Pitching star CC Sabathia has taken his place in Cooperstown after being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

On the day of Sabathia's Hall fo Fame induction, it's worth remembering the most valuable personality on Yankees' 2009 championship team.

Hall of Famers CC Sabathia and Dave Parker played briefly for the Brewers. Radio announcer Tom Hamilton is a native of Waterloo.

The outfielder was joined by former Cleveland and Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, also elected in his first year of eligibility, and closer Billy Wagner, who made it in his final try on the writers’ ballot.

In his first few years out of retirement, Sabathia dropped 40 pounds of fat and gained 20 pounds in muscle alone. At 6-7, he is still bigger than most people, but he is in much better shape than when he was 50 pounds overweight during his playing days.

CC Sabathia might be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t get here without a wait. First, there was the family car trouble -- hilariously chronicled on social media -- that delayed Sabathia’s arrival to this village that serves as baseball’s mecca.

For CC Sabathia, getting elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame was much easier than actually getting to the Hall of Fame.

That season, Sabathia led the American League in shutouts. And he led the National League in shutouts. No other pitcher in MLB history has done that, and it's likely none ever will again. Sabathia, at the peak of his powers, was a legend.