Tomorrow is International Left-Handers’ Day. Fittingly tonight’s AL East match-up between Tampa Bay and New York features two of the best southpaws in the game, CC Sabathia and David Price.

One of them, however, didn’t exactly start out as a lefty. Let me explain.

When Sabathia was just learning the game in Vallejo, Calif., he played his first two years of T-ball hitting righty and throwing righty. But he didn’t throw very well, which is what prompted his father to suggest a drastic change. He asked his son to try throwing left-handed.

We know what’s happened since.

“It’s just one of those things, man,” said Sabathia, whose left arm landed him a seven-year, $161 million payday with the Yankees. “I guess he saw something.”

Sabathia holds his silverware, signs autographs, picks up objects and plays ping-pong with his right hand. He bowls with both. Meanwhile, just about the only thing he does left-handed his swing a golf club and, of course, pitch.

“Now, I can’t even throw right-handed,” Sabathia said. “It’s weird.”

Not that he misses that skill. Sabathia is doing just fine in his life as a lefty, finding himself (once again) firmly in the middle of the Cy Young race.  After a sluggish start, the big lefty found himself on one of his trademark rolls for nearly two months before being brought down to earth again by the Yanks arch-rivals the Red Sox.

“I’ve always felt like that, that I get better as it gets going,” Sabathia said, his valuable left shoulder covered in ice. “The weather starts warming up and I start to feel better. These are big games down the stretch. It just feels good to know that you can go out there and command a game, dominate a game.”

Let’s see if he can get himself back on track tonight versus the fading Rays.

Source: Marc Carig @ The Star-Ledger