OAKLAND -- New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia welcomed 52 kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Oakland to the Coliseum on Tuesday night for the A's-Yankees game.
A big thank you to the @Athletics for their contribution to the @PitCChInFdn 🙏🏽 and for welcoming my @BGCO_Oakland family. No place like Oakland! #LegaCCy pic.twitter.com/uYLj3GWWV6— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) August 21, 2019
The Vallejo native is winding down his 19th and final season in the majors. The 39-year-old has been hosting Boys & Girls Club kids on the road at each of his final stops in the American League.
"It's been a lot of fun to get in front of these kids," Sabathia told NBC Sports California. "With me growing up in Vallejo and being a Boys & Girls Club kid, knowing what those kids are going through, I think it will be a lot of fun to be able to get in front of them and have a conversation."
Sabathia was part of the Continentals of Omega Boys & Girls Club in Vallejo from the first grade through the eighth grade. Now he relishes the opportunity to give back to today's youngsters.
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"I just wanted to do something special for the kids," Sabathia said. "I grew up a Boys & Girls Club kid. My first experience at a baseball game was with the Boys & Girls Club. Hopefully, we can have that for some of these kids around the country."
Sabathia has a career record of 251-160 with a 3.73 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. He won the 2007 Cy Young Award, is six-time All-Star and has a strong case to reach the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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Though he now lives in New Jersey, Sabathia's family still resides in the Bay Area and he says he will always consider the East Bay home.
"It's always fun to be able to come here," he smiled. "I come here a lot, whether it's Oracle Arena to watch the Warriors, being here to watch the Raiders, or playing here against the A's. It's my home stadium."
