Familiar names part of young talent at WWBA event

During their illustrious big league careers, CC Sabathia and Carl Crawford faced off 71 times. With 10 All-Star Game selections between them, the duo always represented must-see TV. Star vs. star. Skill vs. skill.

But now, Sabathia and Crawford are on the same team as dads to a pair of highly skilled young players. Infielder Carsten Sabathia and Justin Crawford, an outfielder like his old man, represent key cogs on a roster replete with talent. The team is just coming together for the first time at the 2019 WWBA Underclass World Championship, a 17-and-under wooden-bat tournament operated by Perfect Game, in Fort Myers, Fla.

Young Sabathia, young Crawford and the rest of their high school-aged teammates represent the best of the best from a summer of showcases hosted as part of the Breakthrough Series, a diversity-focused developmental and scouting program run by MLB and USA Baseball. From the DREAM Series in Tempe, Ariz., to the Hank Aaron Invitational that took place at the historic Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla., a diverse group of kids was assembled to oppose many of the country's top travel teams. In all, the tournament is hosting 210 of the best squads in pool play until Monday, when seeding will take place.

While they certainly come with impressive pedigrees, Sabathia and Crawford are anything but the beneficiaries of nepotism. As hard working as they are polished -- evidenced by their beyond-their-years poise -- the young stars raved about the joys of playing during the Breakthrough Series and now in Fort Myers.

"I am close with every one of these guys. I made friendships for life here, ultimately doing what we love -- playing baseball and getting better at it. And getting where we want to be," Sabathia said.

Sabathia, Crawford and their teammates are unmistakably in the best hands, playing for a lineup of former big league players and coaches such as Junior Spivey, Marvin Freeman, Homer Bush and Jerry Manuel.

"It's amazing to be able to work with these former MLB players who have been there, and we are trying to get there," Crawford said. "Just to pick their brains to see what's going through their heads in certain situations, it's truly amazing."

Crawford opined that such guidance carries an extra weight.

"Someone else can say the same thing, but coming from them, it's a little different because you know they've really lived it before," Crawford said.

The youngsters also understand that they can learn from the wisdom of their fathers, with whom they are incredibly close. The elder Crawford, a 15-year big league veteran, is retired. The senior Sabathia, meanwhile, is putting the final touches on a career that one day may receive Cooperstown recognition.

"He's always available, I can always call him up," said Sabathia of his towering left-handed dad. "Mostly with him, it's the mental side. He's helped me a lot with that. I am really blessed and fortunate to have him there.

"I am always in contact with him, texting him whenever he's free. Letting him know how I am doing. It's awesome to always be in touch with him."

However devoted they are to their on-field futures, both Sabathia and Crawford have impressed their cohorts and coaches as gentlemen and scholars beyond the diamond.

"It's amazing to have the opportunity to coach such good kids, good ballplayers also. They are hungry for information. They want to be the best they can be, while excelling in the classroom," said coach Spivey, a former big league All-Star (2002) and dad to a rising amateur star of his own.

"This is not an easy sport. It's the hardest sport on earth to play," Spivey said. "I know how hard this game is, but I know what it takes to get to the next level. It takes hard work and repetition."

But in comparison to the pressures of being a fatherly fan, Spivey joked, playing baseball is a walk in the park.

"There's more pressure on the father for sure," Spivey said. "If you put in the work, you don't have any pressure. It's about putting that work in. You have to pay the price, and the price is paid through hard work."

Even with more than 3,000 career K's under his big league belt, the elder Sabathia transforms into a pure fan when discussing his son's baseball development.

"Just to watch his journey start with baseball. Having it kind of start with MLB through the Breakthrough Series and Hank Aaron Invitational, getting a chance to play at SunTrust Field. It's been great experiences for him," the 6-foot-6 southpaw said.

"It's been a lot of fun seeing these guys grow up in the game."

While his dad has been a superhero of sorts both on and off the field, the younger Sabathia recognizes where the onus to perform lies.

"I've got to go out and do what I have to do. There's nothing [my father] can do. All he can do is sit behind that fence and watch. I've got to do what I do, and get it done," he said.

"I am trying to take this as far as I can go and see what I can do with it," said Crawford of his baseball aspirations.

Both players have been exposed to the big league lifestyle and will continue to march toward realizing dreams of their own. And if the early returns are any indication, their journeys may not end for quite some time.