NEW YORK -- Carsten Sabathia remembers spending summer afternoons in the 1990s glued to a flickering television set, transfixed as MTV's "Rock N' Jock" brought ballplayers, musicians and entertainers together between the white lines for unforgettable -- and frequently hilarious -- softball exhibitions.
Those warm memories bubbled up recently as Sabathia and his wife, Amber, volleyed ideas for a fundraiser to benefit their PitCCh In Foundation. With enthusiastic support from Yankees general partner and vice chairperson Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal, the "CC Sabathia & Friends" Celebrity softball game is set to be played at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.
"When people pick up a baseball bat, it's different," Sabathia said. "It's not like shooting hoops or anything like that. I just want to see all the celebrities; see who can play. I know a guy like A-Rod can play. It's a lot more fun to see these celebrities swing the bat."
Sabathia and Giancarlo Stanton will serve as managers for the game, which begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. Many Yankees will attend in coaching roles, while rosters will be filled out by recognizable sports stars like Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Victor Cruz, Tracy McGrady, Antonio Cromartie, Terrell Owens, Tiki Barber, Charles Oakley, Leonard Fournette, Isaac Rochell, Jamal Adams and Saquon Barkley.

The guest list from the world of entertainment includes Dasha Polanco, A Boogie, Leslie Jones, Rapsody, Action Bronson, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Michael Rapaport, Desus Nice and Christopher Jackson, plus music by DJ Envy. All proceeds from the event will benefit the PitCCh In Foundation and the New York Yankees Foundation.

"Maybe I'll try to get an at-bat," Sabathia said, with a laugh.
The allure of taking the field at Yankee Stadium has kept the Sabathias' cell phones buzzing for weeks; Amber Sabathia serves as the executive director of the PitCCh In Foundation and said that she feels as though she has taken on "the monster of all fundraisers."
"I'm a little stressed right now; like, did I bite off more than I can chew?" she said. "It's going to be fun, but I know that the next two weeks is like, this is my focus. This is what I have to do."
In recent years, Sabathia's foundation has held similar events involving basketball and bowling.
"CC said, 'This may be my last year playing before I retire, and I've always wanted to do a 'Rock N' Jock'- type event,'" Amber Sabathia said. "We never even thought of Yankee Stadium, because it was just not possible. CC even said, 'There's no way they're going to give you Yankee Stadium.'"
They considered the Staten Island Yankees' home stadium and the Heritage Field diamond on the site of the original Yankee Stadium before Amber Sabathia contacted Steinbrenner Swindal and Brian Smith, the team's senior vice president of corporate and community relations. Together, the trio hammered out the details to make the dream venue a reality.
"I was so excited to call CC and tell him I got it," Amber Sabathia said. "I think his response was, 'I'm not going to lie. That's really cool.'"
Tickets in general seating areas range in price from $20 to $100, available online at www.yankees.com/ccsoftball.