We're here in Tokyo, Japan, and we're joined right now by a man that was one of the greatest left handers of his generation. We actually have two of them in one dome, Clayton Kershaw and our guest C. C. Sabbathia ce Cee. Thanks a lot for the time, appreciate it.
Oh, no problem. Thank you. Great to have you here.
And I know you've been such a big part of the ambassadorship of Major League Baseball with Commissioner Manfred.
Yeah, I mean, you know, it started the program about three years ago now, commissioned Ambassador's program. And you know myself, Andrew Jones, Adam Jones, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, you know, just some guys that you know, love the game of baseball, you know, gave their life, you know, most of their young life to baseball and just want to be around the game. So it's fun to be here in Japan, you know, witnessing opening day, you know, taking this in baseball.
Well you mentioned those names, and those of us that have been around the Dodgers for a while, we were all traumatizing those nine Phillies back together here.
Yeah, I mean, you know, you got Victorino you got Brian, you got Jimmy.
I mean, that's that's the core of that team. Right.
Goodness, at least not here, right.
Cee Cee.
What's it like for you now that you are a Hall of Famer. I know you haven't had the induction ceremony yet, but do you feel different when you walk around these baseball circles?
No, I mean I still feel the same.
You know, it hasn't I guess it hasn't probably really sunk it in yet because the ceremony hasn't hit you know, in the moment, you know, it was incredible weak, you know, having a chance to get inducted and then go up to Cooperstown and you know, go to Cooperstown as a Hall of Famer, that was a special thing. But you know, I'm sure after July, you know, I'll feel more, you know, like a Hall of Famer.
I saw you yesterday around the batting cage talking to Clayton Kershaw. He will join you one day in Cooperstown. What's the relationship that you had with Clayton when you were pitching and is there a mutual respect?
Oh? Yeah, it's definitely a mutual respect.
I mean, you know, obviously watching from edistance for a long time, never really got a chance to interact though, obviously playing on different codes, but being able to appreciate, you know, what he's done for so long, you know, in the big leagues. I'm excited, you know, I'm excited for him to get three thousand strikeouts, get healthy, and you know, enjoy, you know, just right off into the sunset.
Since you're both lefties and both great pitchers, the greatest of your generation. When you would watch him pitch, was there anything that reminded him reminding you of yourself?
Well, I just think the competitiveness, you know, just wanting to go out and take the ball and give your team a chance to win every time out. That was something that I prided myself on, and I feel like he did the same thing.
Cecy. With all these numbers and you know dissection of you know, pitches, doesn't it come down to that. Isn't that what separates the great ones that can be consistent and sustain a career, the competitiveness just compete every pitch, every at bat.
Yeah, I think so.
I mean I think that's what That's what defined my career. You know, it wasn't one pitch It wasn't you know, you know, any special pitch that I had or anything like that. It was just me wanting to go and get my team a chance to win every single time out. And you know that that ended up being, you know, a career worthy enough in coopers to be in Cooperstown. So I think just going out and competing is something that's lost definitely in a lot of certain pitchers.
That great baritone voice you're listening to is Hall of Famer C. C.
Sabbathia.
I feel like when you were traded to the Brewers, that was one of the greatest competitive moments I have ever witnessed. You were on the verge of free agency, yet you were trying to get the Brewers into the playoffs and try to advance in the postseason. What drove you to put aside the business of baseball to be able to take the ball within a three day period.
I think, just want to win.
You know, I've always you know, wanted to be a winner, and you know, having a chance to go to Milwaukee and realizing that team hadn't been the playoffs. I think in twenty six years, you know, especially, we had a good group, you know, Ricky Ricky Weeks was on that team, Billy Hall, Craig Council was on that team, Mike Cameron, so Gwyn j Prince fielder. So it was. It was a fun group to be around. I just didn't want
the season the end. You know, Ben Sheets had went down with he had a shoulder injury, so you know, I felt like the best opportunity for us to win was me taking the ball as many times I had to, and I felt healthy and felt good and was just wanting to go out and win ball games for the team.
Man, that was so special. I'll never forget it.
I really won't.
CC Sabbathia Hall of Famer is our guest before I let you go. The Dodgers are trying to do something that the Yankees did twenty five years ago, to win back to back championships. When you look at this team and everybody's talking about already the World Series, you've had those expectations on you. What's the biggest key for these group of stars.
I think just staying healthy. It seems like the culture here is really good. Seems like the guys get along, they root for each other, They're pulling the rope in the right direction. The same direction. But I think it's just about saying healthy. They have so much pitching here that these guys can stay healthy, it's going to be really tough to beat them.
Low key.
The offense kind of helped them win the World Series last year.
Yeah, oh yeah, absolutely, But defense wins championships.
Last night we saw that, right, They won that game with a really good defense, good base running, good approaches.
Yeah.
Absolutely, I mean, you know, with the arms and the pitching that they have, you know, top to bottom, from starters to the bullpen, they're gonna be really hard to beat.
Awesome meeting you for the first time. I've admired you from AFAR. Like I said, what you did in Milwaukee one of the greatest stretches of time a pitcher in the last thirty years has ever performed. And you deserve the Hall of Fame no matter where you pitched, no matter what city you pitched in. Just that type of competitiveness and love for the game really stands out CC And it's been a pleasure speaking with you.
Thank you.
I appreciate that, And that's all I wanted my career to convey was just going out being a good teammate and trying to, you know, compete every time out