Yankees Honor Sabathia With Retired Number, Monument Park Plaque

Yankees Honor Sabathia With Retired Number, Monument Park Plaque

The New York Yankees retired CC Sabathia's No. 52 and unveiled his plaque in Monument Park before Friday's doubleheader opener against the Baltimore Orioles. The Hall of Fame left-hander became the 24th player or manager in franchise history to receive both honors.

Sabathia signed with the Yankees before the 2009 season on a seven-year, $161 million contract, the largest ever given to a free-agent pitcher at the time, after general manager Brian Cashman convinced him to join the club following a December 2008 meeting. In his debut season with New York, Sabathia went 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA over 34 starts, then won ALCS MVP honors after going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA against the Los Angeles Angels and started twice as the Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies for their 27th World Series title. He joins fellow 2009 champions Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada as the fifth player from that roster to have his number retired. फ्लोरबॉल बेटिंग ऑड्स

Over 11 seasons in New York (2009-19), Sabathia went 134-88 with a 3.81 ERA and 1,700 strikeouts, ranking fourth in franchise history in strikeouts, seventh in starts, 10th in wins and 11th in innings pitched. Across 19 major league seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Yankees, he finished 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, the third-most by a left-hander behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2025 with 86.8% of the vote, part of a class that included Billy Wagner and former Yankees teammate Ichiro Suzuki.

Friday's ceremony featured video tributes from Jeter, Paul O'Neill, Posada and Bernie Williams. Sabathia unveiled his plaque alongside his wife, Amber, two of their children, his mother, Margie, and two friends, then rode a golf cart along the warning track to greet fans. Cashman presented him with a blue blazer, a framed plaque and retired number, and a ring commemorating his career. Sabathia closed the ceremony by throwing the first pitch to his son, Carsten, a first baseman in the Milwaukee Brewers' minor league system.