An education: Sabathia joins protest with family

Former All-Star and Cy Young Award-winning left-hander CC Sabathia joined the Ringer's BS Podcast on Friday and spoke to Bill Simmons about his recent participation in a Brooklyn protest against police brutality, joining tens of thousands of people across the country who have taken to the streets following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

"We went out with the family -- my kids are really into this, I have a 16-, 14-, 11- and 9-year-old," Sabathia said. "The 9-year-old has been super curious about everything that's going on, and curious about [the possibility of being] killed because of the skin color he has, and just everything that's going on in America right now."

Sabathia retired last year after spending 11 seasons with the Yankees, also having pitched for the Indians and Brewers during a 19-year MLB career. He has long been involved in his local community wherever he has played, and founded the PitCCh In Foundation for inner-city youth in 2008. The organization currently operates in Northern California, where Sabathia is from, and the New York tri-state region.

"After this George Floyd murder, we just felt obligated to get out there with the kids, educate them on everything that's going on, and get out there, not just post up on social media," Sabathia said. "... I'm going out there protesting and marching with my boys and my daughters so hopefully they don't have to do it with their kids."

Sabathia said he and his family had plans to participate in other protests in the tri-state region over the weekend, and that he valued the experience not only for himself, but for his children, whom he wants to understand the importance of speaking out against injustice.