CC Sabathia talks rehab on Good Morning America

CC Sabathia made some of his first public comments about his battle with alcoholism on Good Morning America Friday. Talking about leaving the Yankees before the Wild Card Game and his support from the team since. 

New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia grabbed headlines in early October when after his team clinched a spot in the AL Wild Card Game, Sabathia announced that he would be stepping away from baseball to enter rehab for alcoholism. A shock that grabbed national attention as the former superstar pitcher left his team to get help right before the postseason.

Now, Sabathia is making his first public comments on his fight with alcoholism after a stay in rehab. Talking to Good Morning America about his fight with alcohol and the dark times that led him to get help. Mentioning that he was on a downward spiral before a bender after clinching a spot in the playoffs became rock bottom for him.

Sabathia told GMA that in 2012 he started to realize he was an alcoholic, eventually drinking in hotel rooms when he thought nobody was paying attention. The final straw for the pitcher being during the team’s final weekend of the season against the Baltimore Orioles where after drinking throughout the trip he decided it was time to immediately seek help.

From USA Today: 

"“In 2012, I came to the realization I was an alcoholic,” Sabathia told Robin Roberts on ABC’sGood Morning America. “I would battle it without any help. I would go two or three months at a time sober and I would relapse. I would have weekends when I thought nobody was paying attention, get into the hotel room and drink the hotel mini bar of pretty much everything.”That’s what occurred when the Yankees were on the road to play the Baltimore Oriolesin the final weekend of the regular season. (The 35-year-old starter said he never drank before games he pitched and his last start came days earlier against the Boston Red Sox.) On the final day of the season, Oct. 4, Sabathia reached the breaking point.“That weekend I began drinking when I thought nobody was paying attention,” Sabathia said. “I thought I was isolated. I stayed in my room the whole weekend. On Oct. 4, I woke up and just knew I needed help.”"

In the interview, Sabathia also mentioned that many former and current Yankees called his wife Amber during his rehab stay to send their support. Sabathia also said that he hopes to be a role model going forward by staying sober and returning to success on the mound.

Sabathia is one of many athletes who have faced their demons in the public eye, some have been successful in recovering while others have sadly failed and had their careers ruined in the process. As an active veteran pitcher, Sabathia will have a chance at personal and professional redemption next season when he returns. When he does take the mound, there will be plenty of people supporting him as one of the game’s top pitchers of the past decade looks to return to the game as a sober success.