Yankees' CC Sabathia throws away $500,000 with one pitch
The New York Yankees’ rout of the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday not only resulted in a win for the Bronx Bombers, but it may have cost its starting pitcher half a million dollars.
CC Sabathia was on track to receive a $500,000 incentive bonus for pitching 155 innings this season, until the Yankee pitcher was ejected for intentionally hitting Rays catcher Jesus Sucre with a sixth-inning pitch.
Sabathia was two innings shy of reaching the bonus mark. He was ejected in the sixth inning of Thursday afternoon’s game, leaving him with 153 innings pitched on the season.
“I don’t really make decisions based on money, I guess,” he told reporters after the game. “I just felt it was the right thing to do.”
The home-plate umpire ejected Sabathia for what was likely a retaliatory pitch. Earlier in the game, Rays pitcher Andrew Kittredge threw a 93 mph up-and-in fastball at Yankees catcher Austin Romine.
The Yankees built a 7-0 lead over the Rays heading into the sixth inning and piled on another four runs after Romine was hit, leading to a 12-1 victory.
Sabathia, who has built a reputation as a clubhouse leader, signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Yankees for the 2018 season. He has earned $256 million in salary and bonuses over the course of his 17-year career in baseball.
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