CC savors visit to native Bay Area
OAKLAND – The tectonic shift in baseball history that certainly would have ensued if CC Sabathia joined the San Francisco Giants nearly became a reality. Twice.
Sabathia, of course, has no complaints with the way his life unfolded. The left-hander, who has vowed to retire after this season, owns 251 career Major League victories, making him a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate.
But as Sabathia, a native of nearby Vallejo, Calif., savored his final regular-season visit home as an active player, he was asked to recall the Giants’ flirtations with him.
“It would have been cool,” he said of his brushes with the Giants. “But this was the best thing for me. Coming to New York, having a chance to wear the pinstripes -- it’s my dad’s dream, so I’m glad I got a chance to live it out.”
The Giants passed up their first opportunity to secure Sabathia’s services in the 1998 Draft. San Francisco had first-round picks at 19th and 25th. Apparently, the Giants planned to select Sabathia with the latter pick. They spent No. 19 on outfielder Tony Torcato, who made 53 plate appearances in 43 games for the Giants from 2002-05. The Giants never got the chance to draft Sabathia, whom the Indians took with the 20th overall selection. At No. 25, San Francisco settled for right-hander Nate Bump, a reliever who appeared in 113 games for the Marlins from 2003-05.
As a youth, Sabathia frequently pictured himself in a Giants uniform.
“I grew up an A’s fan, but for some reason in high school, I had it in my head that the Giants were going to draft me,” he said. But Sabathia never was approached by an A’s scout, so he shifted his professional ambition toward playing for the Giants.
Sabathia and the Giants waited 10 years to waltz again, when he was among the top free agents available. San Francisco already possessed a formidable starting rotation in 2008 that featured Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, with Madison Bumgarner advancing through the Minors. To enhance this strength, the Giants management seriously considered adding Sabathia. But the Yankees reportedly swept him off his feet by adding a seventh season to the $161 million deal that he ultimately received.
Though Sabathia lives in New Jersey, he plans to return frequently to Vallejo, where his mother and other family members still live. He’ll likely continue his charitable deeds to benefit Vallejo’s youth. On Tuesday, Sabathia visited Vallejo-area elementary schools to donate backpacks to first- and second-grade children. He estimated that he has distributed 50,000 backpacks in 11 years.
“I’ll be back here a lot,” Sabathia said. “We want to keep going and hopefully inspire that next generation.”
In a perfect world, Sabathia would have received a chance to pitch here during this series. But he declined to approach Yankees manager Aaron Boone about the possibility of juggling the rotation to accommodate him.
“It’s [about the] team. He lives that,” Boone said. “And he always has.”
Injury updates
Boone said that right-hander Dellin Betances (shoulder) threw a pair of simulated 16-pitch innings at the Yankees’ Tampa training complex and might throw off a bullpen mound as soon as Friday.
Outfielder Brett Gardner underwent treatment for an ingrown toenail, which recently has limited his availability. Boone believes that Gardner could be ready to play by Thursday.