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MLB Legend CC Sabathia Talks Sobriety, Staying in Shape, and Reducing Stress

CC Sabathia Shares His Wisdom on Sobriety, Sweat-Sessions, and De-Stressing

August 2, 2021

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Legendary NY Yankee CC Sabathia spent years being on top of his game on the field while his personal life was falling apart. Nowadays, he raises awareness about alcohol dependence with initiatives such as the My Relationship with Alcohol campaign.

He was a mental health advocate long before deciding to actively become one. The minute he made the decision to check himself into rehab in 2015 and miss the playoffs, he sent a powerful message to men everywhere: Mental health matters more than achievement, and asking for help is OK.

Speaking Up

“I think it's important for men to speak up. For me, understanding that my father dealt with this and it's hereditary, and he tried to battle it and ended up passing away so early in his life at 47 years old, and being a Black man, it's super important to speak up about these things,” he says.

“Because in our community we never talk about mental health, or alcohol dependency, or any of these things.”

From releasing his memoir, Till the End, to being featured in HBO’s documentary, Under the Grapefruit Tree, Sabathia has been vocal about his recovery journey ever since he made the momentous decision to recognize he had a problem, and he is now retired from professional baseball.

Reducing Stress

He says he’s also a lot less stressed, despite a busy schedule filled with responsibilities such as being the VP of the Players Alliance (a Major League Baseball initiative to build a more inclusive environment in the sport) and hosting his podcast. Not to mention the fact he is a dad of four and plays numerous sports in his leisure time, including a rec softball league. So how does he do it all without resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms?

“I am super selfish with my time, and I think that's something you have to be in recovery. If I need a day or two or even a week to myself, I'll take it, I don't care what's on my schedule – no matter what,” he says.

“When you get in those high-stress jobs, whether it's sports or the corporate world, you tend to put those things first, and I had to sit down and really examine my life and what was important to me and how I wanted to live out the rest of my life.”

Workout Rituals

During the pandemic, Sabathia also turned to fitness and healthy eating to stay calm, hitting the weight room with workout buddy and friend Action Bronson. His impressive weight loss transformation has everyone asking about his routine, but there is no secret. Just like getting sober, dropping weight and packing muscle have been the result of consistency and discipline. And some heavy lifting, too.

“I fell into a great routine: squats and lunges, box jumps, things that I couldn't do for 10-15 years because of my knee, I was able to do because I was retired. I was able to start lifting heavy and do all this upper-body stuff that I couldn't do before because I was pitching,” he says.

“My body changed pretty quickly and people just saw me after a while and freaked out. I've been super dedicated, feeling really good and about 10-15 years younger.”

Cross-training has also been a huge part of his routine. From golf and softball to tennis and yoga, fun and variety are key. “I think those things are helping me stay functional. When I transformed my body, I got a lot tighter, so I'm trying to get my flexibility back.”

Core Takeaway

If you’re questioning your own relationship with alcohol or simply want to incorporate healthier habits in your life, a core takeaway from Sabathia’s journey is to find a strong reason for it. For him, it was about being around for his children as long as possible and not suffering from the same fate as his dad.

“I'm about to turn 41 and I still miss my father. I don't want any of my kids to go through that and I want to be around as long as possible for them. And it's why I have been dealing with my alcohol dependency and doing this transformation for my body,” he says.

Regardless of your personal motivators, know that change doesn’t happen overnight. There is always a first next step: Examine your drinking through a tool like the questionnaire on the My Relationship with Alcohol website. Ask for help. Stay sober one day at a time. Pick up a new sport or activity. Say no in the name of self-care.

It took six years for Sabathia to revamp his entire life and prioritize his well-being. It started with going to rehab, which then motivated him to pick up healthier habits and kick unhealthy ones to the curb. His advice? Pick one thing.

“Take one thing at a time and stick with it. Once you pick one thing, whether it's fitness or kicking alcohol, or staying motivated to stay on task, then you'll find that the other things come with it. Once I stopped drinking I was like, oh, my body feels better, I want to get in better shape. If you take one thing at a time and kick one thing, the other things will follow.”

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