Statements regarding the elections of CC Sabathia and Ichiro Suzuki to the Baseball Hall of Fame

STATEMENT FROM YANKEES MANAGING GENERAL PARTNER HAL STEINBRENNER:

“I am thrilled to see CC Sabathia receiving baseball’s ultimate individual honor, not only because of his elite performance on the mound, but for what he meant to his teammates and our fans. Throughout his time in pinstripes, he embodied the best of what it means to be a Yankee, and I offer my wholehearted congratulations to CC and his family on his election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“It is also especially meaningful to see the election of former Yankee Ichiro Suzuki, who clearly belongs alongside CC in Cooperstown.”

STATEMENT FROM YANKEES SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER BRIAN CASHMAN:

“There’s going to be a lot of talk today about the accomplishments that led CC to Cooperstown on his very first ballot, and rightfully so. His combination of dominance and longevity set him apart from so many of his peers and made him one of baseball’s all-time greats. Despite CC’s impressive statistical credentials, he set team goals ahead of personal goals. And when you have a player of his stature displaying that type of selflessness, it tends to manifest itself inside every corner of the clubhouse. CC was a difference maker for this organization in a multitude of ways, and it’s gratifying for us to see him receive baseball’s highest honor.

“It’s a little sweeter seeing Ichiro join CC in the same Hall of Fame class. Ichiro’s impact on baseball globally cannot be understated. He was one of the most uniquely skilled and talented players to ever play this sport, and I feel incredibly fortunate that his career path landed him in pinstripes.

“The greatness of CC and Ichiro were gifts to all of us who love baseball, and I congratulate them both on such a monumental achievement.”

STATEMENT FROM YANKEES MANAGER AARON BOONE:

“Congratulations to CC on being elected to the Hall of Fame. He is a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer because of his exceptional body of work on the bump — but for me, his greater legacy is the type of teammate he was. He always put team over self. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone he played with who didn’t consider him one of the best teammates and fiercest competitors they ever shared a clubhouse with.”

STATEMENT FROM YANKEES CAPTAIN AARON JUDGE:

“CC was an incredible competitor, teammate and leader who embodied the heart and soul of our team and this city. As a leader, CC led by example, demonstrating courage, resilience and integrity in the face of adversity — literally leaving it all out on the field. As a teammate, CC was the ultimate glue that held us together, celebrating our successes and supporting us through our challenges. His legacy extends far beyond his accomplishments, as he’s left an indelible mark on the lives of everyone who got the opportunity to share the field with him.”

STATEMENT FROM FORMER YANKEES MANAGER JOE GIRARDI:

“CC’s excellence goes far beyond the pitching mound. Obviously, he was a dominant pitcher for many years, and he was a workhorse like we don’t see today — a guy who would throw 230 or 240 innings. He was such a great connector in the clubhouse, and he brought teams together. Oftentimes, when a player is so good, we don’t talk about that stuff. How he carried himself in the clubhouse was just as important as what he did on the field. CC always had everyone’s back, and that’s what I loved about him.

“Ichiro was an impactful player in so many ways, whether he was at bat, in the field or on the bases. In the field, he was a guy you didn’t run on to try to take an extra base, and he got to balls in the gap that most right fielders didn’t get to. Ichiro could steal a base at any time, and he was a guy who had the ability to hit a home run, if that’s what the situation dictated. His bat-to-ball skills were second to none, and when I managed against him, he was someone that you worried about in the leadoff spot — and those are not the guys you typically worry about.”

STATEMENT FROM FORMER YANKEES CAPTAIN DEREK JETER:

“During my career with the Yankees, I had the honor of playing with so many talented players. No player exemplified a Hall-of-Fame player and person more than CC Sabathia. His career on the field speaks for itself, but it’s his career as a teammate that stands out the most. I look forward to welcoming CC to Cooperstown.

“Ichiro was a player who I always admired while competing against. I also had the pleasure to play with him and get to know him on a personal level. His unique abilities, devotion to his craft, and consistency on the field were unmatched. He is truly one of a kind.”

STATEMENT FROM FORMER YANKEES CATCHER JORGE POSADA:

“I could not be happier for CC. He was such a gamer, and he had the attitude of a winner, which you look for in a teammate. I’d look down the dugout in the middle of a game, and he was always there, not just on days he was pitching. He made himself available to everyone.

That 2009 team was special, and he was a big reason why we were the last team standing. CC earned this great honor. He had a remarkable career, and he was one of my favorite teammates I played with.”

STATEMENT FROM FORMER YANKEES PITCHER ANDY PETTITTE:

“CC was the perfect example of what a big league top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher should look like. He had the unique ability to overpower hitters with his velocity, but he could also throw his off-speed stuff with great success. He attacked the strike zone with his whole arsenal and was always trying to challenge hitters.

“The biggest separator for CC was his mentality. He was tenacious. He had that bulldog approach to the point where he had a lack of care for his own well-being at times, and he wanted to take the ball every chance he could. He was a true warrior on the mound, and that type of make-up is very rare.

“I’m so proud of CC. I love everything about him, and that includes so many things that have nothing to do with pitching or the huge success he had between the white lines.”

STATEMENT FROM FORMER YANKEES OUTFIELDER HIDEKI MATSUI:

“CC — congratulations on your election to the Hall of Fame. You were a great ace pitcher, a great teammate and truly a wonderful human being. Before you came to the Yankees, I played against you many times and couldn’t come close to hitting your pitches. So, when you came to the Yankees, you have no idea how happy and relieved I was to not have to face you anymore. Congratulations again on a truly great and historic career.

“Ichiro-san — congratulations on your induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the U.S. I believe this is a historic day for baseball in Japan as well. I feel that your career has been one in which you had achieved the greatest possible results and accomplishments by following your own philosophy and not being bound by the conventional wisdom of baseball. It has truly been an honor and a pleasure having been able to play during the same period as you, both in Japan and in Major League Baseball.