CC was involved in a fight outside a club in Toronto

Yankees star CC Sabathia was leaving a Toronto nightclub when a massive fight broke out ... and several people had to hold him back from the action.

The brawl broke out early Saturday morning ... after the Yankees had won game 1 of their weekend series against the Blue Jays. CC stands out in the crowd for two reasons -- he's 6'7" and he's sporting BRIGHT red sneakers.

It's unclear what sparked the fight -- witnesses tell us hecklers were yelling "Go Blue Jays" -- but Sabathia definitely looks like he WANTS to jump into the fray. Ultimately, a friend shoved him into a cab and he got outta Dodge.

Earlier in the year I probably would have said something along the lines of "too bad he didn't break his shoulder so that he doesn't have to pitch anymore and we can void his contract in 2017" but he's actually pitched pretty well lately.

Anybody who thinks this fight had anything to do with Bryan Mitchell pitching tonight is an idiot.  They're playing 16 games in 16 days and want to throw a spot start in there to give everyone an extra day.  They've been doing it all year and they talked about doing it heading into this stretch of play.  Also I'm not sure how pushing a guy's start back a day is punishment for anything.

This is a total non-story despite the fact that I'm posting it and treating it like a story.  CC has always been a stand up guy, on and off the field.  Other than the way he's pitched the past couple of years he's never embarrassed the Yankees since he's been here.  I don't know what started this but I'm going to give CC the benefit of the doubt and say it wasn't him.  He's got nothing to answer for.  He wasn't involved in the physical element of the confrontation, yelled at some people, got in a cab and went home.  No harm no foul.