CC Sabathia Faces Car Trouble en Route to Hall of Fame Induction

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – Former Major League Baseball pitcher CC Sabathia experienced an unexpected delay on his journey to the Hall of Fame due to car troubles. With an impressive record of 251 career victories and 3,093 strikeouts, Sabathia’s induction weekend took an amusing turn when his family’s vehicle broke down on the way to Cooperstown.

On the evening of July 25, 2025, Sabathia shared a photo on social media platform X, showing himself with his wife and four children beside their stranded vehicle on State Route 17 near Goshen, New York. The post quickly gained traction, racking up over 1.4 million views by Saturday afternoon. In the caption, he humorously noted, “Car broke down on the way to Cooperstown 🤣🤣🤣 Anyone headed that way?”

Despite the hiccup, Sabathia and his family eventually arrived safely in Cooperstown. The induction weekend festivities included a garden party with fellow inductees on Friday and a round of golf by Otsego Lake with his sons on Saturday.

Family Adventure Turns Into a Memorable Moment

Reflecting on the journey, Sabathia described it as an adventure filled with unexpected challenges. “For my family, whenever it’s six of us traveling somewhere together, something’s always going to go wrong,” he explained. They even have a group chat titled “Strong as a Unit,” emphasizing their ability to tackle any situation collectively.

The breakdown occurred shortly after stopping for food. “My wife has a brand new Escalade, we drive it up here, everything’s going great,” Sabathia recounted. “Then we try to get on the on-ramp on 17 – and her car stopped.” He noted that he typically does not drive behind her, but on this occasion, he found himself right behind, capturing the moment on camera as his children entertained themselves on TikTok.

While the family found humor in the situation, Sabathia’s wife, Amber, was less amused. “It was fun for us; for her, it was a nightmare,” he said, acknowledging the stress of the situation. Fortunately, they were only about 45 minutes from their home in Alpine, N.J.. Sabathia quickly loaded his family and their belongings into his car, returned home to retrieve a truck, and set off for Cooperstown once again.

Reflecting on a Hall of Fame Career

Had Sabathia chosen to sign with a West Coast team after the 2008 season, his commute to Cooperstown would have been significantly different. After beginning his career with the Cleveland Indians and the Milwaukee Brewers, he will wear a Yankees cap on his Hall of Fame plaque.

Despite initially hesitating to join the Yankees, believing he wanted to remain close to his Northern California roots, Sabathia ultimately recognized the opportunity New York presented. “I didn’t want to go to New York as a free agent,” he admitted. “But the first day of free agency, the Yankees offered me a contract, and I tried to ignore it.”

Amber played a pivotal role in his decision, reminding Sabathia of his desire to win and the advantages the Yankees provided. “When she put it to me that way,” he reflected, “I was like: ‘I was born to be here.’”

As Sabathia embraces this milestone in his career, he carries with him not only his remarkable achievements on the field but also the enduring support of his family, ready to face whatever challenges may arise together.