Clayton Kershaw says thank you to Dodger Stadium in his final regular season start at the historic ballpark he has called home since the 2008 season.
Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw has decided that it’s time to walk away from baseball and will retire at the conclusion of his 18th major league season. He is tied with shortstop and outfielder Bill Russell (1969-1986) and Hall of Fame left fielder Zack Wheat (1909-1926) for the most years playing for the Dodgers in franchise history. At peace with his decision, Kershaw is enjoying the benefits of health in his age-37 season after a series of injuries and surgeries that ravaged his body in recent years. In a retirement press conference which lasted less than 15 minutes, Kershaw demonstrated a wide range of emotions while staying true to who he is as a teammate, husband, father, and icon for a generation of baseball fans. While a prolonged retirement tour throughout major league ballparks is the antithesis of Kershaw’s personality, pitching at Dodger Stadium for the 228th and final time in the regular season with one day’s notice is as comfortable to him as the sweat-stained hat and cutoff t-shirts that have become his signature look.
In the top of the fifth inning with the Dodgers trailing the San Francisco Giants by the score of 2-1, Kershaw struck out designated hitter Rafael Devers which ended his evening after 91 pitches. In Kershaw’s first start at Dodger Stadium on May 25, 2008, he struck out center fielder Skip Schumaker of the St. Louis Cardinals, the first batter he faced in his major league career. The Dodgers went on to defeat the Giants by the score of 6-3 giving Kershaw a no-decision while clinching a postseason berth.
The only question that remains regarding Kershaw’s Hall of Fame candidacy is which member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) will be protected by anonymity and prevent him from being a unanimous selection in his first year of eligibility on the 2031 ballot. Jayson Stark, the 2019 BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner, posted on social media that Kershaw is an all-time, inner-circle Hall of Famer. That’s lofty praise coming from a luminary of the profession.
