CC Was On Something Last Night

I pretty much spent the entire day yesterday bashing CC.  Talking about how he's the worst player on the team and how I can't wait until Cashman jettisons him from the rotation.  And after last night I'd bet you think I feel pretty stupid right now.  But I don't.  Because the guy who pitched for the Yankees last night was not CC Sabathia.  At least not 2013-2015 CC Sabathia.  The guy who pitched last night was somebody else entirely.  And that guy was brilliant.  Six innings, eight strikeouts, one earned run.  Yea it was against the Red Sox who are awful but they're always a tough match-up when these teams face off.

I couldn't even recognize CC last night.  He was involved in so much bizarre behavior that I can only conclude that he was on something*.  I don't know if it was PED's or recreation drugs but something foreign was running through his bloodstream.  If you didn't watch, here's what I'm talking about...


 * Not sure where I'm going with any of this.  At first I thought it was all going to come together nicely and prove my point and then I realized that I was just so perplexed by him having a good outing that my brain couldn't digest it properly. 


Exhibit A -  He was pumping 93-94 fairly regularly 

CC's average fastball velocity this year is 89.8 mph.  I know that guns vary on different nights and no reading is entirely accurate but last night he was throwing WAY harder than he had all season long.  For a guy who doesn't have a wide range of plus pitches, being able to touch 94 regularly is huge.  Guys were showing far more respect for his fastball than they have been and he was getting knee-buckles on his slider all night long.  What makes you throw harder than you usually would?  PEDs, that's what.


Exhibit B - Exchange with Rob Drake

I didnt' find this as strange as everything else, but it was still notable.  On a 2-2 pitch to Hanley in the 4th CC hit the inside corner with a fastball and Drake called it a ball.  CC turned around as Murphy tried to throw him the ball back and paced around the mound for a bit.  After CC got Hanley to ground out, Drake came out to the mound to give him a new ball and spoke to him about the pitch.  CC got upset and began demonstratively protesting the call and then got into it again with Drake after the inning ended.  Out of character for CC?  Yes.  Roid-rage?  Most definitely possibly.


Exhibit C - Explosion after striking out Papi

I don't know where that reaction came from.  Maybe it was drugs.  Maybe it was frustration in himself.  Maybe he was pissed that Papi stood at home plate for a home run he hit off a 21-year-old the night before.  Either way.  This may have been my favorite CC Sabathia moment ever.  Screaming "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE" to David Ortiz after you BLOW HIM AWAY with a fastball is just about as satisfying as it gets.  Plus roid rage.

Exhibit D - Sweat

GIF: CC Sabathia's hat is dripping... pic.twitter.com/jW9292Jyif

— The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) August 7, 2015

I know he's a big dude, but it was like 70 degrees last night and CC was sweating like Patrick Ewing.  I legit thought he was going to have to be pulled in the middle of that inning and rushed to the hospital.  Do PEDs make you sweat?  They don't not make you sweat.


Overall, I guess I'm not sure CC was on something last night but I hope he was because that guy is a guy who can help you win a championship.  The guy who had been pitching for 4 months prior to last night cannot.  It's a can't lose situation for the Yankees.  You either get a roided up CC throwing gas in the playoffs, sweating beads on a 45 degree October night.  Or he gets caught and gets suspended for the rest of the year and doesn't have to pitch anymore.  It's a win-win for everyone (except CC).

PS - Hey Rob Drake, how about you cut CC some slack.  He's had an awful year.  I'm sure he realizes that in a way he's holding the team back with the way he's pitched and now he's probably fighting for a rotation spot with Severino here.  Tex and A-Rod are having resurgent seasons and he hasn't been able to get his game back.  Bottom line is, CC's been around long enough where if he needs to blow off a little silent steam after your shitty call than you let him do that.  Don't go out and antagonize him in the middle of his own personal hell.  Umps like Rob Drake help manufacture incidents like these way too often.