Review of "Till the End"

While I have never been a "fan" of CC Sabathia or any of the three teams he played for, I was intrigued when I saw a copy of his memoir available at my local library.  It was a good read and I certainly learned a lot about the man.  Here is my review of "Till the End"

 

Title/Author: "Till the End" by CC Sabathia and Chris Smith

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: As one of the better pitchers in baseball for more than a decade, CC Sabathia was a very public figure, but for a long time he was dealing with a very private battle with alcoholism. That struggle, along with his rise from humble beginnings in northern California and his success in Major League Baseball with the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians), Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees is told in his memoir co-written with Chris Smith. It deals mainly with his baseball career at various levels and ends when his baseball career ends with the Yankees when they were eliminated in the 2019 postseason.

From the beginning, Sabathia shares his pain and dealing with the disease of alcoholism and aside from when he talks about his childhood, it remains a topic throughout the book.  He describes himself as one who doesn't hide when he is upset or wants everyone to know what he is feeling and when he decided to seek treatment, that was the same way he announced it.  He didn't go quietly to his manager and sneak to the rehab facility – he told the world about his disease and what it did to him. Like many other public figures who make this type of announcement, he did so with the hope that it might help others in a similar situation.

He tells very good baseball stories from his time playing high school ball as well as his stint in the minor leagues and then with the Indians.  It was in Cleveland where he became an All-Star and helped the Indians make the postseason.  He was comfortable in Cleveland but also knew the business of the game well enough that his trade in 2008 to the Milwaukee Brewers wasn't a surprise – he enjoyed the challenge of leading them to the postseason.  That lead to a big contract he signed as a free agent with the Yankees, with whom he won his only World Series championship in 2009.  He talks of mostly good memories with teammates and managers for all three clubs.

Sabathia also approaches the topics of racism, mainly through his experiences but also because of the shrinking number of Black players in the game.  Most notably, he talks about his time in Milwaukee mainly through being in a larger group of fellow Blacks than with the other clubs.  While nothing he states is incorrect, his stories may come across to some as complaining.  It should also be noted that he repeatedly states that he got along fine with his white and Latino teammates as well, but was just more comfortable around fellow Blacks.

There is a lot of swearing in Sabathia's account so this book is best read only by adults, but they do add a layer of authenticity to the emotions he has when sharing these tales.  Overall, it is a good book and the reader will get to know the true CC Sabathia, just in a slightly over-the-top way at times.  It is certainly one to read if one wants to learn more about him.

Links: Till the End: Sabathia, CC, Smith, Chris: 9780593133750: Amazon.com: Books