Sabathia to Work on Player Relations, The Players Alliance Partnership, And Special MLB Network Game Telecasts
April 6th, 2022
Major League Baseball announced today that CC Sabathia has been named Special Assistant to the Commissioner in a new role developed specifically for him that will address areas important to the future of the sport, including player relations, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, social responsibility, youth participation, and broadcasting.
Sabathia will work closely with the Commissioner’s Office staff on a variety of high priority league initiatives. The Vallejo, California native will bring his perspective as a 19-year MLB veteran to the Commissioner’s Office where he will be a liaison between MLB and active Major League players to collaborate on special efforts to help grow, and promote equity within, the game of baseball.
Sabathia will help execute new initiatives with MLB’s partnership with The Players Alliance, where he is Vice President of the Board of Directors. The Players Alliance is a nonprofit formed in 2020 to address barriers to equity and inclusion in the game of baseball. Through his work with the group, Sabathia has actively engaged both active and retired players to ascertain the best methods for increasing opportunity and representation of Black talent on and off the field.
The six-time All-Star also will continue to collaborate with MLB Network on its Clubhouse Edition telecasts where Sabathia joins former players to call the action in a non-traditional format, a concept Sabathia was involved in creating and developing last season. The former southpaw joined all four Clubhouse telecasts on MLB Network with former players to announce the games in a more conversational way and casual setting.
“We are excited to have CC Sabathia join the Commissioner’s Office to work on some of our most important initiatives,” said Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “We welcome CC’s positive energy, strong character, creative mind, and civic-minded approach in building on our efforts to strengthen the game, diversify the sport, and give back to the community. CC has a powerful voice in Baseball and we value the perspective he will bring to our office.”
“I’m looking forward to sharing my viewpoint as a former Major League player with the Commissioner’s Office,” said Sabathia. “I want to be able to continue to give back to the game that I love so much. This new role gives me the opportunity to continue the work I’m passionate about, be an advocate for players and be able to contribute to the decision-making process of the league office after 19 years on the field. I can’t wait to get started.”
Sabathia, who will be based in MLB’s midtown Manhattan headquarters, joins a group of former MLB players working in the Commissioner’s Office including Raúl Ibañez, Billy Bean, Rajai Davis, Gregor Blanco, Joe Martinez, Dan Otero, and Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. (Special Assistant to the Commissioner) and Cal Ripken Jr. (Special Advisor to the Commissioner).
Sabathia retired in 2019 as only the third left-hander in Major League history to register 3,000 career strikeouts. The 6’6” hurler also recorded 251 wins, earned the 2007 American League Cy Young Award, and was the 2009 ALCS MVP as the ace of the New York Yankees’ most-recent World Series title team. MLB honored Sabathia at the 2019 All-Star Game in Cleveland, where he started his career and pitched from 2001-08, for his contributions to the game and community.
In 2009, CC and his wife Amber founded the “PitCCh In” Foundation to enrich the lives of inner-city children by raising their self-esteem and improving their chances of success through sports and education. Since its inception, PitCCh In has donated more than 50,000 backpacks with back-to-school essentials for deserving children and multiple baseball field renovations. The Sabathias have also personally supported numerous philanthropic organizations and worthwhile causes, including the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Toys for Tots, the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.) and many others.
