Connect with us

Sports

‘That’s for you, b—’: Why Yankees great CC Sabathia was a Hall of Fame teammate

Published

on

‘That’s for you, b—’: Why Yankees great CC Sabathia was a Hall of Fame teammate

New York Yankees catcher Austin Romine was buckling his shinguards in the dugout when he heard a booming voice and immediately looked up.

It was CC Sabathia. He was pissed.

“First dude,” Sabathia said.

It was Sept. 27, 2018. Sabathia was set on revenge against the Tampa Bay Rays, after reliever Andrew Kittredge aimed a 93-mph fastball at Romine’s head and narrowly missed in the top of the sixth inning with the New York Yankees ahead, 7-0, at Tropicana Field.

He decided he was going to hit catcher Jesús Sucre to lead off the bottom of the inning to send a message. He was going to do it even it meant getting ejected and finishing the season just short of a contract incentive that would have netted him $500,000.

Advertisement

Aware of the pending payday, Romine briefly tried talking Sabathia out of it. He knew Sabathia started the game needing to throw seven innings for the bonus, and the lefty was two innings shy.

“Nope,” Sabathia said, walking away. “First dude.”


On Tuesday, the Baseball Hall of Fame will announce whether Sabathia has earned first-ballot enshrinement.

When voters from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America contemplated Sabathia’s resume, they weighed all the stats and accolades. They considered that he was the ace when the Yankees won the World Series in 2009, a feat the team hasn’t accomplished since. They noted his 2007 American League Cy Young Award with the Cleveland Guardians, plus his 3,093 strikeouts, 251 wins and six All-Star appearances over his 19-year career. And some likely were still awed that Sabathia saved the Milwaukee Brewers’ 2008 playoff run by making each of his final three starts of the season on three days rest.

What the voters couldn’t quantify, however, was the outsized impact he had on his teammates and the respect he garnered throughout the game.

Advertisement

Never was that more on display on a public stage than in Sabathia’s last start of 2018.

After Sabathia forfeited the half-a-million dollar bonus by plunking Sucre on the butt and getting thrown out, he pointed to Kittredge in the Rays’ dugout and TV cameras could read his lips:

“That’s for you, bitch.”

At the time, it seemed like a shocking move. He had thrown just 54 pitches over five innings, and he was cruising, dotting his signature slider on both sides of the plate and handcuffing righties with the cut fastball that resurrected him late in his career. He wasn’t going to get another chance in the regular season to reach the incentive.

Advertisement

But to Romine and to manager Aaron Boone, it wasn’t a surprise.

All game, the Rays had chirped from their dugout at Sabathia for pitching inside and then hitting Jake Bauers on the hand.

When Romine collapsed to the dirt to avoid Kittredge’s fastball, he had a simple question to the catcher Sucre: “Why?”

For Sabathia, there was no question what had to happen next. He had to protect his teammates, even if home plate umpire Vic Carapazza already had issued warnings to both dugouts.

As Romine dusted himself off, Sabathia left the Yankees’ dugout to shout at the Rays. Boone held him back, walking him to the dugout.

Advertisement

In the process, Boone asked Sabathia not to retaliate. He knew it was a futile request.

“I remember being like, ‘Yeah, let’s not have him throw at anyone here,’ and knowing in my head that I don’t think he’s listening to me in this spot,” Boone said.

The fastball Sabathia hit Sucre with was 92.5 mph — the fastest pitch he threw all night.

“It speaks volumes to the old school baseball player he was, and the kind of baseball player he came up with,” Romine said. “No one is throwing at your guys, especially at the head. I think that really set something off in him. I’m never going to say it was about me. It was about his team. It was about his catcher and about his team being thrown at, and he’s been the guy to protect his team throughout his career. You’re throwing at the nine-hole backup catcher, and that’s one thing. You’re not going to throw at the three-hole, four-hole hitters.”

“That’s the type of guy you want to go to battle with,” Aaron Judge said at the time.

Advertisement

“I don’t really make decisions based on money, I guess,” Sabathia said after the 12-1 win. “I just felt like it was the right thing to do.”

Romine played parts of eight seasons as Sabathia’s teammate. He said Sabathia was a de facto captain in the Yankees’ clubhouse, and that the respect Sabathia received from his opponents was unlike anything he’d ever seen.

