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It was the honor of a lifetime Tuesday and a responsibility CC Sabathia will always carry, hoping the impact of his Hall of Fame election will resonate forever.
While Sabathia was a runaway choice in the Hall of Fame election, selected on 86.8% of the ballots by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America — joining peers Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner — this ultimate honor meant much, much more than just a museum plaque in Cooperstown, New York.
Sabathia carved out a piece of history, becoming only the third Black pitcher (besides former Negro Leaguers) to be voted into the Hall of Fame in 44 years, joining Bob Gibson and Fergie Jenkins.