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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES VS ASTROS

October 18, 2019

CC Sabathia

New York, NY - pregame 5

Q. Did you have pain going into yesterday's game and can you just kind of describe what you felt on the mound when that all happened?
CC SABATHIA: Yeah, I had no pain. I've been feeling good the last week, ten days, whatever. Arm has been feeling fresh, everything has been feeling good.

And just that last pitch to Díaz when he popped up, I just felt like when I released the ball, my shoulder kind of went with it. I told Stevie and those guys that I subluxed it before one time when I was really young, first years in the big league. That's kind of what it felt like.

But today it's really sore. So I don't know.

Q. Could you just describe the emotions of coming off the field, the fans are chanting your name, the other team is clapping for you.
CC SABATHIA: Yeah, that was -- I think that's what got me more emotional than actual injury. Just hearing the fans and the way that they were cheering me and it was just -- makes me feel good. Makes me feel like I made the right choice 11 years ago. I love these fans. I love this organization.

It was just awesome to hear that and get that on the way out.

Q. If you did it on that pitch to Díaz, it means you threw three more pitches and then and a warmup pitch. How did you do that and how did it feel?
CC SABATHIA: It felt terrible. I just was hoping Springer swung early. And once I realized this was going to be a long at-bat, I think Stevie came out and we kind of realized that I wasn't going to be able to do it.

When I was throwing those pitches to Springer, I couldn't even look up to see where I was throwing the ball. I was just letting it go and whatever happened, happened.

Q. Could you kind of talk about what you told the guys in the locker room, in the clubhouse there? Are they rallying behind you? What's the mood coming into tonight's game and how has your efforts and all the fortitude that you have shown this season, especially during yesterday, how does that help to rally the team to know that they're going to get a win tonight?
CC SABATHIA: I think the mood in the clubhouse is pretty good. I think we've had our backs against the wall all year. We've dealt with so many injuries, not just myself. That's a tough group in there and our slogan has been: Next man up. We've overcome so many different adversities all throughout the year and been able to get to this point.

So, yeah, we're in a tough spot, backs against the wall, but I feel good about our guys and our chances tonight. Just one game at a time.

Q. I know you didn't want to go out like this obviously, but how would you kind of sum up this kind of being the end for you?
CC SABATHIA: I told Amber last night that this was the best way for it to end for me, because of the way I've been feeling, loving the bullpen, jogging out, feeling pretty good. I feel like about July of next year I'll be like, I think I can pitch.

So knowing that obviously the way I feel now I can't -- I think it's just kind of fitting. I threw until I couldn't anymore.

Q. A lot of players were tweeting out their thoughts to you last night, Joe Girardi was emotional on the network talking about you. What does it mean to see all the players, seeing your former manager coming out and saying all the things they are?
CC SABATHIA: Makes you super emotional. So many texts, tweets, so many things. It's been awesome. It's been good to get that support from my teammates and just fans in general. So, yeah, I mean, I watched Joe last night get emotional, got some texts from some guys, and a lot of emotional. But it's all good stuff.

Yeah, it's just an honor and a blessing.

Q. I know you're kind of on your own time frame right now, is there surgery, what's the prognosis for you?
CC SABATHIA: We don't know. Just kind of wait. Maybe get an MRI after we get back from Houston and just see.

Q. How much pain were you in last night and how much pain are you in now compared to the usual pain you put up with the last few years?
CC SABATHIA: I was in a pretty good amount of pain last night and today. Waking up, I didn't sleep that good. I don't know what I did but it's pretty sore and the pain has been pretty intense since that pitch.

Q. Aaron Boone and a lot of your teammates spoke after the game about having watched you and the effort that was required for you to pitch and all the health issues that you worked through. Now that it's over can you give some context about how much effort it did require you to get ready to pitch given the issues you're dealing with?
CC SABATHIA: Yeah, for bullpens, game days, any time I had to get on the mound it was a two-and-a-half hour process, from hot tub to training room to weight room, different treatments and things like that. I would throw a 15-pitch bullpen and take me two and a half hours to get out there. That's the part of it that sucks.

And as you get older, that's the part I used to laugh at Andy Pettitte about, and now I'm going through it or went through it. But it's just part of it. And it's rough. But it makes it all worth it when you can get out there.

