Clayton Kershaw Embraces His Dodger Stadium Ship-off in ‘Good’ Farewell

LOS ANGELES – Lower than an hour earlier than first pitch, Clayton Kershaw climbed the steps out of the house dugout at Dodger Stadium for what is perhaps his final ever outing on the venue he has referred to as residence for the final 18 years. 

He sauntered towards the house bullpen, the place a crowd gathered and roared. He jogged from left discipline to middle and stretched in entrance of the wall as followers took out their cell telephones, attempting to snap a picture of an evening they are going to in the future inform their children about. 

The longest-tenured Dodgers pitcher of all time went about his regular pregame stretch routine, finally deciding on the grass in shallow left-center, the place he normally takes a few minutes to take a seat, breathe and focus.

(Photograph by Rob Leiter/MLB Pictures through Getty Pictures)

Solely this night time, his 228th and last common season begin at Dodger Stadium, was something however regular.  

“Clearly a little bit bit more durable tonight, a little bit bit more durable to do this,” Kershaw stated. “However in a great way.” 

As Kershaw sat down along with his fingers locked within the outfield, he appeared up and surveyed the scene. His eyes appeared to properly up. 

The Dodgers would go on to beat the Giants 6-3 and clinch a spot within the playoffs on Friday.  But each accomplishments paled compared to the actual purpose 53,037 followers confirmed as much as the ballpark in a last send-off for one of many recreation’s biggest left-handed pitchers.

“There’s no means I might attempt to soak all of it in tonight,” Kershaw stated. “Eighteen years of recollections, you may’t simply put into phrases in a single night time or really feel all of the feels you can presumably really feel.”

(Photograph by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Pictures through Getty Pictures)

Earlier than the Dodgers took the sector, the place gamers stayed again close to the dugout. Kershaw took the mound alone as “We Are Younger” blared from the sound system. His teammates knew he wouldn’t prefer it, however they did it anyway to provide the followers one other likelihood to acknowledge him. They wished that for him. 

“He’s going to have a statue right here fairly quickly,” stated Mookie Betts. “Someone like that deserves any little second he can get some shine.” 

Kershaw grabbed the rosin bag and motioned for his teammates to hitch him, however they weren’t budging, save for 24-year-old rookie catcher Dalton Speeding. 

“I went on the market with him,” recalled Speeding, who described the night time as the highest second of his baseball profession. “I don’t know if I used to be alleged to or not. I didn’t get the memo. I simply wished to ensure when he was able to throw the ball, I used to be there to catch it.”

(Photograph by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Pictures through Getty Pictures)

Kershaw acknowledged the gang and each dugouts, then dug in. 

Three pitches in, the Dodgers trailed. 

Leadoff hitter Heliot Ramos cared little for the pomp and circumstance, sending a 431-foot blast out to middle. Constant visitors adopted for Kershaw, who nonetheless discovered a strategy to restrict injury, as he has so usually by means of the course of a profession that features the bottom ERA of any pitcher (minimal 2,500 innings pitched) over the past 100 years. 

Kershaw stranded two runners within the first and two extra within the second earlier than Miguel Rojas evened the rating with a house run. 

“When you’ve got the chance to play behind one of many biggest that ever takes the mound, you wish to do the perfect you can,” Rojas stated. 

The Giants jumped again forward an inning in a while an RBI base hit from Wilmer Flores. Kershaw wanted 64 pitches to get by means of three innings. The fourth inning was cleaner, although nonetheless taxing. With two outs and two strikes, the gang rose to its toes. 

Chants of “Let’s go Ker-shaw” erupted, as if everybody was attempting to will the bodily and emotionally spent left-hander ahead. Willy Adames fought off 4 straight two-strike pitches. Placing batters away isn’t as simple because it as soon as was, however whereas his strikeout stuff has lessened, Kershaw’s persistence stays. He finally received Adames to swing by means of a slider on the ninth pitch of the at-bat. 

“You’re attempting to give attention to the night time and getting outs, nevertheless it’s a special occasion,” Kershaw stated. “It’s the final time right here, probably, and this place has meant a lot to me for therefore lengthy. I didn’t wish to not give it some thought. I’m type of mentally exhausted as we speak, actually, nevertheless it’s the perfect feeling on the earth now.”

(Photograph by Ronald Martinez/Getty Pictures)

A couple of rows up, Magic Johnson cheered. One row forward of the Dodgers part-owner, a contingent of Kershaw’s former Dodgers teammates — a bunch that included Andre Ethier, Russell Martin, AJ Pollock, Jimmy Rollins and longtime catcher Austin Barnes — additionally rose to its toes. Figures from all through his sports activities journey, together with childhood buddy Matthew Stafford, made it out for the event. 

“Simply all aspects of my life,” Kershaw stated. “I had household, buddies, neighbors, everyone from again residence got here too.”

Kershaw allowed eight baserunners in 4.1 innings however surrendered solely two runs. He gave the Dodgers an opportunity, and so they made it an evening to recollect. 

The underside of the inning was like a passing of the torch from one period of Dodger baseball to the subsequent as Shohei Ohtani blasted a go-ahead three-run residence run, shaking a stadium able to erupt. The get together continued one batter later when Betts made it back-to-back photographs, breaking the sport open. 

“Clearly there have been a number of feelings on the market, however we have been in a position to maintain these at bay and handle enterprise,” Betts stated. “I believe we gave him some recollections that may final a lifetime.”

