LOVE WHAT YOU DO...DO WHAT YOU LOVE.

Under the beautiful California sky, CC Sabathia spent his days playing baseball with his friends on the public fields in his community. Now he’s fortunate to be able make his living playing the game he grew up loving. It’s with fond memories that he looks back on those days he spent as a kid in Vallejo, California.

Now CC wants to share his passion and help get more kids involved in baseball at a younger age. In 2007, CC told ESPN about what he says as a crisis. He feels a lot of the black youth are aspiring to play other sports, the flashier sports. CC isn’t one to tell someone not to do something they love. The thing is, he’s convinced baseball can be a sport that African-American kids would love if they’re exposed to it and have a chance to play. Maybe they’re not exposed to the game, maybe they see more African-Americans playing basketball and football. It’s hard to say what the real obstacle is but CC knows something needs to be done. In 2006, out of a 25 man roster, CC was the only African-American in the Indians clubhouse. He’s friends with everyone – all races, creeds, colors of people. The real thing is, CC wants to make sure that other inner city kids are getting the same opportunity to have a place to learn, grow and play like he did when he was young.

That’s a huge reason why CC is very active in the RBI program (Reviving Basball in Inner Cities) which is providing disadvantaged youth an opportunity to learn and enjoy the game of baseball. A lot of people think that baseball costs a lot of money to play but it doesn’t have to. All you need is a tennis ball, a bat and a field and it’s “game on.”

It’s a responsibility of the community leaders, parents and adults to make the game accessible to kids and that’s what CC is helping to work at.  “When I go home to Vallejo, CA, the field I played on has weeds six feet high. When I lived there, it was green grass, and everything was nice, and we had brand-new balls. The community took care of the field. That's what I'm trying to do in reviving the North Vallejo Little League, because there's so many kids in my hometown who need something to hold on to, and I feel it's my job to try to help them,” commented Sabathia.

Baseball is where CC learned about self-confidence, teamwork and good sportsmanship. He wants kids to experience those same things he did, whether or not they end up throwing 90 miles an hour doesn’t matter, it should be a part of kids lives.

What clicked this season that helped you to deliver such a dominant season?

I just stopped trying to throw the ball as hard as I could. Sometimes you have to give up some speed in order to gain some control. Also, I started believing in myself, and being able to throw balls where I wanted to—especially those last few months.

At 6’7 you’re already a pretty dominating presence on the mound. How do you take advantage of your size?

I’m a big guy so I try to stay tall in my delivery and make sure I’m throwing the ball downhill. I try to gain some leverage in throwing the ball down in the strike zone instead of up. That’s the only way I try to take advantage of my height.

What do you do to intimidate a hitter?

It's funny because I’m up there squinting, and I think that gets in a guy’s heads a little bit. But all I'm doing is focusing really hard.

Is there other body language that you can use to psych out a hitter?

My body language has been getting better over the years since I got in the big leagues. I'm an emotional guy, and I wear my emotions on my sleeve. Guy’s were always saying to me, ‘we can tell when you’re getting rattled.’ So I just try to stay calm, and cool, and relaxed. Just trying to keep a cool head and not using too much body motion out there is my biggest thing.

How do you know when you’ve gotten to a hitter? Do you ever know when he's going to bite?

Sometimes you can see when a guy’s bailing if you throw your fastball in and come back with a slider or something. When you see a guy bail even a little bit you know you’ve got him.

Do big league players usually fall for the same trick twice?

There are certain players you can strike out every time the same way, and then there’re guys that you can’t throw the same pitch twice. You just have to know your hitters when you're on the mound.

Who are the toughest batters to face?

I know that you can’t throw Manny, ARod and Jeter the same pitch twice.

You played football in high school. Did you take anything from the gridiron and apply it to being on the pitcher's mound?

That aggressiveness of having played football is definitely in my pitching style. Going after hitters, and trying to throw the ball through the catcher is the same mentality I had when I went out on the football field.

Where do you usually like to put a pitch if someone’s crowding the plate?

Nothing up around the head at all. You can throw a ball at someone’s feet to back them off—to get them jumping around and to keep them from getting comfortable. And that’s probably even more effective because they think you’re wild. If you throw it in their space and you get them to move it works just as good as if you threw it at their head. On the other hand, guys like Detroit's Placido Planco will stand right on top of the plate. You throw at him he’s right back—he scoots up on the plate even more. He’s almost daring you to throw it in there. Those are the guys who you know if you throw it in there they’re gonna hit it hard.