Q. What is the message to the fans? This is the end of your career. You said this is the end. And Aaron Hicks called it a Hall-of-Fame career.
CC SABATHIA: Message to the fans will be just thank you. It's been an amazing 11 years. I've loved every minute of it here in the Bronx, and really worldwide, Yankee universe is worldwide. I've enjoyed being a part of it, so thank you.

Q. Just wondering, what did Amber say when you brought up the idea of pitching next year?
CC SABATHIA: She just laughed. But she knows it's true because the way I've been feeling the last couple of days, the last ten days or whatever, yeah, that had been on my mind.

Q. What is ahead for you? What do you think you'll be doing this time next year?
CC SABATHIA: Hopefully here watching playoff games. Definitely hanging out with the family, continue to do my podcast, and just see whatever happens.

Q. Two different things. One was it didn't seem like you were warming up while Ottavino was pitching last night. Were you saving bullets or were you already feeling something and you didn't want to throw out there? And the other thing is, on a different subject, you, like Cole and Verlander now, kind of gave your arm pitching a certain way through the majority of your career as a starting horse. Do you appreciate that even now as it probably cost you your arm on the back end?
CC SABATHIA: Yeah, the first question, I just warm up fast. Like, I was ready. And I knew I had to run in. So I was just sitting down waiting to get called in to make that run. But it doesn't take me that long to warm up.

I feel fine. I felt totally fine, I felt great until that one pitch. I warm up pretty quick and I was ready to go. Probably I think the second hitter that he was throwing to I was ready.

Q. (No microphone.)
CC SABATHIA: Yeah, it is what it is. That's what I signed up to do. Pitch as long as I could and as hard as I could and take the ball every time out. Yeah, I have no regrets at all.

Q. When we've asked you periodically during the season to look back on your career you've said, I'm focused on this team, winning, getting to October, I'll reflect later. Can you look back on this season? Is there one thing that stands out to you about it?
CC SABATHIA: I think when I look back on this season I think just the way we dealt with adversity. For such a young team, so many guys going down. This season could have been over a long time ago. The way we fought, the Gio Urshelas, the Mike Tauchmans, the way the guys stepped up and we won the division with not really having our A lineup out there every day.

So just the way these guys fought, the adversity, how tough they are, is what I'll take away from this team. And going forward I know they'll be fine just because of what we went through this year.

Q. Did the bone actually pop out of the socket? Did they have to put it back in? What was the whole procedure there?
CC SABATHIA: That's why I said I don't know if it actually subluxed or whatever happened, but when I did the test back there it was back in the socket. But we haven't had any MRIs or any further tests to see what actually happened.

Q. You're a guy that's obviously pitched through a lot of discomfort and pain the last few years. Where does that mindset come from? Is that something that was taught to you, that you adopted yourself?
CC SABATHIA: I think it was just something that just watching different guys, getting a chance to watch Chuck Finley at the end of his career, beginning of my career, Dave Burba, just the way those guys grinded through games, and the way they took the ball every time out, how tough they were. I just kind of wanted to be that. And having those kind of examples just kind of led to me wanting to take the ball no matter what.

Q. I know that going back a few years that epic run you had in Milwaukee was so inspirational for so many people and yet you were going to be a free agent and during that time anytime it could have ended, like last night, you could have thrown your arm out. I know you said you don't have any regrets over your whole career. Looking back on that over the years since, was there ever moments where you said, man, I was crazy or how many people told you you were crazy?
CC SABATHIA: Everybody told me I was crazy. But, no, I wish I could have pitched three more times. That team was so good. We were having so much fun. I got traded over there and felt like, I said this a bunch of times, I felt like I had been there ten years. That clubhouse was so much fun. I was healthy, felt fine and wanted to get us to the playoffs. No, I have -- I would have took the ball as many times as it required to help that team win.

Q. When you answered Buster's question, that routine you described doesn't sound like any fun whatsoever. What made it fun for you?
CC SABATHIA: Being able to get out there, being able to pitch and be out there with the guys. What it's about for me is being able to go out there and compete no matter what I had to do in the clubhouse to get out there I'm going to try to do it and be out there with the guys and give everything I have.

Q. What was your favorite part of pitching, the act of pitching, itself?
CC SABATHIA: I mean just, you know, even just last night, just being out there, you know. I kind of felt -- I always felt like being the pitcher of the game, stopped and started on me. And I kind of felt like I was in control all the time and that was just the best part about it is 50,000 people in the Bronx and shit don't start until I'm ready, so that was the best part (laughter).

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