CC Sabathia no longer needs to look at Monument Park to remember the legends that made history with the Yankees. From now on, he is also a permanent part of that group.
New York officially withdrew number 52 of the former pitcher and revealed a plaque in his honor during an emotional ceremony at Yankee Stadium. Surrounded by relatives, former colleagues and important figures of the organization, Sabathia experienced one of the most significant recognitions of a career that had already taken him to the Hall of Fame.
For the left-hander, the moment had a particularly profound meaning. When he arrived in New York in 2009 there were doubts about how he would adapt to the pressure of playing for the Yankees. Seventeen years later, their number was placed forever along with some of the most important names in the history of the franchise.
CC Sabathia number 52 is already part of Monument Park
Sabathia became the 24th Yankees player or leader to receive the honor of having his retired number. It is the first since the organization withdrew Paul O'Neill number 21 in 2022.
The tribute included the presentation of his plaque at Monument Park and the definitive withdrawal of number 52, which will no longer be used by another Yankees player.
The ceremony had originally been scheduled for Saturday, September 26, but the forecast of a strong weather system forced the calendar to be reorganized. The Yankees moved the event to Friday, before the first game of the double billboard against Baltimore.
Interestingly, the plaque presented during the ceremony retains the original date of September 26, 2026, a small detail that will remain forever linked to a day that ended up being held one day ahead of schedule.
Derek Jeter and former companions accompanied Sabathia
The organization brought together several figures who shared Clubhouse with Sabathia during their time in New York.
Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Dellin Betances and Chris Young were present on the ground during the tribute. Messages from other Yankees-related figures were also screened, including Jorge Posada, Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams and former leader Joe Girardi.
Sabathia was accompanied by his wife Amber, his mother Margie and members of his family as he walked the field and observed how the number he used throughout his time in the Bronx officially became part of the history of the stadium.
As part of the tribute, the Yankees gave him a commemorative jacket, a framed reproduction of his plaque and his retired number, as well as a special ring for his career with the organization.
of the Great Contract of 2009 to become a legend of the Yankees
When Sabathia signed with the Yankees before the 2009 season, New York opted for him to become the leader of a new rotation. The seven-year, $161 million contract represented at that time the largest deal awarded to a free agent launcher.
The investment had immediate results. Sabathia became the ace of a rotation that led New York to the 2009 World Series, where the Yankees won the 27th championship in their history.
That title ended up being just the beginning of a relationship that lasted for 11 seasons.
With the Yankees uniform, Sabathia finished with a 134-88 record, a 3.81 ERA and 1,700 strikeouts in 307 games, 306 of them as a starter. Beyond the statistics, he became one of the most respected figures within the clubhouse and a bridge between different generations of the team.
Sabathia joins his fellow 2009 champions
The retreat of the number 52 also strengthens the place occupied by the champion team of 2009 within the modern history of the franchise.
Sabathia became the fifth member of that team to receive a retired number and a plaque in Monument Park, joining Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada.
For a player who came to the Bronx with doubts about how he would be received by one of the most demanding fans in baseball, finishing with those names represents an extraordinary transformation.
Sabathia was not just the pitcher that New York needed to win a World Series again. Over the years it became a reference within the Clubhouse, a leader for young players and a figure deeply identified with the organization.
A recognition that Sabathia places even above the Hall of Fame
Sabathia entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025, but the Yankees tribute had a different meaning for him.
The former pitcher explained that when he decided to sign with New York he was not sure he could conquer fans or fully adapt to the city. Precisely for this reason, now seeing his number within Yankee Stadium represents the definitive confirmation that he ended up making the Bronx his home.
Sabathia has come to describe this recognition as something even more special than Cooperstown due to everything that was at stake when he made the decision to become Yankee.
Your Hall of Fame plaque already carries the New York logo. Now the Yankee Stadium will also have a permanent sign of its passage through the franchise.
52 is forever linked to CC Sabathia
The ceremony ended with another familiar moment. Sabathia performed the ceremonial launch and had as a receiver his son Carsten, who is currently part of the Milwaukee Brewers organization in the minor leagues.
It was an image that summed up a day full of memories: the same man who arrived in New York in 2009 with the responsibility of helping to change the course of the Yankees returned to the mound years later to see how his number was immortalized.
Sabathia already had a championship, All-Star appearances, 1,700 strikeouts with the Yankees, and a place in Cooperstown.
Now it has something that only a very small group has achieved in more than a century of history of the franchise.
The number 52 no longer belongs solely to the uniform used by CC Sabathia. From now on, he is a permanent part of Yankee Stadium and the history of the New York Yankees.