LEGACCY: WHAT I WILL REMEMBER

I can't believe that last night could be the last time we all see CC Sabathia start a game at Yankee stadium. It feels like time went by so fast. I started to get nostalgic pretty quickly and I thought about some of my favorite moments.

Amazing ALCS 2009
It was exciting to watch CC pitch against the Los Angeles Angels on short rest in the 2009 ALCS. In two starts he dominated the Angels, and only allowed two runs in 16 innings. In game one he pitched eight innings of one-run baseball and had another good outing in game four. It's no wonder why he was named the ALCS MVP, and that was just the start of a storybook ending for his first season in pinstripes.

Red Sox Shutdown in 2009
I won't forget the early Saturday game after an exhausting 15 inning game the night before that ended with an exciting walk-off home run from Alex Rodriguez. The next day CC took the mound and set down the first 13 batters and had a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Jacoby Ellsbury ended his no-no. Even with his no hitter gone, he pitched seven innings with 123 pitches getting another win for the Yankees.

Breaking in the New Yankee stadium
It was a big moment in the new stadium. CC was the first pitcher to take the mound at the new Yankee stadium and got to pitch against his old team the Indians. He got the first strikeout in the stadium in the first inning and held the Indians to just one run in 5 2/3 innings.

The 2017 postseason
He looked like vintage CC when CC took the hill for the winner-take-all deciding game 5 against the Indians. He set down a powerful lineup in the first three innings and struck out nine over 4 2/3 innings and eventually the Yankees won and advanced to the ALCS. The ALCS started off bumpy so the trailing 2-0 Yankees put all of their trust in their veteran starter to come in and save the day. That's exactly what CC did, he put the Yankees back in the series.

Winning it all in 2009
CC struggled against the Phillies in the World Series. He lost his start in game 1 but he battled through his Game 4 start on short rest and put the Yankees into a 3-1 lead in the series and eventually got his World Series ring. Hopefully, we can add one more before he retires at the end of the season.

The almost no-hitter
For 110 pitches, CC dominated the Rays on the road in 2010. It was only his second start of the year and had a great ground ball game going. Unfortunately, Kelly Shoppach broke up his no-no on his 111th pitch and after the hit Joe Girardi pulled CC in the eighth inning and put Mariano Rivera in to close out the game despite the large lead. This was the closest CC got to throwing a no-no in his career.

The Enforcer
It wasn't a playoff game, but it sure felt like it. I like to think of CC as the MLB version of the Enforcer in hockey. If someone messed with a Yankee, CC is always there to answer the call. The Yankees were dominating the Rays in the sixth inning almost a year ago and Andrew Kittredge threw behind Austin Romine. CC wasn't going to stand by and watch someone go after one of his guys and he answered back in the bottom of the inning by hitting Jesus Sucre in the leg. He was ejected from the game just two innings shy of a $500,000 bonus the Yankees were going to pay him, but he didn't care. It wasn't about money for CC, he's already made lots of that. He chose to stand up for his teammate again like he has his entire career and his profane words shouted toward the Rays dugout will never be forgotten.

Bonus realized: the real lesson learned
I love the Yankees for this one. CC may have missed his contracted innings requirement for his $500,000 bonus but the Yankees still paid it to him anyway. He stood up for his teammates and the Yankees returned the favor by paying him the money. It's a classy move for a gutsy guy that has always had his teammates backs. This is what I will miss most about CC Sabathia.

I hope to add one more to this list....a World Series ring for 2019. It would be nice to send him into retirement with another ring. There have been so many moments over the years. It's hard to pick just a few and I am sure I missed some, but it is fun to look back on. What does your list look like? Comment and tell us.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

SONNY GRAY'S FATE MAY DEPEND ON CC'S HEALTH

The Yankees are trading Sonny Gray....soon.....eventually.....when the time is right.

We've heard that for months now. That time might not be right until Spring Training or after the regular season starts once they are more confident in CC Sabathia's recovery. The good news is CC was cleared to resume baseball activities and is expected to be ready to report on time to spring training, read more HERE.

Rumor has it eleven teams called and inquired about Gray. Nothing enticed the Yankees enough to move him yet, and maybe that's not a bad thing. It sounds like CC is recovering well, thank goodness. But if this hadn't been the case and Cashman was quick to move him for just an "okay" trade package then it could've lead the Yankees to making additional moves that could've been avoided or worse unprepared for the season. I'm glad Brian Cashman waited to see how this was going to play out.

So now we sit and wait. CC does have a five game suspension he will have to serve once the regular season starts for throwing at Rays catcher Jesus Sucre, but it will only be a matter of time until we see how CC pitches. If he struggles, then at least Gray is there to fill in.

Or maybe we get the best case scenario here and CC has no issues and we take Gray into Spring Training and he pitches well. In a dark and twisted way CC's heart condition gives the Yankees more leverage because keeping Gray is now more valuable to them.

