6 former Yankees players who thrived in the New York limelight later in their careers

CC Sabathia battled personal demons and age-related decline while answering the bell with the Yankees

The newest minted Hall of Famer, CC Sabathia, was a bona fide ace with a big-game track record before he ever arrived in the Bronx. The hefty lefty had already reached ace status in Cleveland and put together one of the most mind-boggling "put the team on your back" performances in sports history following his 2008 trade to the Milwaukee Brewers.

After helping the Brewers break a 26-year playoff drought while racking up 17 regular season starts, seven complete games, three shutouts, and a 1.65 ERA, expectations were larger than life for the California native when he signed a seven-year, $161 million contract in the winter of 2008 to lead a rebuilt Yankees rotation.

At the time, the Yankees had seen their dynasty crumble as the pivot from supplementing a homegrown core with key veterans had shifted to bringing in high-priced free-agent mercenaries with nothing to show for it.

Meanwhile, the Yankees' starting rotation was in tatters. Mike Mussina had retired, and the rest of the 2008 rotation - aside from Andy Pettitte, who had returned from Houston - featured journeymen like Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner, as well as free-agent busts such as Carl Pavano and Kei Igawa.

Sabathia was just one part of a Steinbrenner-mandated spending spree that also saw slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira and fellow starting pitcher A.J. Burnett land in the Bronx. However, the pressure firmly landed on Sabathia's broad shoulders, as his past performance and the club's desperate need for an ace made him the focal point.

One of the last vestiges of the 200-inning-plus workhorse starter, Sabathia not only performed under the immense pressure but also embraced it.

With a high-octane fastball and a wipeout slider, the 300-pound southpaw became the ace the Yankees had hoped for, racking up Ks and barking at opposing hitters who dared challenge him.

Sabathia was a big reason the Yankees, who missed the playoffs in 2008 for the first time since 1993, had quickly turned around their fortunes, finishing 2009 with a 103-59 record. The big man would finish fourth in the AL CY Young voting with a 3.37 ERA in 230 innings of work.

However, when the 2009 playoffs rolled around, the Yanks were left with Sabathia and two viable rotation mates, the aging Andy Pettitte and the up-and-down A.J. Burnett.

Sabathia rose to the occasion and, in one October, earned the entirety of his massive contract. Pitching throughout the playoffs on short rest, he proved to be every bit the ace the Yankees hoped for, logging 36.1 innings, 32 strikeouts, and a 1.98 ERA, leading the charge as the Yankees snapped their title drought.

While he would go on to have several more solid seasons in New York, Sabathia's career hit a skid as he faced off against personal demons and entered rehab for alcoholism under the intense scrutiny of the New York media.

Arriving at such a painful crossroads in the middle of the public eye while also seeing your on-field performance suffer would be enough to break players with even the steeliest resolve. Sabathia, however, handled it with openness and grace and has been an inspiration to many others who have experienced the darkness and isolation of addiction.

No one would have blamed Sabathia for calling it a career after 2015, as his off-field struggles combined with decreased velocity made him look like a shell of his former self after three consecutive seasons of a 4.73 ERA or higher.

Instead, he emerged like a phoenix from the ashes, reinventing himself on the mound as a crafty lefty who relied on changing speeds and eye levels to get outs. In 2018, at the age of 37, Sabathia posted a 3.65 ERA, his best mark since 2012.

Sabathia would record 134 of his 251 career wins with the Yankees, posting a 3.81 ERA and proving time and time again that he had the fortitude to rise to the occasion both on and off the field during his 11 years in the New York spotlight.