When franchises memorialize players or monumental moments in their Hall of Fame or Wall of Honor, the recipients typically spent years with the organization, providing impactful production over a considerable amount of time.
But that’s not the case for CC Sabathia and the Milwaukee Brewers.
CC Sabathia Inducted Into Brewers’ Wall of Honor
Before the Brewers and New York Yankees kicked off a three-game set in Milwaukee this past weekend, Sabathia was inducted into the Brewers’ Wall of Honor. It’s different from the franchise’s Walk of Fame and is meant to recognize those who made meaningful contributions to the organization. The Hall of Fame pitcher’s tenure with the Brew Crew lasted for less than a full season, but with one look at what Sabathia accomplished in such a short time in Milwaukee, the commemoration makes much more sense.
After spending the first seven and a half years of his career with the then-Cleveland Indians, Sabathia was traded during the final season before he would hit the market. A common path Cleveland takes with impending free agents, they traded the reigning Cy Young winner in Sabathia, attempting to capitalize on his value knowing they couldn’t afford to keep him in the offseason. Milwaukee shipped four prospects in exchange for Sabathia, most notably Michael Brantley, who went on to hit .298 over 15 years in the Show after originally being a player to be named later in the deal.
CC Dazzled In Less Than A Season For Milwaukee
Despite it being his walk year and owing nothing to the Brewers, Sabathia was the definition of a workhorse. He made 17 starts for Milwaukee in the final three months of the season, logging a 1.65 ERA with seven complete games, three of them being shutouts. His WHIP was a miniscule 1.003 while he rivaled some of his career best rates in home runs allowed and limiting free passes. Simply put, Sabathia was dominant and if he didn’t switch leagues midseason, he would’ve won back-to-back Cy Youngs.
But the Brewers were still in the thick of the playoff race, looking to break a drought of 25 years since they made the postseason, which coincidently was their lone World Series appearance in 1982. When September came around, Milwaukee was bunched with the Phillies and Mets for the final Wild Card spot. Their pitching staff was decimated, and the losses began to stack up, so Sabathia stepped up.
He made four starts in the last 13 days of the year, including a complete game where he only allowed four hits during the Brewers’ 3-1 win over the NL Central Champion Chicago Cubs in the season finale. When the Marlins defeated the Mets later that day, Milwaukee clinched its first trip back to October in a quarter-century.
The Brewers proceeded to run out of steam, losing in four games to Philadelphia in the NLDS, but Sabathia’s impact in Milwaukee was surely felt, even though he signed with the Yankees that offseason and went on to finish his career in New York.
It’s uncommon to see players put their bodies on the line to the extent Sabathia did, especially with a huge payday awaiting him. But behind the seven-year, $161 million contract he signed to play in the Bronx, Sabathia gave it all between the white lines for his teammates and everyone else in Milwaukee, which is why he’s now in the Brewers’ Wall of Honor and a true Hall of Famer.
