CC Sabathia Throws First Pitch To Guardians Legend For HOF Induction

Former Cleveland Guardians star CC Sabathia threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the team's matchup against the Baltimore Orioles, and legendary Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez was behind the plate.

May 11, 2007; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia (52) reacts after giving up 4 runs against the Oakland Athletics during the 7th inning at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, CA. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2007 Kyle Terada / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

CC Sabathia was officially inducted into the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame on Saturday, and before the Guardians' game against the Baltimore Orioles, Sabathia threw the ceremonial first pitch to legendary Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez.

CC Sabathia throws out the game’s first pitch to Victor Martinez before the @CleGuardians take on @Orioles pic.twitter.com/qbginix1gU

— Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) August 3, 2024

Sabathia and Martinez were Cleveland teammates for parts of seven seasons. They reached the height of their tenure in 2007, when Sabathia won the AL Cy Young award and Martinez smashed 25 home runs and 114 RBI to go along with an .879 OPS.

Most importantly, the Guardians made it all the way to the ALCS that year, but ultimately blew a 3-1 series lead to the Boston Red Sox.

Sabathia was selected by Cleveland in the first round of the 1998 MLB Draft and made his big-league debut in 2001.

He made three All-Star appearances with the Guardians. During his Cy Young-winning campaign, Sabathia went 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA while registering 209 strikeouts over 241 innings of work.

The Vallejo, Ca. native went 106-71 with a 3.83 ERA across seven-and-a-half seasons with the Guardians before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008.

After spending half a season with the Brewers, Sabathia signed with the New York Yankees in December 2008 and went on to spend the final 11 years of his career in pinstripes.

Sabathia added three more All-Star selection to his resume with the Yankees, helping lead the club to a World Series title in 2009.

Meanwhile, Martinez had the privilege of playing in three All-Star games in Cleveland. He was dealt to the Red Sox midway through the 2009 campaign.