CC Sabathia Could Be Primed for a Major Comeback in 2016

CC Sabathia has a monkey off his back, the weight of the world off his shoulders and thanks to a new knee brace he has the weight of his body off his right knee for the most part. The offseason is the time to think big and dream big and I am dreaming really big right here because in my heart of heart’s I truly believe that CC is primed for a major comeback season in 2016.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves let us define the term “major comeback” in terms of CC. Alex Rodriguez had a major comeback in 2015 and so did Mark Teixeira, that doesn’t mean they were necessarily MVP candidates and such. The same goes for CC, he can have a major comeback season without returning to ace form or being dominant again at 95 MPH. If CC stays healthy and actually keeps the Yankees in games while winning more than he’s losing, that’s a major step forward and a major comeback for Sabathia.

I don’t pretend to know what it’s like battling alcoholism and I don’t pretend to know whether he was drinking before starts, whether it affected his endurance or product on the field or anything like that. I do know that, based of comments he has made, he is light years ahead in his conditioning and with his arm this season and his head is clear. A pitcher can be their own worst enemy and on days when your curveball isn’t working or your fastball won’t go where you place it the difference between a disaster of a start or a good start is mostly mental.

The physical should improve. You would think without the alcohol CC would have more cardio, more endurance and more stamina heading into 2016. The new knee brace he tried out at the end of 2015 also seemed to help significantly, although getting on and off the mound quickly will still be a struggle for Sabathia.

Sabathia is a leader, he doesn’t need to be an ace. The Yankees have a ton of young pitchers and players coming up and down from the team all the time. CC is primed to lead and not only lead by example but lead with his words. He’s a warrior and I commend him while I look forward to his major comeback season in 2016. I’m rooting for you big man!

Darryl Strawberry Opens Drug Rehab Center in Florida

A former member of the New York Yankees and the New York Mets is giving back to the community and is helping those in need because he knows more about those in need than most. His name is Darryl Strawberry and he is opening a second rehabilitation center to treat people with drug addictions in the Florida area.

The new Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center outside DeLand will open in January, 2016 and will offer a 28-day residential treatment program. Strawberry knows addiction, during his 17-year MLB career he battled with drugs for much of it and faced multiple suspensions due to his drug use. Strawberry’s first rehab center opened just two years ago in St. Cloud, Florida.

During his career Strawberry played with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees. 

Anthony Flynn is Leaving & Ron Dock is Gone, What Exactly is Going On?

Anthony Flynn has been with the New York Yankees for the last 15 seasons but has decided that the 2015 season will be his last with the organization. Flynn has worked in the baseball operations department for the Yankees for the last seven years and spent the last eight years prior as the club’s video coordinator. Now Flynn will leave for XOS Digital where he will be the director of baseball marketing and sales. Good for him, congratulations.

Ron Dock was the organization’s intervention coordinator based in Tampa, Florida where he worked with Yankees employees and players who had addiction problems, family situations, depression problems and legal issued. Dock is not a well-known name, he was more of a behind the scenes type guy, but he was integral to the organization. Ask Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden and also Slade Heathcott. Dock worked with anyone and everyone and was well respected inside the organization.

What exactly is going on in New York? All the, for lack of a better term, old timers are leaving and retiring while the new blood presumably is coming in. It remains to be seen whether this will be a good thing or a bad thing. Either way I have a feeling both Dock and Flynn will be missed in the Bronx more than we know, ask CC Sabathia.

CC Sabathia Realized His Battle w/ Alcoholism in 2012

CC Sabathia has completed his rehab stay for alcoholism and will now take the biggest, and the hardest, steps forward in his battle with the disease. He will try and manage the disease without the rehab, the counselors, etc. and will attempt to manage it by himself, at home with his wife and children and presumably out on the road with his teammates in 2016 and 2017. CC has been battling these demons for an undisclosed time but he first realized it back in 2012 according to recent reports, we post this not to shame CC or because every other blog and publication is. We post this as another excuse to give our undying support and prayers to CC, Amber and their young children.

Here are a few quotes from CC during his Good Morning American interview with Robin Roberts:

"I would go a couple, you know, two, three months at a time sober, and then I would just relapse, and, you know, go on these weekends when I thought nobody was paying attention, and I would get in a hotel room and drink out of the minibar, pretty much everything."

"That weekend I had started drinking and, you know, thought nobody was paying attention and, you know, was isolated by myself, staying in my room the whole weekend." (in reference to when he informed the Yankees and his teammates.

"That was one of the things I think I wanted to clear up," he said. "You don't ever drink before games or anything like that."

"I was just tired of hiding," he said. "I just felt such a relief that everybody knows now. ... I can start the healing process and take the steps forward to get myself better."

Alcoholism is a disease CC. You got this big man and you have the full support from our blog and many other blogs, readers and fans out there. You got this, remember that. Take all the time you need to heal yourself and just know that we’ll be here waiting on you when you get back with open arms. We’re family… the Yankees family. #StandWithCC.

CC Sabathia & My Own Experience w/ Addiction

When news broke about CC Sabathia’s self-admission into an alcohol rehabilitation center I did not want to turn his disease into a post about me like many others likely did. What I did personally was I sent out a couple tweets to Amber and CC voicing my full 100% support, thoughts and prayers and I left it at that. I feel like enough time has gone by now that I can share with you my personal experience with addiction and why I fully and 100% not only support but agree with CC’s decision to enter the rehab now rather than after the playoffs, even if it was just one game.

My entire life I grew up with and around drugs. I’ve heard stories, although it’s adamantly denied by my mother, that my mother did heroine while she was pregnant with me. I’ve heard stories that I was left on street corners in the Bronx or with vendors or shop owners so my parents could go down the road and score some drugs.  I’ve heard stories that would make you cry and that’s just what I’ve heard, that doesn’t count everything I’ve lived through and actually remember. The nights being woken up to my father vomiting and choking on his vomit and me having to turn him over to save his life because he was too high to wake up. The night where my mother left my father because she gave him the ultimatum to pick her or heroin and he looked her in the eyes and told her he loved her, he was sorry and that they were through. The weekends lost, because I got taken away from both parents, because my father was too high to take care of me and my mother had moved down to Georgia to escape it all.

Why I understand CC’s urgency and commitment to search out rehab and search out rehab now is my own struggle with my father. My father was the type of drug addict to blow his entire paycheck either Friday night or Saturday morning and would spend the weekend high before coming down around midnight Sunday. Almost every Sunday night or Monday morning I would get the “I’m sorry” speech or the “I’m going to do better” phone call and every time I would recommend a drug rehab. Every time it was some excuse, I can’t get off work. I don’t have a reliable vehicle right now. I’m too busy. His intentions were good on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and even Wednesday but by Thursday the addiction and the thirst took control back.

If my father had went to any of the rehab’s he swore that he would go to he may be sitting here reading this today and using it as a testament to getting healthy, clean and sober. He’s gone, I was 10-years old. My father, like CC to his children, is far more important than one more week of work, a reliable vehicle or something else that was “more important.” When you admit you have a problem and put a plan in motion to fix this issue then you do it, regardless of what you feel is important. Alcoholism and drug use is a deadly and nasty disease and it will kill you on a long enough timeline so I commend and admire CC for making the right decision as a person, as a father and as a husband. Get well soon CC!