come. After all, CC Monster is our ace, and if he cannot pull out a win, maybe it is time to panic. Or is it?

Honestly, I have been getting these thoughts every Opening Day. It looks like CC has lost a step and the disaster scenarios start to float in my head. Now, though, I see a pattern and you should too. Sabathia just does not do well on Opening Day. Don't believe me? Believe this... In 10 Opening Day starts in his career, he has a 1-2 record with a 5.80 ERA and a 1.638 WHIP.  His teams have only won three of those 10 starts. Of his five Opening Day starts for the Yankees, they have only won once - in 2011, against Justin Verlander. This brings calm to my soul. Guess what... that brings calm to my soul.

Speaking of Verlander, there is another fantastic pitcher who has had a history of pitching poorly on Opening Day. Good company for CC, right? Verlander's first four Opening Day starts - from 2008 to 2011 - ended with losses in three of them. His record is 0-1 with three no-decisions, an ERA of 8.47, and a WHIP of 1.4356.  Then in the 2012 off season, he made an adjustment. He began his spring workout schedule a month early, based on an observation that he would normally return to stellar form by May. It worked. Since then (2012 and 2013), he has not allowed a single run to score on Opening Day.

So... Is it time to panic? Hardly. Sabathia is going through his normal early spring doldrums. Maybe next year our coaches could make note of this, maybe adjust his workout schedule to start earlier. Regardless though, CC is going to be fine, anchoring our starting rotation. By the time we get past the All-Star Break and into the pennant race, this will be a distant memory.

Oh and coincidence? CC and Verlander are facing off Sunday.  Should be fun.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon

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