Meanwhile in New York: Former MLB Star Joins Softball League, Becomes Hero For Setting Lowest Possible Bar For Retirement

Usually, when you show up to beer league softball, you hit a couple of line drives, strike out a time or two, and get tipsy before the third inning. The perfect way to spend a Saturday is now attracting professionals.

In one of the greatest retirement moves in baseball history, former American League Cy Young winner and World Series Champ, CC Sabathia is joining the fun as first basemen for the Warriors, a rec-league team now favored to sweep the championships. While some former pros go on to coach in the majors, talk sports on ESPN, or become scouts for their favorite team, Sabathia is setting his sights a whole lot lower.

And we love him for it.

After an illustrious career spanning three major league squads with 251 victories and 3,093 strikeouts, Sabathia wants nothing more than to trade in the bright lights of Yankee Stadium for a shot at a few slow pitches in Central Park.

“This is something I’ve been talking about doing for years,” Sabathia said. “Playing softball in Central Park was like a bucket-list thing, and getting to do it with my buddies is even more fun.”

While it may seem the Warriors have an unfair advantage, opponents are loving to play against Sabathia as much as anyone. “I think everyone thought it was pretty cool that he was playing in a league with regular dudes,” Nicola Torchia, a player for an opposing team, gushed. “At the end of the game, usually the umps will ask you to bring the bases in to help them out, and he brought in first base. I thought that was nice.”

We should all pause and take stock of the brilliance that is CC Sabathia. In an age where elites across industries are constantly asking for more, more, more, Sabathia is showing everyone that stepping back and enjoying the simpler things in life is the real win. We just hope he strikes out at least one time, you know, for the kids.

Cover Photo: Alex Trautwig / Stringer (Getty Images)

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