“He’s still the only guy ever where, generally, leadoff hitters come over and they tip their hat to the opposing manager,” Romine said. “Well, they would do that, and CC would be sitting on that water cooler, and the leadoff hitter would tip their hat to CC. It was funny to watch.”

“He’s getting ready to go to the Hall of Fame because of his excellence on the mound and the numbers he put up and the things he did,” Boone said. “But I think you’d be hard pressed to find somebody that he ever played with that probably didn’t have him near the top of their all-time teammate list. He’s such a connector. Easy to relate to. Easy to talk to. Made you feel important. Lived for the team over his own personal stuff.

“The great ones that are like that, and Judgey is like that a little bit too. I feel like there’s an underlying confidence that they know that they are going to get theirs and do well. So they don’t really even care about it. It’s about winning and the team, and they live it. CC lived it over and over again.”

Advertisement

At the end of the season, the Yankees gave Sabathia the bonus even though the ejection meant he came up just short.

“Grand scheme of things,” Boone said, “and the career he had, the $500,000 — it didn’t matter to him. Just didn’t matter. His first thing was being a teammate — being a great teammate. The competitive part of things.

“In the end, it just added to the legend of CC.”

(Top photo of Sabathia after his ejection against the Rays in September 2018: Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Advertisement

Sports

Russell Wilson not thinking about retirement, plans to play in 2026: ‘I know what I’m capable of’

Published

on

Russell Wilson not thinking about retirement, plans to play in 2026: ‘I know what I’m capable of’

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Russell Wilson went from starting quarterback of the New York Giants to third string just a few weeks into the 2025 season, leaving many to question if the 10-time Pro Bowler decides to play next season.

Wilson, 37, doesn’t sound like he’s mulling over his decision. He wants to play in 2026.

“I’m not blinking,” Wilson said, per SNY. “I know [what] I’m capable of. I think I showed that in Dallas, and I want to be able to do that again, you know, and just be ready to rock and roll, and be as healthy as possible and be ready to play ball.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Advertisement

New York Giants’ Russell Wilson attempts to escape a sack by Dallas Cowboys defensive end James Houston (53) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.  (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

Wilson signed a one-year, veteran minimum deal with the Giants this past offseason worth $10.5 million, which had tons of incentives if he were to play the entire season.

That same offseason, the Giants traded back into the first round to select Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss, and he proved during training camp to have NFL-ready chops under center.

GIANTS STICK WITH GM JOE SCHOEN DESPITE ANOTHER LOSING SEASON, CITING NEED FOR ‘CONTINUITY AND STABILITY’

Still, then-head coach Brian Daboll was steadfast in his decision to start Wilson despite Dart’s success. But, after just three games, where the Giants went 0-3, a change was made.

Advertisement

Daboll went with Dart in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers at home, and the rookie defeated Justin Herbert and company to not only get his first career win, but cement himself as the team’s starter moving forward.

Even then, Wilson remained positive, saying in interviews after practice that he understands the direction of the team and wanted to help Dart develop and grow in his new role.

New York Giants’ Russell Wilson, left, and Jaxson Dart, right, talk on the bench in the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.  (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

In his three starts for the Giants, Wilson threw for 831 yards with three touchdowns to three interceptions, though all of those touchdowns came in a Week 2 overtime heartbreaker for New York. Over half of Wilson’s passing yards also came in that game, throwing for 450 in the 40-37 loss.

Wilson also said that he tore his hamstring during that game against the Cowboys.

Advertisement

“I played that game, you know, I tore my hamstring on Friday in practice – the last play of practice. And I had a Grade 2 (tear). I couldn’t tell anybody. I had to go and play on it just because I knew the circumstance, I had to play on it, no matter what,” Wilson explained.

“I actually ended up going to the Dallas Mavericks’ facility, training. And you know, just kept it quiet, just trying to get treatment on it and just knowing that I probably couldn’t run from the goal line to the 10-yard line if I wanted to, but I feel like… I got to play this game.”

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scans the field at the line against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. (Rich Barnes/Imagn Images)

It will be interesting to see if Wilson will land anywhere, and better yet, if a team is willing to try him out as a starter again.

Advertisement

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Can Ravens’ Tyler Loop rebound from missed kick better than Scott Norwood or Mike Vanderjagt?

Published

on

Can Ravens’ Tyler Loop rebound from missed kick better than Scott Norwood or Mike Vanderjagt?

