Vallejo High Alumni Amber Sabathia and CC Sabathia Reflect on Roots, Mentors, and Giving Back

Photo Credit: PitCCh In Foundation

VALLEJO, Calif. — Vallejo High School alumni Amber Sabathia and Carsten “CC” Sabathia have built careers rooted in perseverance, leadership, and community — values they say were shaped early in Vallejo City Unified School District.

CC Sabathia, a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, and Amber Sabathia, a sports business executive and agent, continue to invest in Vallejo through their PitCCh-In Foundation, which supports local students, families, and educators. The foundation is the largest annual donor to the Vallejo Teacher Store and has also led initiatives such as backpack giveaways and youth baseball clinics.

In this Q&A, the Sabathias reflect on the mentors who helped shape them, the lessons they carried into high-pressure environments, and why giving back to Vallejo remains central to their family’s mission.

Q: During the “CC Sabathia Day” ceremony, your former coach, John Stevens, called you a “coach’s dream.” What lessons from your time in VCUSD stayed with you throughout your career?

CC Sabathia: John Stevens was the first person to really show me what it meant to work hard. I didn’t understand what that meant until I met him in ninth grade. He pushed me every day. At first, I didn’t get it, but I realized he did it because he cared.

Coach Hobbs taught me even more — about baseball and about life. Playing for Coach Wilson and Vick Wallace also shaped the person I am today. Those men helped me believe that a kid from Vallejo could have big dreams and actually make them happen. That belief stayed with me through every rough season and every big moment.

Q: When you return to Vallejo High School or Corbus Field, what is the first memory that comes to mind?

CC Sabathia: I think about being a kid watching Chris Smith, Ali Evans and Jason Shelley. They inspired me to play on that field.

Amber Sabathia: I always think about the community. Vallejo High School was a place where everybody knew everybody. Even when resources were limited, there was pride on that campus, and you felt supported.

Q: How important is it to you that current VCUSD students see you not only as a celebrity, but as someone who once stood where they stand?

CC Sabathia: It means everything. I want kids in Vallejo to look at me and think, “If he made it, I can too.” I’m not separate from them — I am one of them. I walked those same halls, faced those same challenges and played on that field. I want them to know their dreams are possible.

Q: Amber Sabathia, how did growing up in Vallejo prepare you for higher education and your career in sports business?

Amber Sabathia: Vallejo taught me resilience early. I learned how to advocate for myself, how to adapt and how to work hard even when the playing field wasn’t level. Those skills carried me through college and into boardrooms. Vallejo kids grow up with grit, and that grit became my competitive advantage.

Q: In what ways did your Vallejo roots help you navigate high-pressure environments like New York and professional sports?

CC Sabathia: Vallejo makes you tough. You learn to block out noise and stay focused. Vallejo is diverse, and growing up around so many different people helped me relate to the world. It made me comfortable in any situation.

Amber Sabathia: Vallejo also teaches you how to read people quickly. That emotional intelligence helps you stay grounded and authentic, no matter what room you’re in.

Q: What advice would you give current VCUSD student-athletes who want to achieve success?

CC Sabathia: Outwork everybody. Be coachable. Don’t let setbacks define you. Talent may get you noticed, but discipline and consistency keep you in the game. Always do the right thing, even when it’s easier to take shortcuts.

Q: The PitCCh-In Foundation is the largest annual donor to the Vallejo Teacher Store. Why was it important to support teachers?

CC Sabathia: Teachers were my first coaches. They shaped me.

Amber Sabathia: And they often do it without the resources they deserve. Supporting teachers means supporting the entire ecosystem that lifts kids up.

Q: What do you hope students take away from your clinics and community programs in Vallejo?

CC Sabathia: I want them to see possibility. I want them to feel like baseball — or whatever they love — can take them places. And I want them to know they’re worth investing in.

Amber Sabathia: Access is everything. When kids see coaches, mentors and leaders who look like them, it changes what they believe is possible. Our clinics and community programs create pathways for kids who might not otherwise see themselves in the sport.

Q: What message do you have for VCUSD alumni about staying connected to Vallejo?

Amber Sabathia: Your story starts here. Don’t forget the chapters that shaped you.

CC Sabathia: The kids coming up behind you need to see you. Show up. Give back. Represent Vallejo with pride.

Q: If you could grant one wish for the future of VCUSD students, what would it be?

CC Sabathia: Equal access to every resource they need to chase their dreams.

Amber Sabathia: A community that continues to believe in them, invest in them and celebrate them.

As they continue expanding their work through the PitCCh-In Foundation, Amber Sabathia and CC Sabathia said they hope their story serves as a reminder of what is possible for Vallejo students. Their message to the next generation is simple: dream big, stay grounded and never forget where you come from.