"For most franchises, this sort of thing is cause for celebration and the warm embrace of nostalgia. But this is the Yankees we're talking about, and so of course fans and media members managed to turn it into one more thing to yell at each other over."
"CC Sabathia was a great player in NY, pivotal to 2009 WS title .. should be universally respected and praised for his time in NY .. but you can't convince me that his number should be retired"
"As a Yankee fan for my entire 34 years on this Earth, it's hard to think of someone who more embodied everything I want this franchise to memoralize."
The New York Yankees announced they will retire CC Sabathia's No. 52 jersey during the 2026 season, with a ceremony scheduled for September 26 and a plaque to be placed in Monument Park. While this announcement should be celebratory, it has generated significant debate among fans and media. Critics argue that Sabathia, though beloved and instrumental in the 2009 World Series victory, did not achieve the level of greatness typically associated with retired numbers in Monument Park, home to legends like Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, and DiMaggio. Supporters counter that Sabathia's contributions extended beyond statistics, embodying the values the franchise should memorialize. His on-field performance from 2009 onward established him as one of baseball's premier workhorses during his tenure with the team.
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