CC Sabathia’s final moments on a Major League mound summed up his career. In a playoff game against the Astros, Sabathia injured his shoulder and tried to pitch through it. With the bases loaded, he threw three more pitches after dislocating his shoulder before the Yankees’ training staff came out and pulled him. He had spent that season battling knee and shoulder pain but kept going to help his team. When the injury finally forced him off the field, Yankee Stadium stood up to cheer—a rare moment of appreciation during a tough night.
Sabathia ends his career with 3,000 strikeouts, over 250 wins, and the third-most strikeouts ever by a left-handed pitcher. He dominated for a full decade and stayed on the mound long after most pitchers would have walked away. His last outing wasn’t about stats or results. It was about showing exactly who he was—a competitor who refused to quit until his body gave out.