Derek Jeter’s Ex-Teammate Once Sacrificed a $500,000 Payday to Showcase His Passion For the New York Yankees

After spending over two decades in Major League Baseball, Hall of Famer Derek Jeter garnered love and respect from not only the people of NYC but all his teammates as well. It wouldn’t have been possible if Jeter had not shown his determination and unwavering loyalty while wearing the pinstripes. Little did anybody know that there was another player, close to Jeter, who would one day show such dedication for the pinstripes. 

That player is none other than one of the closest friends of ‘Captain Clutch’, former baseball player CC Sabathia, aka Dub. The former athlete played with the Hall of Famer from 2009 to the moment Jeter bid farewell to the game. But one of the most iconic moments of Sabathia’s career was about to come a few years later. The iconic pitcher and the former world series champ once intentionally lost a chance to earn half a million dollars due to his loyalty toward his teammates. 

How did the former teammate of Derek Jeter show his passion for the Yankees?

The now-retired pitcher, during the 2018 regular season, had a contract signed that offered him an incentive of $500,000. The incentive had a condition for Sabathia to pitch 155 innings that season. But he gave it all up for his teammates. 

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During an intense four games series with the Tampa Bay Rays, the pitcher Andrew Kittredge deliberately targeted Yankees’ Austin Romine. At the end of the sixth inning, he threw a pitch that just missed Romine’s head. Being visibly frustrated, Sabathia was about to come out from the dugout and onto the field to have a chat with Kittredge. But the head coach Aaron Boone held him back. 

In the following inning, the teammate of Derek Jeter came back on the mound. He was only two innings short of earning half a million dollars. However, without giving it much thought, he threw a 93 MPH fastball into Tampa Bay catcher, Jesus Sucre’s left thigh. Following this, he was immediately ejected from the game. It could have easily been the pitcher’s last inning of that season. But he did not care about it. 

What did the MLB veteran say about losing half a million dollars?

Evidently, after the game, the pitcher got interviewed about it. When asked why’d he give up a massive payday, he told the ESPN reporter, “I don’t really make decisions based on money, I guess. Just felt like it was the right thing to do.”

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According to the retired pitcher, any one of the team members makes exceptions if a teammate’s safety is in jeopardy. And in his case, Romine could have gotten seriously injured if the ball had hit his head. 

Do you think Sabathia made the right move? Let us know in the comments below!