This is Your Life: CC Sabathia

Carsten Charles 'CC' (or C.C. if you prefer) Sabathia was born in Vallejo, California (in the Oakland area) on July 21, 1980. He stands 6'7", and is listed at 290 pounds, which would make him the second heaviest pitcher in Yankee history.

He graduated from Vallejo High School where he was a three sport star (baseball, basketball and football), compiling sick stats as a pitcher: 46.2 ip, 14 h, 82 k, 0.77 ERA. He also played first-base and left-field.

He nearly pursued football (as a tight end), receiving scholarships from USC and Hawaii (where he actually signed a letter of intent to).

Sabathia entered the amateur draft after high school and was selected 20th overall by the Indians, getting a $1.3 million signing bonus. (A year in which the first overall pick was Pat Burrell and the Yankees selected outfielder Andy Brown.) He was assigned to the Burlington (North Carolina) Indians at age 17 and pitched 18 innings, striking out 35.

Sabathia made his major league debut on April 8, 2001 (starting against Baltimore: 5.2 ip, 3 er), and was the first player born in the 80's to play in the majors. He had a very solid rookie season: 180.1 ip, 4.39 era, and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting (to Ichiro).

He made his first All-Star team in 2003 at the age of 22.

He's been on the disabled list twice in his career, once in 2005 and again in 2006 (15-day each time, both with a strained oblique).

Sabathia won the Cy Young Award in 2007, finishing with a 19-7 record, 241 ip, 209 k, 3.21 ERA and a 1.14 whip. He would have won the award again if he hadn't been traded mid-season, having an even better year: 17-10, 253 ip, 251 k, 2.70 ERA, 1.12 whip. He's probably the best free agent pitcher since Randy Johnson in 1998.

The best game of his career was on August 31 of this year, when he threw a complete game, one hitter against Pittsburgh.

However, he has not fared well in the playoffs, earning a 7.92 ERA in (an admittedly small sample of) 25 innings. As if that wasn't bad enough, he's fared progressively worse each year.

Sabathia married his wife (and high school sweetheart) Amber Williams in 2003, and has three children: CC the third, a daughter, Jaeden Arie, and a newborn. In the offseason he resides in Fairfield, California, near Vallejo.

His favorite New York restaurant is Tao (located on East 58 St.), a great place if I don't say so myself. Get the lunch special though.