At a press conference last week, 37-year-old Dodgers 18-year veteran left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw, three-time National League Cy Young award winner, 2014 National League Most Valuable Player, and 11-time All-Star announced his retirement from baseball at the end of this season.
There was only one team he wanted to play for and retire from and that was the Dodgers. “I’m going to call it. I’m going to retire,” an emotional Kershaw said to his family, teammates and coaching staff attending the press conference. “We talked about it a lot. Ellen (his wife) and I talked about it a lot. The kiddos (his kids) talked about it a lot. I’m at peace with it. I think it’s the right time.”
Manager Dave Roberts fondly spoke about Kershaw’s career. “I think he’s the greatest pitcher in this generation,” Roberts said. “There’s obviously a lot of great pitchers. I’ve just never been around a greater competitor. Very accountable, very consistent. He’s made me better, and I think that we have grown together, so I feel fortunate to have been able to manage him and be around him for 10 years. He’s earned this right to walk away at his choosing.”
Roberts is right. Kershaw will most definitely be considered one of the very best pitchers of his generation. He is also a shoo-in for Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame as a two-time World Series winner and also having received one of the highest individual honors in baseball when he received 2012 Roberto Clemente Award.
Here are a few more accolades. He had a career 2.54 ERA, the best in the live ball era (since 1920, minimum 100 games started). His 154 ERA+ is tied with Pedro Martinez for fourth best all-time; one of only three active pitchers to notch 200 career wins (along with Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer); and this season became the 20th pitcher to strike out 3,000 hitters, a phenomenal feat.
Adding to all of those achievements, Kershaw was awarded the Commissioner’s “Legend Pick” in this year’s All-Star Game in Atlanta.
When asked what he is most proud of in his career, at first, he said “I don’t know,” but then said that he could answer that question. He looked at all of his teammates attending the press conference and said with tears in his eyes, “I think we all play this game for the respect of our teammates. So having these guys here is pretty special. I’m proud of that.”
This season, after recovering from a couple of surgeries from last year, a healthy Kershaw has a record of 10-2 with a 3.53 ERA through his first 20 starts.”
“I don’t know how the rest of the season is going to play out,” Roberts said, “but we certainly wouldn’t be in this position in the standings if it weren’t for him. I’m certain of that.”
One would think that it might be tempting to want to play next year having had such a successful season, but Kershaw is set on going out playing at the top of his game. “Over the course of the season I feel grateful to have been healthy and out on the mound and able to pitch,” Kershaw said. “I think it just made it obvious that this was a good sending-off point, and it is. I’ve had the best time this year. It’s been a blast.”
After he retires, Kershaw is looking forward to spending time with his wife and kids. “I think I’m gonna have enough kids to keep me busy for a while,” he said. “I’m excited to not miss their games and watch all the baseball, volleyball, dance, soccer and other sports that they play. I’m gonna do that for a while, for sure.”
But he will definitely miss the fans. Before the final regular season home game last Sunday against the rival San Francisco Giants, Kershaw took the microphone on the field in front of home plate and warmly thanked the fans to a round of whistles and applause.
The Dodgers are finishing out the regular season on the road, first in Arizona and then in Seattle against the Mariners.
The Dodgers will most likely start the Wild Card three-game series on September 30th against a team-to-be-determined.
Because of how well Kershaw performed this season, Roberts feels that he has earned a spot on the postseason roster and in the rotation.
Let’s see if what Kershaw said to the fans last Sunday comes true, “see you all at the end of October.” That would be a great send-off. Winning back-to-back World Series titles.