Kershaw’s last common season efficiency at Dodger Stadium ended, fittingly, the identical means it started with a strikeout on a fastball, albeit with a a lot totally different zip than it as soon as possessed. 

On Might 25, 2008, a clean-shaven, 20-year-old launched into a big-league journey that will finally embrace three Cy Younger Awards, an MVP trophy, 11 All-Star appearances and two World Sequence titles by hanging out the primary batter he ever confronted, delivering an elevated 95-mph heater previous the bat of Skip Schumaker. From the stands, his highschool sweetheart, Ellen Melson, cheered heartily. 

Seventeen years and 4 months later, Kershaw now wears a beard noticed with grey. His highschool sweetheart, Ellen Melson, is now Ellen Kershaw, his spouse and a mom of 4. Kershaw’s fastball not has the identical life it as soon as did, but he has tailored to seek out methods to provide. 

Clayton Kershaw in 2025 and Clayton Kershaw in 2008 (Getty Pictures)

On the ballpark he nonetheless calls residence, Kershaw delivered his 3,044th strikeout — and what might need been his final at Dodger Stadium — for the primary out of the fifth inning on an 89-mph four-seamer that Rafael Devers watched go by. 

Eradicating Kershaw from the sport in the course of the body allowed the followers who had lived and died with all of his accomplishments and failures an opportunity to ship a correct send-off. 

“It’s virtually like a relationship, proper? You’ve been in it 18 years with them,” Kershaw stated. “There’s some nice occasions after which there’s some occasions the place you most likely wish to break up for a minute. Simply having them behind me the best way they’ve been has been the icing on the cake.”

Over his prolonged profession, the legendary left-hander has stored few mementos; the baseball from his last common season strikeout is an exception. Speeding instantly threw the ball to 3rd baseman Kiké Hernández, who positioned it in Kershaw’s glove. Time appeared to freeze. Roberts stood stationary close to the third-base line, permitting Kershaw to be embraced by his teammates, to soak up the adoration of the followers and to even obtain applause from the rival staff he had confronted extra occasions than any membership in his profession. 

(Photograph by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Pictures through Getty Pictures)

“You needed to simply type of be there to essentially really feel the feelings,” Betts stated. “I’m simply glad I used to be part of it and I can inform my children that I received to play with Clayton Kershaw.” 

Kershaw shook his supervisor’s hand and gave him a hug. Ellen smiled by means of tears from what she describes as her “perch” within the stands alongside her 4 children. Kershaw started his stroll again to the dugout and blew a kiss to his household earlier than taking off his cap to the followers, who paid high greenback to be in attendance for a second that they’ll speak about the remainder of their lives.  

“I believe simply having the ability to stroll off the mound there, that’s most likely what I’ll keep in mind probably the most,” Kershaw stated. “I advised Doc, ‘I’m not attempting to be disrespectful, however I’m holding this ball.’ To have the ability to do this, lookup and see my household, see the followers, the ovations and all that stuff, I believe when you’re out of the sport, that’s when you can begin to truly recognize it a little bit bit extra.”

Kershaw hugged Max Muncy, the longest-tenured Dodger place participant, on the high step of the dugout earlier than making the spherical of embraces. When the followers beckoned for extra, Kershaw emerged for a curtain name. 

The night time, nevertheless, was not but a triumph. He left trailing 2-1. 

For many of his 18 seasons, Kershaw shouldered a heavy burden, taking up a load far higher than could be requested of the standard participant. He pitched on brief relaxation. He got here in out of the bullpen when referred to as upon. Each additional October inning invited catastrophe. Together with euphoric highs got here devastating lows. However he earned respect by by no means ducking the problem. 

“There’s all the time been accountability,” Roberts stated. “If you look again on the circumstances at a few of the issues that occurred — whether or not it is the 240 innings or pitching on very brief relaxation a number of occasions in a postseason — and by no means working from that, that duty because the ace, with that, you have to tackle a number of scrutiny or potential failures. Every part wasn’t optimum for him. However he by no means complained about it, by no means made an excuse for it.”

Within the last common season begin of an unprecedented profession, his staff returned the favor for his 18 years of service by rallying for a 6-3 comeback win. 

Afterward, the Dodgers opened seven bottles of Verve Cliquot for a postgame toast to Kershaw. 

Lots of his teammates nonetheless can’t come to phrases with the tip.  

“For so long as I’ve been right here,” Muncy stated, “it’s been 22.” 

Roberts knew for a pair weeks that Kershaw’s retirement was coming. Freddie Freeman knew for greater than a month however was sworn to secrecy. The primary baseman figured Kershaw would hold his determination below wraps, however he’s glad Kershaw determined to exit with one final hurrah for the followers at residence. 

“Good night time,” Kershaw stated. “It actually was.” 

Just one extra begin is assured for Kershaw, subsequent weekend in Seattle. The Dodgers could have selections to make in October, with their full secure of starters — Ohtani, Kershaw, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Emmet Sheehan — all wholesome and accessible. 

Nonetheless concerned he’s, profitable another championship for Kershaw is certain to function an added incentive this October. 

“I can do the maths,” Kershaw stated. “I do know there’s solely so many spots. I’m simply going to attempt to proceed to pitch properly. Pitch properly in Seattle, after which we’ll see what occurs.”

Rowan Kavner is an MLB author for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand coated the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved again to the West Coast in 2014. Observe him on X at @RowanKavner.

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