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CC Sabathia didn't have to wait long to get inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. While some take a handful of years, and others 10 or more, the 19-year vet punched his ticket to Cooperstown his first year on the ballot after receiving well over the 75% threshold needed to be enshrined forever - 86.8% to be exact.
Though he never played on a team with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Toronto Blue Jays' young phenom took it upon himself to give CC Sabathia some love in his Instagram story. Guerrero paid respect to the lefty for earning such a distinguished honor:
"Congrat bro you deserved that god bless you""
CC Sabathia's career was so lengthy that he managed to pitch against both Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. over the course of his 3,707+ innings, including playoffs. Funny enough, the left-hander owned Sr. limiting him to just five hits and one home run with six strikeouts over 24 at-bats equating to a .208 batting average and .231 on-base percentage.
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The at-bats for Jr. were limited (3), but the younger Guerrero made the most of them in going 2-for-3 with a double and RBI; good for a .667 batting average and trash-talking 1.667 OPS.
CC Sabathia's incredible 2007 campaign
Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing around 300lb for most of his playing career, the left-hander earned the nickname "Big Fella" largely due to his body type and imposing presence on the bump.
But it wasn't just his frame that was big; the stats were also extremely impressive evidenced by the southpaw being inducted into the hall on his first crack.
A six-time All-Star and Cy Young Award winner, CC Sabathia was a menacing hurler in his prime. That 2007 campaign with the then-Cleveland Indians was one for the record books after the lefty went 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA over 241 total innings. Most impressive was his career-best 5.65 strikeout/walk ratio.
While he might not be the first name that comes to mind when fans think of the 3,000-strikeout club, Sabathia's legacy will forever be cemented alongside iconic K artists like Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, and Tom Seaver, for eternity.