The Yankees built their rotation and traded for James Paxton without even considering Gray as a part of their future. He was expendable before, but now he is protection for CC. Why would teams come forward before with good trade offers? The Yankees didn't have a good reason to keep him, so there wasn't a reason for teams to part with better players. Now the Yankees can be even more selective.

But not too selective. The longer they wait, the harder it is to get the value they want out of this trade. The Yankees have already looked at offers for Gray including a three team trade with the Braves and the Rangers but that didn't get far. The Yankees targeted several of the Reds top prospects including Taylor Trammell but both sides have stopped their talks and the Reds acquired Tanner Roark and Alex Wood instead, so they are no longer a trade partner. Recently the Brewers and the Padres have shown a lot of interest but on paper the Padres and Yankees just don't match up well unless the Yankees want prospects. Their major league talent isn't enticing and it doesn't sound like the Padres will give up their better prospects for one year of Gray.

As much as I would like to see the Yankees end their experiment with Gray, I know Cashman is being smart with this. Baseball is so unpredictable. I never would've guessed that Sonny Gray's fate could be determined by CC....but it definitely looks like it could.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

ROAR OF THE YANKEE CAPTAIN!

No... CC Sabathia is not the Yankee Captain... but he should be. Especially after what he just did today. He just proved to me what I've known all along. CC Sabathia is the leader of this team. He is not only a gentle giant, but a dedicated teammate and one of the hardest workers we know in pinstripes.  And today, there was the roar of the Yankee captain in CC Sabathia.  He protected his teammate and did it over receiving money for a personal achievement. Why? Because it was the right thing to do.

NJ.com writes:

"Andrew Kittredge purposely buzzed a fastball behind the head of Yankees catcher Austin Romine in the top of the sixth in response to Sabathia accidentally hitting Tampa Bay first baseman Jake Bauers in the hand with a fifth-inning pitch. Sabathia knew that sticking up for Romine would get him ejected from one of his best starts of the season. He didn't care. 

Photo: Chris O’Meara (AP)

Because the Rays threw at the Yankees catcher, Sabathia did the same when Rays receiver Jesus Sucre led off the bottom of the sixth. Sabathia drilled Sucre in the leg, then he looked toward the Tampa Bay dugout and yelled, 'That's for you.'"

And here's the most amazing part of this story. The New York Post writes:

"...if Sabathia had worked seven frames on Thursday, he would have earned $500,000 for reaching 155 innings."

"That's for you, bitch" - CC Sabathia pic.twitter.com/ZDWyzSDaAu

— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) September 27, 2018

That never happened. CC was ejected. Pete Caldera just tweeted this:

Sabathia: "I think we all took exception to that'' Kitteredge pitch near Romine's head. "Anytime you feel like your player's safety is in jeopardy, I think all the guys take exception to that.''

— Pete Caldera (@pcaldera) September 27, 2018

Love it.

There is something truly old school and unique about this situation.  Sabathia is a throwback, to when integrity, character and passion for this game mattered.  It wasn't about the money... it was about the passion.

CC? As far as I'm concerned, you can play for the New York Yankees until you 75 years old. I'll still be rooting for you pal.

Think year to year contracts... Love this guy.

PINEDA 1 - MONTERO 0

Sure, some could argue that Montero is up with 1 already because he's actually played a full season for the Seattle Mariners since that dreadful day in Yankeeland (read BRONX SHOCKER: MONTERO TRADED FOR PINEDA for context), but for arguments sake... and because this is a Yankees fan site, let's just say Pineda is winning.

Don't know what I'm talking about? How about this.  It's being reported that Jesus Montero is officially demoted, sent down to AAA by the Seattle Mariners.  According to the Tacoma News Tribune (HERE), " Montero will be sent to Triple-A Tacoma, while catcher Jesus Sucre will be selected from the Rainiers...What position will Montero play in Tacoma? Well, he figures to see plenty of time at designated hitter and some time at first base. Zunino is the catcher of the future, so his playing time should not be affected.

Montero’s demotion to Triple-A seemed to be more likely with each passing day and each failed at-bat."

 

On the Michael Pineda front, it's being reported that Pineda "...threw five innings in an extended-spring game at the team’s minor-league complex in Tampa, Fla. His fastball velocity sat at 93 mph, general manager Brian Cashman said. After one more game at the complex, Pineda could begin a rehabilitation assignment, a 30-day jaunt that could lead him to the majors.
 
'I’m happy so far that he’s healthy,' Cashman said. 'But he’s obviously got a ways to go. We’ll see. But so far so good.'” 

That comes from the Star-Ledger, HERE.  Look, it's my feeling that Brian Cashman may be the smartest man in the room right now. He signed Lyle Overbay, Travis Hafner and Vernon Wells and no one thought he had a brain in his head.  Could you imagine if they keep carrying this team and then Michael Pineda comes back 100% and ready to kick ass?

We'll have to see. I feel bad for Montero but maybe all the hype was yet another Yankees strategy... we'll have to see how it all plays out, but right now the Yankees appear to be in the driver's seat.

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