Yankees: CC Sabathia shows beauty of confession in Under the Grapefruit Tree

CC Sabathia’s documentary ‘Under the Grapefruit Tree’ is a must watch to understand his Yankees tenure.

When Charles Carsten “CC” Sabathia Jr. was growing up in Vallejo, California, one way he would practice pitching was by throwing grapefruits at his grandmother’s lawn chair.

Such is the stuff on which legends are built. Sabathia’s anecdote invokes a spectrum of experiences, from Mariano Rivera learning to play baseball with a cardboard glove to the “wax on, wax off” car-washing of the The Karate Kid.

But what stands out about Under the Grapefruit Tree, a new documentary about the pitching star, is how little it makes of this origin story.

Sure, its the source of the film’s snappy title, and a reference point for its cinematography, but Under the Grapefruit Tree is not a rags-to-riches miracle story. If anything, it’s the opposite.

From a strictly athletic standpoint, CC Sabathia’s career had three acts: his youthful days pitching for Cleveland, his peak with Milwaukee and New York, and his final seasons, where he had to learn to use craft to make up for depleted athleticism.

Under the Grapefruit Tree, however, zips through those first two acts. The documentary’s interest is in the third.

For while Sabathia’s decline from 2013-15 and comeback from 2016-19 could simply be explained as natural parts of an athlete’s life-cycle, CC and his wife Amber know better.  It wasn’t age that was hurting CC; alcoholism also took its toll.

A key feature of Under the Grapefruit Tree is that it is almost exclusively narrated by Sabathia himself. Structurally, this is a good choice, as it forces the film to opt for modesty over lavish celebration. When Sabathia discusses his statistical accomplishments, he does so from a place of modesty and awe. He feels blessed to have reached the level of his heroes (“black aces”) Fergie Jenkins and Bob Gibson.

More importantly, the narration cements the film as the lefty’s genuine story. For Sabathia, the core of this story is not superstardom, but being a great ambassador for the black community and overcoming personal tragedy.

The film’s approach to storytelling makes it original and authentic. Growing up, I felt like sports media bombarded me with one annoying message: work hard and you’ll succeed! As that kid who always gave it his all, but still never made any tryout teams, that messaging wasn’t exactly satisfying.

Under the Grapefruit Tree, by contrast, teaches a real life lesson, devoid of saccharine cliché. CC and Amber had to recall unhappy, intimate truths to create their film, but for doing so they were rewarded. The bond between the pitcher and his fans has never been stronger.

Sabathia’s framing of his career speaks to what’s so likable about the Yankees era that started in 2017. In the days of George Steinbrenner and Derek Jeter, it was unthinkable for a player to react to a playoff loss without calling it a failure. But in the days of Aaron Boone, and an elder Brett Gardner, a different tone has taken over. Team chemistry and dedication are emphasized over ultimate results.

Under the Grapefruit Tree takes that logic another step forward. Sabathia expresses gratitude for his literal and figurative teammates: figures like Adam Jones, Chris Young, Amber, the Sabathia children and CC’s parents.

The lefty’s candidness also highlights a troubling reality: that many players do not speak out on their personal struggles. When players get in trouble for off the field behavior, the best fans will hear is a canned, vague apology. And that’s a shame. It sends the message that all that matters in a player’s redemption quest is their results on the field.

CC Sabathia didn’t need to “redeem” himself. Prior to the release of this documentary, the weight of his alcoholism wasn’t understood outside of his personal circles. But he nonetheless told his story, and sent a message: that success can serve as a mask for other struggles. More importantly, the film shows that demons like his can be overcome.

Under the Grapefruit Tree is not the story of a miracle athlete finding his gift. Rather, it is the tale of two fathers, their love for their sons, and the pain they suffered along the way (Unless you’re an Astros fan). Under the Grapefruit Tree represents a piece of the athlete experience the baseball community cannot afford to ignore.

Yankees: Gerrit Cole roasts CC Sabathia over first pitch on R2C2 podcast

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole took maybe two seconds to get in a jab about CC Sabathia's brutal first pitch on the R2C2 podcast.