Sabathia Passes on Expected Role
CC Sabathia has managed to keep himself busy since he retired after the 2019 season. The former New York Yankees' ace has two jobs now, working for the Yankees as an advisor and for MLB. He's taken up golf, he's being a proud dad and he has this thing at the end of July that has him writing an acceptance speech.
The future Hall of Famer told the New York Post, he's happy with his post-playing schedule, so do not expect him to come back to the ballpark regularly like other players.
Former New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Sabathia made it clear he will not be jumping into the YES broadcast booth like former players David Cone, Paul O'Neill, or John Flaherty.
Advertisement
. 'I don't think I'm made out for TV or broadcasting,' the former Yankees ace told the New York Post during a sit‑down about his Xyzal partnership.
Sabathia is charting a different path.
'Maybe I'll do podcasting… ten years from now,' he said. He did one for years with YES broadcaster Ryan Rucco, but that ended in 2023.
For now, he's focusing on family time, charity work and his CC Sabathia Hall of Fame 2025 festivities.
So why CC Sabathia isn't joining YES Network? He's tasted the freedom of being retired after years of structured baseball life.
'I don't want to do anything every single day,' he explained. 'It's a long season and it's back on the road. I'm out on that.'
Advertisement
Sabathia was a workhorse over his 19 years in the big leagues. He literally pitched until his body broke down, dislocating his shoulder on the mound in 2019. He gave it all, especially in the playoffs.
So, the big lefty deserves as much rest as he wants now.
Related: Former MVP Says Aaron Judge Still Doesn't Measure Up to Barry Bonds
Related: Yankees Ace Gerrit Cole Reveals How He is Staying Sane During Rehab
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Yankees Build a Better Team After Losing Out on Juan Soto
Sometimes, as the saying goes, the best deals are the ones you don't make. It's a small sample size and very early in the process, but so far, the New York Yankees are fortunate to have not signed Juan Soto. Soto chose the New York Mets for a 15-year, $765 million contract, shunning an offer to return to the Yankees for 16 years, $760 million. Advertisement More from No question the Yanks wanted to keep Soto. They went to the World Series last fall for the first time since 2009 with Soto hitting ahead of Aaron Judge in the lineup, but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. When Soto then became a free agent and signed with Mets, the Yankees pivoted and spent a portion of that money elsewhere, signing Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt as free agents and trading for Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams for a projected outlay of $283 million. The team they built is running away with the American League East at a fraction of the long-term cost of a deal with Soto. They lead the fourth-place Boston Red Sox by nine games already and are playing them for the first time in 2025 this weekend at Yankee Stadium. Soto is batting .232 with 11 homers, 31 RBIs and an .802 OPS so far this season; he will get better and is doing so already with three homers in his last five games through Wednesday night. Judge, playing without him, is having another monster season as the Mets have been jockeying for first place in the National League East with the Philadelphia Phillies. Judge's OPS: 1.237. Advertisement Thus far, advantage Yankees. 'It seems that way now,' David Cone, the former Yankees pitcher and currently ESPN and Yes Network color analyst, said in an interview this past weekend at Dodger Stadium. 'Ten years from now we'll make that judgment, but this year, the first half of the season? Absolutely.' For the Yanks, of course, this is a very short-term snapshot. Fried is signed for eight years, $218 million. But he has his own history of left arm problems, including Tommy John ligament replacement surgery that caused him to miss 2015 as a prospect with the San Diego Padres and a forearm issue that cost a month last season with the Atlanta Braves. Bellinger ($26.7 million), Goldschmidt ($12.5 million) and Williams ($8.6 million) can all walk away after this season. Goldschmidt and Williams are unrestricted free agents on one-year deals. Bellinger has the second of two player options his agent Scott Boras threaded into the three-year, $80 million deal he signed in 2024 with the Chicago Cubs. Bellinger is the fourth highest-paid player this season on the team behind Judge ($40 million), Fried ($27.3 million) and Carlos Rodon ($27 million). Advertisement Those potential departures give the Yankees some maneuverability next offseason in the free agent market and financial room this year to upgrade at the July 31 trade deadline. The Yankees have the third-highest payroll in Major League Baseball for luxury tax purposes at $310.9 million, according to Spotrac, and the team is putting on a master class in short-term roster construction under today's collectively-bargained system. The Yanks spent $74.6 million on Fried, Bellinger, Goldschmidt and Williams, while Soto is earning $61.2 million alone from the Mets for luxury tax purposes. 'They've done very well with the money they spent this year, no question about it,' Cone said. 