Stars support PitCCh In Foundation at CC's Celebrity Softball Game

NEW YORK -- Nobody says no to former Major Leaguer CC Sabathia when it comes to giving back to the community, and Monday night was no different when the third annual CC Sabathia and Friends Celebrity Softball Game took place at Yankee Stadium.

Former teammates such as Johnny Damon and Dellin Betances were in attendance, while rapper Ja Rule, NBA player Rudy Gay and youngster Jalen Jeter Martin -- Derek Jeter’s nephew -- also took their hacks in the batter’s box.

“CC’s authenticity [is the reason people show up to this game],” said broadcaster Ryan Ruocco. “He really doesn’t change no matter who is in the room, who he is in front of. He truly is himself for every audience and somebody who is passionate about giving back.”

According to Martin’s mother and Derek's sister, Sharlee Jeter, Sabathia and his wife, Amber, have trusting voices.

“I think they are good people. People want to support good people,” she said.

As far as the game went, Team Sabathia defeated Team Morgan -- managed by comedian Tracy Morgan -- 5-0 in six innings. Sabathia’s team did all its scoring in the bottom of the third. Ruocco highlighted the scoring with an RBI single.

All proceeds from the event benefit the PitCCh In Foundation and the New York Yankees Foundation. The PitCCh In Foundation, which started in 2008, hosts multiple initiatives throughout the year in the New York Tri-state area and Sabathia’s hometown of Vallejo, Calif., to enrich the lives of inner-city children through education and athletics. The New York Yankees Foundation is committed to dedicating resources to support, develop and implement initiatives that provide area youth with access to positive educational, recreational and social outlets.

“It’s a lot of fun to use the stadium for our foundation,” Sabathia said. “It started off by doing the basketball games at the Barclays Center. I wanted to switch it over and have something that everybody could participate in. We all thought softball would be good. The Yankees have been a great partner. The foundation has been awesome.”

Giving back to the community is nothing new to Sabathia. He has been helping people in need dating back to his days with Cleveland, the organization that drafted him. He was inspired to help because of former Major Leaguer Dave Stewart. When Sabathia was growing up in Vallejo, Stewart made an appearance at the Boys Club where Sabathia was a member.

“I had a chance to meet Dave Stewart when I was 9 years old and it changed the way I saw athletes,” Sabathia said. “I wanted to be visible in the community, not just on the field. That was a huge reason we started PitCCh In.”

A current player who has followed in Sabathia’s footsteps is Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. He has the ALL RISE Foundation, which “inspires children and youth to become responsible citizens by engaging them in activities that encourage them to reach their unlimited possibilities.”

“It has paid off to see it with Judge and the different guys that love to give back because they see what we do,” Sabathia said. “Dominic Smith does a lot of stuff. J.P. Crawford [does the same]. There are a lot of guys that help out in their communities.”