COOPERSTOWN — On Sunday, Cooperstown will welcome Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltrán into the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining 281 former major leaguers to receive the induction honor.
New York Yankees southpaw and 2025 Hall of Fame inductee CC Sabathia played multiple seasons with Jones and Beltrán in The Bronx and pitched against Kent many times during his 19 seasons in the big leagues.
“Obviously, great players,” Sabathia said at a Hall of Fame signing event Friday. “You know Hall of Fame-caliber players when you’re playing against them.”
Sabathia especially emphasized Jones’ impact on his career early on.
The two were teammates in 2011 and 2012 during Jones’s short stint with the Yankees at the end of his MLB career.
Now, Jones joins his ex-teammate in the Hall after nine years on the ballot.
“Andruw is someone, I always tell the story, he was an inspiration to me,” Sabathia said. “Having a chance to watch him in the ’96 World Series, I was 16 years old. He was 18, and in my mind, I’m thinking I’m going to be in the big leagues as a teenager, just watching him. So that inspiration I got from him was great, and I’m just excited that he’s here.”
Sabathia was highly complimentary of Beltrán, his teammate from 2014 to 2016, as well.
“ ’Los is probably one of the smartest baseball players I ever played with. Great teammate, very thoughtful, so just excited that both of them are here in Cooperstown, and they definitely deserve it,” Sabathia said.
Now a year into his membership of the game’s greatest brotherhood, Sabathia noted the relationships he has gotten to build through his career and beyond.
“It’s a brotherhood, so understanding that you know the guys before you are looking out for you. … Reggie [Jackson] gave me a bunch of advice,” Sabathia said. “I can name a bunch of guys, but just having a chance to be a part of this brotherhood … if you’re in it long enough, you’re going to get a lot of advice.
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“To be able to come up [to Cooperstown] and really enjoy being around the guys … just the whole weekend is great. It’s exciting.”
Sabathia will receive another honor of his own at Yankee Stadium later this season, when the team retires his number 52 to the rafters Sept. 26 and dedicates a plaque to him at Monument Park in center field.
“We’re excited to be part of the Yankee family forever,” Sabathia said. “Having a chance to go to Monument Park is beyond humbling, so just excited to have a chance to, every time I go to the stadium, see my number up there.”
Baseball has stayed in Sabathia’s family.
His son Carsten was recently drafted by the Brewers, his father’s former team.
Milwaukee signed Carsten on Tuesday, a welcome birthday gift for his father.
Sabathia and his fellow Hall of Famers will welcome the three newest members Sunday.
