Maybe CC Sabathia knows what he's doing after all.
The New York Yankees' hefty lefty drew some concern recently when he showed up to Spring Training at a bulky 305 pounds. That's about 30 pounds more than he was last season.
But, as evidenced by former teammate Robinson Cano's weight issues, Sabathia's decision to pack on the pounds appears prescient.
Cano told reporters that when he played in New York (he was on the Yankees from 2005-2013) and along the East Coast he would regularly lose about 20 pounds thanks to the oppressive heat.
But that wasn't the case during his first season in Seattle, where the weather is somewhat gloomier. The 6-foot tall Cano told the Seattle Times that, during his years in New York, he would start the season at around 220 or 225 pounds. After enduring dozens of scorching afternoons in the Bronx, Boston and Baltimore, he would be down to 205 or 210.
Even though he now plays in the AL West, regularly visiting California and Texas, Cano didn't shed pounds in 2014 like he normally does. Cano ended the 2014 season at 225 pounds.
Whether because he was heavier or because he was playing in a new environment, Cano's numbers dipped slightly in 2014. He hit .314 with 82 RBIs and only 14 home runs. His 37 doubles and 187 hits were his fewest since 2008.
This week Cano showed up slimmer, having lost 14 pounds since the end of the 2014 season. He's also healthy after taking six weeks off to heal a broken pinky toe he suffered while touring with an MLB All-Star team in Japan.
The 32-year-old, who won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009, is not lacking in confidence.
“On paper, we look like a world champion,” Cano told the Times. “But it’s not how we look on paper. We have to go out there and prove it every single day. Hopefully we’ll be able to stay healthy the whole year.”
