It's no coincidence that CC Sabathia's alcoholism dates back to 2012, when his career began to bottom out.
Sabathia shockingly checked himself into an alcohol rehab center on Oct. 5 and recently finished his 30-day stay as he looks to overcome the throes of addiction. The Yankee pitcher announced on the eve of the club's 3-0 defeat to the Astros in the AL Wild Card Game that his addiction had gotten the best of him, forcing him to check into the clinic.
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The six-time All-Star then revealed that his alcoholism is something he's been battling since 2012.
"In 2012, I kind of came to the realization I was an alcoholic," Sabathia told 'Good Morning America,' "and I was kind of battling it without any help.
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"I would go a couple, you know, two, three months at a time sober, and then I would just relapse, and, you know, go on these weekends when I thought nobody was paying attention, and I would get in a hotel room and drink out of the minibar, pretty much everything."
Sabathia, 35, said he is "taking steps" to get his life back on track and has had the support of teammates and other players around the league, but his comments revealed a lot about his struggles in recent years. Sabathia won the Cy Young Award in 2007 and was the AL wins leader in 2009 and '10, but he hasn't been the same pitcher since those days.
Prior to the 2011 season, Sabathia said he shed 25 pounds by removing Cap'n Crunch from his diet. He went on to finish with a 19-8 record and a 3.00 ERA. It marked his best ERA since 2008 and his best as a Yankee. In 2012, when Sabathia said his problems really began, he was 15-6 with a respectable 3.38 ERA, but it was all downhill from there.
Sabathia's ERA withered as the years went on. In 2013, he pitched to a 4.27 ERA, while a year later, he owned a career-low 5.28 mark, albeit in eight games. This season, he struggled mightily, finishing 6-10, 4.73.
A lot of his struggles could be attributed to his age and his weight, but his addiction to alcohol, especially his secret hotel binges, could have also been a contributing factor. Overall, from 2012-15, Sabathia owned a 38-33 record with a 4.35 ERA and 1.318 WHIP.
The 2009 World Series champion hit an all-time low this season and finally recognized he needed to help himself before it was too late. Now that he has the assistance he needs, Sabathia is looking ahead in hopes of moving on from his addiction.
"I can just, you know, start the healing process and take steps forward to get myself better," he said.
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