Those who snub Father Time like to say that 50 is the new 30. A different Father — Benedictine priest Maximilian Maxwell— sprinkled holy water in the end zone before his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday with the AFC North title on the line.

Fifty is the new 30 also applies to field goals. More than 70% of kicks over 50 yards are successful these days, a dramatic increase in accuracy from only five years ago. Excuse Maxwell for thinking divine intervention might be necessary should a last-second missed kick determine the outcome.

A 44-yarder is a chip shot for most NFL kickers, including Ravens rookie Tyler Loop, who had made 90% of his attempts — including eight of eight from 40-49 yards — when the ball was snapped with three seconds to play and Baltimore trailing 26-24.

Two words coined when Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard attempt that cost the Buffalo Bills Super Bowl XXV in 1991 once again were screamed on a television broadcast: “Wide right!”

Another memorable miss came from a kicker regarded as the best in the NFL 20-some years ago. Brash, outspoken Mike Vanderjagt of the Indianapolis Colts led the league in scoring in 1999 and four years later became the first kicker in history to make every kick in a full season: 83 of 83 on field goals and extra points.

Advertisement

Yet he botched a boot with 21 seconds to play during a playoff game in 2006, enabling the Steelers to upset the Colts. Pittsburgh went on to win the Super Bowl and Vanderjagt was replaced by Adam Vinatieri. He never regained his form.

Here’s hoping Loop rebounds better than Vanderjagt or Norwood, who was released a year after the historic miss and never played again. Loop was All Pac-12 in 2023 at Arizona, where he holds records for longest field goal (62 yards) and success rate (83.75%). He was the Wildcats’ GOAT before becoming the Ravens’ goat.

Loop, 24, didn’t duck the media, leaving the impression that he won’t let this failure define him.

“Just want to say I’m super grateful to Baltimore, the organization and the city, just how they embraced me this year has been incredible,” he said. “Just for it to end like that, sucks, and I want to do better.

“Unfortunately, the nature of the job is you have makes, and those are awesome, and unfortunately, you have misses, and for that to happen tonight sucks.”

Advertisement

The specialized nature of kickers can place them on the periphery of team bonding, but Loop’s teammates and coaches were supportive in the aftermath of the season-ending loss.

Coach John Harbaugh walked alongside Loop from the field to the locker room, with his arm around his back comforting him. Quarterback Lamar Jackson downplayed the impact, telling reporters, “He’s a rookie, you know. It’s all good. Just leave it in the past.”

Only time will tell whether Loop can do just that.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Raiders dismiss longtime NFL head coach Pete Carroll after one season

Published

on

Raiders dismiss longtime NFL head coach Pete Carroll after one season

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Longtime NFL head coach and Super Bowl champion Pete Carroll was fired after just one season with the Las Vegas Raiders, the team announced Monday. 

The 74-year-old coach said after Sunday’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs that he “of course” would want to return for another season. But owner Mark Davis had different plans for the former Seattle Seahawks coach. 

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll jogs on the field during a timeout in the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

“The Las Vegas Raiders have relieved Pete Carroll of his duties as head coach. We appreciate and wish him and his family all the best,” Davis said in a statement provided by the team. 

Advertisement

“Moving forward, General Manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach. Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals.”

The move marks a period of instability for the Raiders organization as they begin their third straight year on the hunt for a new coach. 

Carroll, who won the Super Bowl with then-Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in 2014, was brought in with the hopes of bringing that same playoff magic to the Raiders after the team dismissed Antonio Pierce. 

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll watches his team warm up before an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Advertisement

BROWNS FIRE HEAD COACH KEVIN STEFANSKI AFTER SIX SEASONS

Pierce was also fired after just one season – he served as the interim head coach in 2023, after Josh McDaniels was fired midseason. 

But Carroll wasn’t able to live up to those expectations.  

The Raiders went on a 10-game losing streak, Geno Smith finished with a league-high 17 interceptions and for the second season, the Raiders finished at the bottom of the AFC West with a 3-14 record.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The game was played in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Advertisement

Carroll was animated after the team closed out the season with a 14-12 win over the Chiefs, but was immediately met in his postgame presser with questions about wanting to come back the following season and reports of retirement. 

“Nobody’s talking to me about that,” he dismissed at the time.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

 The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Advertisement

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending