“Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story,” a documentary from HBO Sports produced in association with Major League Baseball, debuts Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
The film features the deeply personal story of New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, using as its foundation behind-the-scenes footage from his final season with the Yankees in 2019. In his own words, Sabathia narrates his story, which began in Vallejo, California, where the future pitching great first honed his skills throwing grapefruits from a tree in his grandmother’s yard. As the highs and lows of his last season are chronicled, Sabathia looks back on his legacy as one of the game’s preeminent pitchers, as well as the profound challenges that shaped him, including his longtime battle with addiction that came to a head in 2015 while playing for the Yankees.
.@HBO Sports and @MLB team up for Under The Grapefruit Tree: The @CC_Sabathia Story, debuting Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 9PM: https://t.co/IeTvgDEERy #CCSabathiaHBO pic.twitter.com/ovry8vQlYW
— HBO PR (@HBOPR) December 1, 2020
“I couldn’t be more grateful for the chance to give viewers an inside look into my career and to share my unfiltered story,” said Sabathia. “I struggled for a long time with alcohol addiction and anxiety, which I pretty much hid from everyone I knew. It’s my hope we can inspire athletes and non-athletes alike to open up and let their friends, family and teammates know that there is a path through this. You are not alone.”
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].