A look back at the career highlights and lowlights of newest Yankees ace CC Sabathia:
July 21, 1980: Sabathia is born in Vallejo, CA.
June 2, 1998: Is picked by the Indians 20th overall though Cleveland brass has some anxious moments hoping Sabathia would stay unpicked that long. "I kept thinking, someone else is going to take him," recalls Paul Cogan, the scout who signed Sabathia. "I remember thinking, 'There can't be 19 better players in the country.' When he was there, it was a big shock. Every pick, there was apprehension. It changed the face of our organization that he was there. I was worried about San Francisco, who picked one before us. It was their backyard. The rumor was that Cincinnati had significant interest and they were high up, too."
June 29, 1998: Sabathia signs his first pro contract with the Indians with a $1.3 million bonus.
July 10, 2000: Befitting one of baseball's top prospects, Sabathia pitches in the Futures Game for Team USA.
April 8, 2001: Sabathia makes his major-league debut for the Indians in a start against visiting Baltimore, allowing three hits and three runs in 5.2 innings. The big blemish on his line is a three-run homer by Jeff Conine in the first inning, but he allows only one more hit. Sabathia is removed after walking Conine with two out in the sixth and gets a no-decision in a 4-3 Indians' comeback win.
April 13, 2001: Earns first career major-league win, though he gives up five runs in five innings in Cleveland's 9-8 victory over the Tigers.
Oct. 13, 2001: Makes his first career postseason start in Game 3 of the AL division series and allows two runs in six innings, earning the victory in a 17-2 win over Seattle.
February 11, 2002: Indians give Sabathia a four-year contract worth at least $10 million with a club option for 2006.
May 17, 2002: Sabathia and a cousin are robbed at gunpoint in a downtown Cleveland hotel. Sabathia loses more than $44,000 in cash and jewelry. He's shaken by the robbery, though others in his life later say he used it as a growing experience. "It was totally my fault," Sabathia tells reporters the next day. "I put myself in this situation. There is no one to blame but me... I never had a gun pointed at me before. I put my life in their hands." Sabathia starts a day later, saying he wanted to use a few hours on the mound to clear his head, and allows three hits and two runs in six innings against the Royals in a no-decision.
March 25, 2005: Put on 15-day disabled list because of a strained right oblique. First of two career stints on the DL.
April 4, 2006: Put on 15-day DL for the same injury he had in the previous spring training.
March 14, 2007: In an interview, he criticizes Major League Baseball for not doing more to ensure a strong African-American presence in the game.
May 21, 2007: Records the 1,000th strikeout of his career, fanning Ichiro Suzuki, the man who beat him out for the 2001 AL Rookie of the Year award. Sabathia is the youngest lefty since Fernando Valenzuela and the youngest AL pitcher since Roger Clemens to reach the milestone.
Sept. 28, 2007: Notches 100th career win in his final start of the season, beating the Royals. He's the youngest pitcher since Greg Maddux in 1993 to reach 100 wins. Only three 300-game winners were younger than Sabathia at the time of their 100th win - Maddux, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson.
Oct. 4, 2007: Opens the division series against the Yankees with a victory, mostly because Chien-Ming Wang is so bad. Sabathia is not very impressive, giving up a leadoff homer to Johnny Damon and another home run to Robinson Cano. He gives up four hits and three runs in five innings and walks an unsightly six.
Oct. 12, 2007: Starts opener of ALCS against Red Sox and gets drubbed, allowing eight runs and seven hits in 4.1 innings in a 10-3 loss. Walks are again a problem - he gives five freebies.
Oct. 18, 2007: With a chance to close out Boston and send the Indians to the World Series for the first time since 1997, Sabathia pitches poorly again, though he keeps the walks to a respectable two. He allows 10 hits and four runs in six innings and the Tribe is eventually eliminated.
Oct. 23, 2007: Is named the winner of the Players Choice Award for outstanding American League pitcher.
Nov. 14, 2007: After going 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA and leading the majors in innings pitched with 241, Sabathia wins the AL Cy Young Award. Sabathia receives 19-of-28 first-place votes to beat Boston's Josh Beckett, who had beaten Sabathia twice in the playoffs and was the only major-leaguer to win 20 games during the season. Sabathia is the first black pitcher to win the award since Dwight Gooden in 1985 and the first in the AL since Vida Blue in 1971.
July 7, 2008: Sabathia is dealt to the Brewers for Zach Jackson and prospects Matt LaPorta and Rob Bryson and a player to be named later. After he goes 11-2 for the Brewers, pitching on three days rest some of the time, some say he's the best midseason acquisition ever. When he's introduced to Milwaukee, he tells the world he'd like the periods removed from his initials, preferring the spelling "CC."
July 8, 2008: Immediately pays dividends, beating the Rockies for his first win as a Brewer.
July 30, 2008: Takes out an ad costing $12,870 in the sports section of the Cleveland Plain Dealer to thank Indians fans: "Thank you for 10 great years. You've touched our lives with your kindness, love and generosity. We are forever grateful! It's been a privilege and an honor!" The ad is signed by CC, his wife Amber and the Sabathia family.
Aug. 31, 2008: Throws a one-hitter against the Pirates and would have a no-hitter if he doesn't bobble a barehanded try on a check-swing roller by Andy LaRoche. Controversy ensues off the official scorer's decision not to call the play an error, but Sabathia agrees.
Sept. 28, 2008: Tosses a four-hitter against the Cubs in the final game of the season, helping the Brewers clinch the wildcard spot. It is his third consecutive start on three days' rest and he allows only an unearned run. It is his 10th complete game of the season, the most in baseball since Randy Johnson's 12 in 1999.
Oct. 2, 2008: Before the postseason, Sabathia says he thought he'd be calmer in the playoffs this time. "Last year, I went into the playoffs thinking I had to throw no-hitters," he said. "That's why you saw me pressing a lot." The new outlook doesn't help his results though. Starting Game 2 for the Brewers in their the NL division series against the Phillies, Sabathia doesn't get out of the fourth inning, allowing five runs, six hits and four walks. His career postseason ERA stands at 7.92.
Nov. 1, 2008: Files for free agency. The bonanza begins.
Nov. 7, 2008: Derek Jeter admits he's talked to Sabathia about what it's like to play in New York. "He's asked questions about us," Jeter said. The two are friendly from playing against each other and meeting at All-Star games.
Nov. 14, 2008: Yanks make a record six-year, $140-million offer, the most money ever offered to a pitcher. At the time, the Brewers are the only team known to also have made him an offer - five years, $100 million.
Nov. 15, 2008: Yankee fan LeBron James says he wants his pal Sabathia to pitch in pinstripes. "We're gonna get him," the Cleveland Cavaliers star says before a game against Utah. "Absolutely."
Dec. 6, 2008: Sabathia attends the Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas, two days before baseball's winter meetings start, and the Yankees set up a meeting with him for the next day.
Dec. 7-8, 2008: Over the course of two days in Vegas, Sabathia has two meetings with the Yankees to discuss what it's like playing in New York.
Dec. 10, 2008: Agrees to a 7-year, $161 million deal with the Bombers.