'The Yankees are much more well-rounded defensively. [Former Yanks, Mets and current A's pitcher] Luis Severino said the Yankees last year were a team with only two hitters: Judge and Soto. They've caught up with the Dodgers offensively and depth-wise.' Fried wouldn't be in New York had Soto chosen the Yankees. Advertisement At the time, the contract conversations with both players were occurring on concurrent tracks. Fried was New York's second choice. It was universally considered that Fried wanted to play where he grew up, in the Los Angeles area. But he also let it be known to the Yanks he was very much in favor of playing in the Bronx. 'Mostly I had a bunch of meetings, but before making a decision, I was just waiting for Soto to sign,' Fried said this past weekend at Dodger Stadium. Soto announced his decision on Dec. 8 at the Winter Meetings in Dallas and two days later Fried signed with the Yankees. The dominoes then started to fall. On Dec. 13 Williams was obtained in a trade with Milwaukee and Bellinger came over from the Cubs four days later. Goldschmidt was the last to sign on Dec. 30. With that the Yankees closed shop for the offseason. Advertisement While Williams has struggled at times in his back of the bullpen role, the other three have exceeded expectations. Fried, for one, replaced the injured Gerrit Cole and opened 7-0 with a 1.28 ERA before losing to the Dodgers this past Friday. His experience pitching at Yankee Stadium has exceeded his expectations. 'I love it,' Fried said. 'I'm very happy with where I'm at. Everything happened for a reason. I'm just happy I'm here with the Yankees.' The Yankees are happy to have him. In this case, sometimes the best deals are the ones you make. Best of Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.


Washington Post
13 minutes ago
- Washington Post
It's finally time to bid farewell to the ‘face of the NBA'
The question persists, oblivious to the NBA's new countermovement. Who will be the next face of the league? Everyone wants to know; no one wants to claim it. LeBron James, whose kingly mug has dominated attention for two decades, got in his feelings earlier this season and downplayed the importance of a line of succession. 'Why do you want to be the face of a league when all the people that cover and talk about our game on a day-to-day basis s--- on everybody?' James wondered. 'To have that responsibility is just weird. It's weird energy.' His frustration is reasonable, actually, even though James has benefited from being the superstar of all superstars far more than he has suffered. The league has grown to a point at which the unofficial role should be outdated. It had long come with savior vibes, dating from when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson boosted the NBA's popularity and Michael Jordan took it to a new stratosphere of cultural resonance. Today, the fate of the sport doesn't sit on the shoulders of any single, transcendent star. All 30 franchises are estimated to be worth more than $3 billion. In March, the Boston Celtics' sale came with a record $6.1 billion valuation. The face of the NBA is a title with diminished meaning and murky criteria that punishes candidates as much as it promotes them. There won't be another rivalry as significant as Bird vs. Magic. Changes to marketing and celebrity culture ensure no icon will enjoy a journey as dramatic and intoxicating as Jordan's. There is no template to be like James or Stephen Curry, either. Who's the new face of the NBA? The question is in conflict with where the league is headed. It's a facile concern as the Finals begin with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers — both among the league's 10 smallest markets — providing the most compelling evidence to date that the sport functions like never before. If parity is the expectation, if the size or prestige of a city matters less than ever, the assumption of individual dominance must be reconsidered as well. After the Pacers defeated the New York Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference finals, center Myles Turner celebrated the new day. 'It's a new blueprint for the league, man,' he said. James, who plays for the high-profile Los Angeles Lakers, couldn't get out of the first round despite playing with 26-year-old savant Luka Doncic. Curry, who's trying to extend the Golden State Warriors' dynasty, couldn't get out of the second round after injuring his hamstring. Kevin Durant, the third signature star of this era, missed the playoffs with a Phoenix Suns roster that includes Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The younger megastars suffered, too. Nikola Jokic, the best player in the game and a 2023 champion with the Denver Nuggets, went home in the second round. Anthony Edwards, the legend-killing young marvel for the Minnesota Timberwolves, lost in the conference finals for the second straight season. Jayson Tatum, the franchise player on a star-studded Celtics roster with multi-championship potential, ruptured his Achilles' tendon trying to defend Boston's 2024 title. That NBA face card keeps declining. 'The years of the super teams and stacking [talent] is not as effective as it once was,' Turner said. 