HBO A still from 'Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story'
The latest sports documentary from HBO Sports is Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story, which premieres Tuesday, December 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.
If you don’t have HBO and you’ve used your HBO Max free trial, here are some other ways you can watch Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story streaming online for free:
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Amazon Prime’s HBO Channel
Amazon Prime subscribers (Prime comes with a 30-day free trial) can watch all live and on-demand HBO content on the Prime HBO channel. You can try both Amazon Prime and the HBO Channel at no cost with a free trial right here:
Once you’re signed up for the Prime HBO Channel, you can watch Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story live or on-demand on the Amazon Video app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Nvidia Shield, Xiaomi, Echo Show or Echo Spot, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, various Smart TV’s, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch on your computer via the Amazon website.
Watch HBO on Hulu
Whether you already have Hulu or you want to sign up for a new subscription, HBO is available as an add-on to either Hulu or Hulu with Live TV. If you’re a new subscriber, you can start a free 30-day trial of regular Hulu plus the HBO add-on:
Once signed up, you can watch Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story live or on-demand on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet.
Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
‘Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story’ Preview
Produced as a joint venture between HBO Sports and Major League Baseball, Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story chronicles the story behind former New York Yankees pitcher Carsten Charles “CC” Sabathia, featuring behind-the-scenes footage of his final season with the Yankees in 2019.
https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/under-the-grapefruit-tree-the-cc-sabathia-story
Sabathia uses his own words to narrate the story, looking back on his legacy “as the highs and lows of his last season are chronicled,” says the HBO site. He also talks about “the profound challenges that shaped him, including his longtime battle with addiction that came to a head in 2015 while playing for the Yankees.”
In a recent interview with WQAM radio, Sabathia talked about having to admit to his ballclub that he had a drinking problem and needed to go into a rehab program — he said admitting it was extremely hard.
“That picture of me smoking weed on the balcony in Baltimore, the incident in Toronto where I was drunk on the street … there were times I was crying for help in 2015, and I knew I needed it to be honest – but I didn’t know if I was gonna have the balls to go in and tell someone I was an alcoholic and needed help,” said Sabathia. “That was the hardest part of facing it, was telling someone I needed help. The last five years since I have been out of rehab have been wonderful, but everything leading up to telling someone and facing my addiction was the hardest part.”
Sabathia also talked about his childhood and how that shaped his addiction and recovery.
“I first started drinking as a teenager, and I was a huge binge drinker from the start. It got worse in my 20s … my dad and my cousin passing away sent me on a dark path, and I ended up in rehab at 35,” said Sabathia. “I was close with my dad until I turned 12. My parents split, and I didn’t see him again until I was 16 or 17, but he was battling addiction the whole time. When we did reconnect, he let me know he had HIV, and he had his own demons I had no idea about.”
When he finally reached out for help, he said it was because he was “tired of disappointing people.”
He also praised the Yankees organization, saying “everyone in the organization understood and had a positive reaction. They really had my back and made me feel like I made the right decision.”
Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story premieres Tuesday, December 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.
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