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Former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia is gearing up for his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in July, an honor that pays tribute to his illustrious 19-season career.
“I’m super excited to get up there, and just see all my teammates,” he tells Parents, adding, “I still talk to a lot of my former teammates. When you win a championship with a group of guys, you’re pretty much family for life.”
Since walking off the field in 2019, the legendary player has been enjoying the perks of retirement.
“I play a lot of golf, get the chance to watch the Yankees with no stress, and just hang out with my family,” says Sabathia, who partnered with Xyzal to combat spring allergies. “It’s good fun.”
The dad of four—Carsten Charles III, 21, Jaden Arie, 19, Cyia, 16, and Carter, 14—says getting to spend more time with his family was a big reason he was ready to say goodbye to professional baseball. Naturally, his sons picked up baseball, and retirement has allowed him to cheer more often on the sidelines.
“I got a chance to retire when my oldest son was a sophomore, so I got to watch him in high school. And now my youngest is 14, so he’s getting ready to go through his journey,” he says. “It was perfect timing to be able to be home and watch them in their journey with sports.”
On top of that, he’s also a dance dad. “My oldest daughter is in college now, so her career is over, but my youngest daughter is still in high school, and they have a really good, competitive team,” he says. “I get into it. I really love it.”
Sabathia’s interest in youth sports doesn’t end with his family. He’s been helping inner-city children achieve their sports dreams for over a decade through his PitCCh In Foundation, and is making much-needed changes in youth sports.
Xyzal
As someone who suffers from seasonal allergies, Sabathia partnered with Xyzal, a collaboration he says made perfect sense for him. “When I was playing, the Yankees had doctors that would give me shots,” he says of his allergies. “When you retire, you don’t have that, so you gotta take care of it on your own. Xyzal’s been huge for that.”
Passing on Sports Lessons
The 6-foot-6 left-hander, who grew up in Vallejo, California, had a long career—he played for the Cleveland Guardians from 2001 to 2008 and the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008, before heading to the New York Yankees in 2009 until 2019.
Sabathia, who captured a World Series title in 2009, knows all about the pressures that can come from playing sports. It’s a big issue for youth in particular. About 70% of kids drop out of sports by age 13, according to a 2024 report American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). A top reason is the high-pressure environment that can lead to burnout and a loss of enjoyment.
The former MLB player and his wife, baseball agent Amber Sabathia, made it a point to keep sports fun for their kids. “My wife and I made sure they knew it’s not life or death, that they go out and just have a good time, and the pressure comes later,” the six-time All-Star explains.
They also worked to instill in them a healthy relationship with winning and losing. “You have to learn how to lose. It’s a game that’s based on failure. If you get a hit three out of 10 times, that’s great,” he says of his kids playing baseball. “It’s just about managing expectations. The process of being the athlete, the process of getting ready for a game, is actually bigger than the result.”
Sabathia, who now works for the MLB as a special assistant to the Commissioner, is giving the same grace to his former team, which has had a few losses so far in the 2025 season.
“I think that they’ll be fine,” says Sabathia, who still heads to Yankee Stadium to watch them play. “It’s super early in the season, but I think if they can stay healthy, they’ll be one of the better teams in the league.”
Making Change in Youth Sports
Sabathia is helping kids thrive on the field with the PitCCh In Foundation, which he launched with his wife in 2008.
“We started to be a vehicle for kids in the inner city through sports and education,” explains Sabathia. “If I hadn’t grown up in a Boys & Girls Club and through different programs, I wouldn’t be sitting here. So we wanted to try to be that for kids who grew up in our situation.”
To date, the organization has renovated five baseball fields in Ohio, New York, and California, supporting 25 little league teams and 15 neighborhood schools. It offers scholarships, backpack giveaways with school supplies, a mentorship program, and more.
“We are just trying to do whatever we can to make the game accessible and fun for kids,” says Sabathia.
Accessibility is a big challenge as the cost to play sports, including baseball, is on the rise. “You need new cleats, new gloves, new bats, every year,” says Sabathia. “Kids grow and equipment is super expensive.”
The average U.S. family spent $1,016 on their kid’s main sport in 2024, up 46% from 2019, according to Project Play. A recent study found 56% of parents are worried they won’t be able to afford their child playing a sport in the next year. It can be a big loss as sports offer physical, mental, emotional, and social benefits for kids. Sports participation can also lead to higher academic achievement.
“It’s so hard to get a kid to where he’s getting seen, trying to get to college,” says Sabathia. “Trying to help kids and alleviate the cost of baseball is the biggest [problem I’m trying to fix].”