'Since I've been in the league, this NBA is very trendy. It just shifts. But the new trend now is just what we're doing. OKC does the same thing. The young guys get out and run, defend and use the power of friendship.' The power of influence used to control the league. Before the NBA introduced a parity-enforcing business model, it was easier for great players to get what they wanted. And because they usually wanted to play for the most glamorous franchises, it led to a decade — starting with James's infamous decision to join the Miami Heat in 2010 — in which the imbalance became exaggerated. The NBA had always been a league of dynasties because, in five-on-five basketball, one dominant player has an outsize impact on the game. Give a giant a gigantic ally, and it's game over. In 2023, new rules were implemented to tax both the bank accounts and team-building tactics of franchises that hope to stack stars. It's almost impossible to build a complete team through free agency now. And even if you build a great squad through the draft, retention becomes a chore. One consequence, perhaps unintended, is that it will be difficult for one star to stand above the rest. Face of the NBA is a cumbersome aspiration, especially when it means different things to different people. In general, the title comes with an expectation of a clean image, multiple championships, consistent MVP-caliber performances, a level of charisma and marketability that transcends basketball and the confidence to be a league spokesman. In an age of distraction, who can command that much attention? In a sport dictating balance, who will win enough to get the chance? Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just won his first MVP award at 26, and if Oklahoma City finishes its historically dominant season with a championship, he will vault into that conversation. But similar to Tatum, SGA isn't a big personality. And similar to the Celtics, money and the league's two-apron tax system will pose as much of a threat to a potential Thunder dynasty as the other 29 teams. Regardless of the Finals outcome, the NBA will crown its seventh different champion in seven seasons. If the Thunder wins, Gilgeous-Alexander will be the first MVP since Curry in 2015 to capture the regular season honor and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in the same season. Ten years is a long drought for MVPs. In the NBA's first 69 seasons, 14 MVPs ended their remarkable runs with a parade. Because several of them did it multiple times, there have been 23 instances in which the MVP winner captured the most coveted prize. In other words, one-third of the time the MVP went home satisfied through 2015. In the decade since, the award has culminated in postseason chatter about that superstar's shortcomings. Even though Jokic (a three-time MVP) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (twice the MVP) eventually won titles, they endured plenty of criticism about their worthiness because they didn't have great playoff results during their MVP seasons. Joel Embiid, the oft-injured 2023 MVP, still hears it. There are fewer guarantees in the NBA, but current superstars are judged by a standard that the league has all but destroyed. That's the 'weird energy' that James referenced in his gripe. The NBA is different, lucrative, stable now. It doesn't want a face anymore. It wants more teams to have an opportunity. The transition will be uncomfortable. The television ratings for the 2025 Finals seem certain to reflect that. There will be as much talk about a Greek Freak trade as dissection of the Thunder's defense. That's sad, but it will make clear how much work remains for the league and its television partners to sell this newfound parity. If the dynasty era is over, so are the days of the savior. But until the kingdom completes its rebranding, some will always pine for a king.


News24
17 minutes ago
- News24
Looking for the perfect Father's Day gift? Leatherman has two perfect products.
The best tool is something that's small and light enough to be close by when you need it. These two Leathermans will put a sparkle in Dad's eyes. Built tough, sized right The Rebar packs serious capabilities into its slim, 10 cm frame. It weighs less than 190 g but puts 17 essential tools in your pocket, readying you for any task at work or home. That includes: needle-nose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutters, hard-wire cutters, electrical crimper, wire stripper, knife, serrated knife, saw, can opener, bottle opener, wood/metal file, Phillips screwdriver, large and small screwdriver, and a ruler. Its design is classic Leatherman, taking its cues from the original Pocket Survival Tool released in 1983. Rebar features contoured handles for a confident and comfortable grip for security and confidence under demanding conditions. Rebar features all locking tools, so you can apply a lot of pressure, knowing it won't move or fold. Available in Burnt Sienna, and Mossy Slate. Each new Rebar colourway includes a matching nylon sheath. It also has a lanyard ring so that you can take it everywhere with you. The name is Bond . . . Leatherman Bond Inspired by Tim Leatherman's original Pocket Survival Tool, Bond pairs classic design with the tools needed to tackle everyday tasks. At a mere 176 g, this lightweight multi-tool provides 14 essential implements including pliers, a durable 420HC knife blade, and a set of standard screwdrivers. It also has wire cutters, can and bottle opener, and a ruler. All packed into a 10 cm frame (closed length). The Bond's handles are contoured to give you a comfortable grip while using the tools. The colour options add a vibrant Cerakote finish to the handles for increased durability. Cerakote is a thin-film, ceramic-based coating known for its durability, hardness, and scratch resistance. Available in Burnt Sienna, Mossy Slate, and Heathered Cranberry. Each Bond colourway includes a matching nylon sheath. Stainless steel Bond also includes a nylon sheath. For more on these plus other excellent Leatherman products, go to