RISP Was Not Our Friend
July 30, 2008The Company Line
July 30, 2008Though C.C. Sabatahia has moved on to Milwaukee where he has proceeded to light up opponent after opponent, he still has a place in most fans’ hearts. For this reason, it comes as no surprise that the big man took the extra step this week, and purchased ad space in today’s edition of the Plain Dealer.
The entire page was dedicated to the fans which witnessed his progression over the last decade, saw many wins, and frankly watched him “grow up” before our very eyes. Last season’s Cy Young winner will be in the free agent market next season, and while he will likely never pitch for Cleveland ever again, you can sure bet that he’ll still have a lot of support from this area.
As Bill Lubinger says, the list of people that Sabathia and his family thank is a long one. The entire advertisement is after the jump. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.
(Full version can be seen here, courtesy of the Plain Dealer)
25 Comments
Couldn’t have been said better. I think CC will go down in Indians history as a hero…possibly a legend. I love the guy and wish him the best.
WOW.
I’m completely flabbergasted by this. What a class act. Unfortunately one in a million in pro sports today.
The ‘middle class’ in my is mad that $72 million wasn’t “enough,” but the realist in me knows there was no way he wouldn’t test the market, and thus no way we could keep him. I have had no problems pulling for him in Milwaukee at all, and I hope that should they get to the playoffs he gets a chance to redeem himself.
Hopefully Matt LaPorta gets a chance to mash a little bit around the Jake before Shelton ruins his swing, Garko-style. We deserve at least that much from all of this!
And I do appreciate that he took the time to do this, no matter what anyone else might say.
CC and his family are obviously very good people, and it’s nice to see them appreciate the support they received in Cleveland. However, sports heroes and legends actually win something beside hot dog eating contests. It’s unfortunate, but I will only remember CC for choking in last year’s post season.
It was a class act, but if you read between the lines here, isn’t CC saying no chance what-so-ever I sign with Cleveland in the offseason?
Class Act.
Thanks for the memories big fella. I’ll be rooting for you in Milwaukee.
You’re right about that Rick. But the way I see it, he first said that when he turned down the Indian’s initial offer, he said it again when he shut down negotiations, and now he’s saying it a third time. I just chose not to believe him the first two times, so shame on me.
Either way, I appreciate this gesture by CC and as long as he’s not pitching in the AL or against the Indians in a World Series (hahaha, I know), I will always pull for CC as he was always one of my favorite Indians of all time.
Where you at Casey Blake?
@Kurtsuncle
since Cleveland is still paying his salary anyway wouldn’t the team basically be thanking themselves?
Nice move by CC, classy guy, good way to say goodbye.
Hoy
CC is a complete class act! Thank you CC for a great 10 years!
Thanks to CC’s publicist who convinced him to do the same thing she convinced Barry Zito to do a year earlier.
maybe i’m a bitter old kodger, but this rings hollow to me. Is he thanking us for trading him to a playoff-contending team? Is he thanking us for a $70+ million offer that he turned down to “test the waters”? Is he thanking us for putting up with his phenomenal playoff performance?
Nothing but good wishes for the guy, but this seems like it was put together by someone other than CC himself.
@Kid- There’s no question it was designed by an agent or publicist, but I’m sure they had input from CC as to who he wanted to thank. I don’t think there is anything here about thanks for trading me…
Wow. I always liked C.C., but this makes me like him even more. Very classy.
Class. Always Class. Always represented this town, this city and its fans very well.
Those who think this is published, where was Thome, Manny, Bell…albeit free agent departures mentioned nothing as they spent their entire careers up to their departure in the organization that helped develope them.
It’s a classy gesture, and I think that it wasn’t a surprise that he left. CC liked it here, but these days big money is hard to resist. At least he made an effort to thank Cleveland and the club for the support.
However, while CC is a class act and one of the great pitchers definitely in the last couple of decades, I’m not sure if I would call him a legend. Sadly, his performance last October keeps him away from that distinction. Regardless, I wish CC nothing but the best in his future endeavors.
@dcbucks…can u seriously ever stop being “that fan” that no one likes? you’re the reason that cleveland fans get a bad rep. why don’t you THANK him for putting us on his shoulders and carrying to that point of the season? he gave us all something that we in cleveland deserved, a playoff experience.
i also think this is just an awesome thing to do for the city of cleveland. thank you cc, and here’s to you pitching and WINNING the division clinching, nlcs clinching, and world series clinching victories!!!
How is CC any different than Thome, Manny, Belle, etc? He had the chance to stay here, but he decided that he couldn’t live comfortably for only $18 million per year – the largest contract in the history of the Cleveland Indians franchise.
Sorry, but I just can’t relate to that.
I’m also not going to say “what a classy guy” when this full-page ad obviously wasn’t even his idea. What, is he classy for agreeing to allow his publicist to do precisely what he hired her to do? Is he classy for remembering the name of his neighborhood and a few of his neighbors?
Call me names, I don’t care.. as far as I’m concerned, CC is another Manny/Thome/Belle, and I wish him nothing. I don’t care how he does, or who he does it for.
Simply because it is the largest contract in the history of the Cleveland Indians does not mean it is a fair market value. And it wasn’t the amount per year, it was the unwillingness to add the extra year(s) that Sabathia was looking for. You can’t fault him for striving for security.
@patrick eaton. I said he was a good person. I disagree that he’s a legend. Sorry, I am not afraid to express a dissenting opinion about a Cleveland athlete. I’ve earned that right, by the way. I don’t criticize you for drinking the Homer Cool Aid. Based on your comments, you must have been hoping for Manny to hit the game winning RBI in the ALCS last year. CC gave you something you deserve… another disappointing playoff experience.
Fact. CC choked in the biggest games of his Cleveland career. He went 106-71 with an ERA just under 4.00 in the regular season, and was 0-2 in the playoffs last year with an ERA of 10.45. Those aren’t legendary numbers.
I have no reason to thank any athlete getting paid handsomely to entertain me. He didn’t shovel my driveway, or hold the door for me on his way out of town. He threw a ball, and wore his hat like an ass clown.
Here’s to CC choking (probably on a hot dog) for every other team that signs him.
You know what would ahve been classy? Meaning it when you said “I want to be in Cleveland” instead of meaning “I want Cleveland to pay me the most money.”
I agree, Tim. I think he had us all fooled.. or at least I was.
[…] thing they brought up was the fact that when he left town, Kerry Wood took out a whole page ad (much like our boy CC) in the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times thanking Cubs fans for the support over the years. I […]