Their journeys to baseball immortality were the talk of the weekend — in more ways than one.
On the drive from New Jersey to Cooperstown, his wife’s car broke down — delaying their arrival. Sabathia turned to social media to chronicle the trip, posting one update at the end of the weekend that captured his feelings best:
“Woke up in the Hall of Fame!!! Still doesn’t feel real,” he wrote on X Monday morning.
That feeling — of disbelief, gratitude and wonder — echoed throughout the weekend.
“I keep needing to pinch myself,” Wagner said.
On Monday morning, the trio joined MLB Network’s Jon Morosi for The Road to Cooperstown Live at Doubleday Field, reflecting on their journeys and the whirlwind celebration. The roundtable event was held under sunny skies, with participants in the Museum’s Membership program in the on-site audience.
Sabathia and Wagner both admitted to feeling imposter syndrome while processing their place among the game’s greats.
“It feels surreal,” Sabathia said. “We had the [Hall of Fame] dinner last night after the ceremony and every corner of the room you look in is one of my favorite players. I grew up a huge baseball fan and to understand and being able to sit in that room now and call myself a Hall of Famer is just incredible.
“This was nothing I ever played for, but I am super grateful that I am here now.”
Each inductee had a private moment to view their plaque in the Hall — a powerful reminder of their legacy.
“I don’t think you can put it into words,” Wagner said. “You walk in [the Plaque Gallery] and you see the greats of the greats, and your name is a part of that. I mean, I’m like CC. I don’t know if it’s sunk in. I don’t know if you ever truly belong.
“But when that plaque’s up there and you see me beside CC and Ichiro, I mean, it’s such an honor. … It sure does feel good to wake up in the Hall of Fame.”
Asked what they’d add if given one more minute in their speeches, each inductee offered a different reflection.
“Just my respect and love to the fans in Cleveland, Milwaukee, New York, having a chance to play in those great cities,” Sabathia said.
Wagner pointed to the behind-the-scenes support he received from each organization he played for.
“They got you through some tough days, when you were tired, when you were sore and just acknowledging what they did for me,” he said. “They pretty much got me to where I am today.”
Ichiro, on the other hand, reflected on paying it forward.
“I think this is what the Hall of Fame is all about,” Ichiro said. “It’s the next generation. I’m playing catch with Billy Wagner’s son, Kason, and it’s the next generation coming together and being here in Cooperstown, and that was kind of the moment where I was like, ‘Wow, this is the Hall of Fame.’”
Ichiro also spoke about promoting girls’ baseball in Japan, where opportunities for women to continue after high school are limited. He hosts an annual game where he plays against the girls’ national team to give them a platform.
“Women’s baseball is becoming really popular, it’s really growing,” Ichiro said. “But there’s not a platform where they can showcase their talents. So by me playing in a game against them, it gives them a platform to really showcase what they can do.”
Sabathia also emphasized his role in inspiring young Black pitchers, referencing his connection to the Black Aces — a group of African American pitchers who won 20 games in a season. He credited Jim “Mudcat” Grant with pushing him to be part of that legacy.
“He started the whole movement and he put that on me,” Sabathia said. “He was like, ‘I need you to make sure you stay a starter. I need you to make sure you become that ace that everybody wants you to be, and you need to win 20 games.’ After I won the Cy Young in ’07… he was like, ‘You’re not done.’ I had only won 19 games at that point, and he was like, ‘I need you to win 20 games. I need you to be a Black Ace, it’s very important.’ And I am just forever grateful that he put that on my back, and I was able to deliver.”
Now, he hopes others can follow.
“There’s Black kids playing the game,” he said. “There’s Black pitchers playing the game, but they need to get the opportunity to grow into a starter like I did.”
As their playing days officially give way to a new chapter, the Class of 2025 steps forward not just as legends, but as advocates for the future of baseball.
“We are all on the same playing field now,” Wagner said. “We’re all in the same locker room, and we all have a different purpose for how we want the game to grow now.”
Noah Douglas is the 2025 communications intern in the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Leadership Development
