CC Sabathia's comments on time with Brewers have fans ready to run through a wall

While CC Sabathia will wear a Yankees cap after being inducted into Cooperstown this year, there has been a lot of reminiscing about his short-stint with the Milwaukee Brewers. In the middle of the 2008 season, Milwaukee swung a trade with Cleveland to land Sabathia in hopes of giving the Brewers' nascent playoff chances a shot in the arm. However, few realized just how important he would end up being.

For the rest of the 2008 season, it was the CC Sabathia show as he put up a run of dominance rarely seen in the sport of baseball. In 17 starts after the trade, Sabathia posted a sterling 1.65 ERA including seven complete games. He pitched on short rest numerous times in those few months and was easily the biggest reason why Milwaukee finally made it back to the playoffs. It was a special time to be a Brewers fan.

It sounds like while his time in Milwaukee was short as he left to join the Yankees after that run, Sabathia remembers the time fondly as well as he made sure to take some time out during a recent interview to reflect on that magical time with the Brewers and explain why he was willing to put his body on the line to get the Brewers to the playoffs.

CC Sabathia just reminded Brewers fans why they fell in love with him back in 2008

It is easy to forget how much Sabathia put at risk pitching as much as he did back in 2008. He was a pending free agent looking at a massive payday and unlike the vast majority of guys in that situation, Sabathia was willing (and somehow able) to throw on very short rest and/or very deep into games repeatedly to keep Milwaukee's playoff hopes alive. At any point, an injury would have not only torpedoed the Brewers' playoff chances, but his upcoming free agency as well.

Sabathia certainly was being reminded of the risks a lot at the time. He indicated that his agent at the time was not pleased with how he was being used and his mindset about the situation, but Sabathia just didn't care. He loved playing for the Brewers and if he could put them on his back and carry them to the playoffs, that was exactly what he was going to do no matter what.

In his mind, that is just what an ace should be willing to do. Of course, we know now that he put his career at risk and there is an argument that the risks to his short-term and long-term health weren't worth pitching on three days rest a bunch and not getting his innings more managed.

Fortunately, it worked out for everyone. It would have been nice if Sabathia had been able to play in Milwaukee for more than half a season, but the Brewers did indeed make it to the playoffs and Sabathia went on to play for 11 more seasons with the Yankees and ended up in the Hall of Fame. For his work, Brewers fans are eternally grateful and it sounds like it isn't lost on Sabathia as well that his time in Milwaukee was truly special.

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