Clayton Kershaw announces retirement after 18 seasons with the Dodgers
Last year, in the midst of a World Series celebration of which he had spent two decades to dream of, Clayton Kershaw took the microphone at the Dodger stadium and made a statement.
“I love you guys, thank you!” He shouted at a worshiped crowd from Ravine Chavez.
“Dodger for life!”
Thursday, this distinction was cemented.
After 18 seasons, three Cy Young prizes, a MVP, more than 3,000 stick withdrawals and two World Series titles, Kershaw announced that he will withdraw from Major League Baseball at the end of this year – starting and ending his career in a Dodgers uniform.
Kershaw’s announcement, which came to a team press release, preceded what could now be its last departure from the Dodger stadium scheduled for Friday evening.
This match will mark his 247th time taking the bump at the only stadium he has ever called at home. And although it will probably take into account the pitching plans of the Dodgers in October, when Kershaw will do another championship more, it could also prove to be the last.
After 222 victories, more than 2,800 rounds and a career of 2.54 ERA, his countdown in CoopStown will start this winter.
After being the face of the franchise during one of the most successful races in the history of the club, the book will finally closure on its illustrious career.
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Kershaw’s retirement was long to come. During each of the last four seasons, he has planned to move away from the game or not. 11 times stars champion and five -time champion, he has long assured his place as the future launcher of the renowned temple. As a leader of all time in the franchise, his place in the club was already registered.
However, Kershaw, 37, has never lost his desire to play.
Despite an elbow injury at the end of the 2021 season, shoulder surgery after the 2023 campaign and foot and knee procedures during the offseason, he returned to continue his Dodgers career – never ready to abandon another defending chase.
This year, he is the author of the Renaissance season who once felt behind him. It has 10-2 in 20 departures with an MPM of 3.53, successful despite a reduced rapid ball speed and a drop in overall stuff. He was a full member of a team of dodgers in first place. And although a more qualifying series race awaits us, the Dodgers trying to defend the title of the World Series from last year, he decided that his time in baseball was finally in place.
“On behalf of the Dodgers, I congratulate Clayton for a fabulous career and thank him for the many moments he has given to Dodger fans and baseball fans everywhere, as well as for all his deep charities,” said the owner of the Dodgers, Mark Walter, in the team’s communication. “It is a truly legendary career, which we know will lead to its enthronement to the temple of the reputation of baseball.”
Initially written seventh in the general classification by the Dodgers of Highland Park High School in Texas in 2006, Kershaw spent all of his professional life in the organization, from the first perspective to young feeling to Cy Young Winner via the launcher of his generation.
He made his MLB debut in 2008 and broke out as a star the following year. In 2011, he won his first selection of stars, his first era title and his first Cy Young prize. The distinctions would continue to come after that – with Kershaw leading the majors in the era each season from 2011 to 2014, winning two other cy Youngs in 2013 and 2014, and becoming only the 22nd launcher to win the MVP honors with its season of 21-3, 1.77 of the time during this 2014 historical campaign.
The rear half of Kershaw’s career was prey to injuries, starting with a bad back which put it aside for a part of 2016.
However, he won another title in the era in 2017 while helping the Dodgers win their first pennant in 29 years. He experienced a resurgence performance in the 2020 season at the pandemic, going 6-2 in the regular season with a 2.16 MPM before finally living a title of the World Series.
Until then, the playoffs were the only area where Kershaw had trouble. In 32 eliminatory series from 2008 to 2019, it was 9-11 with an MPM of 4.43 – poor numbers underlined by atrocious collapses against the Cardinals of St. Louis, the Astros of Houston and the nationals of Washington along the way.
But in 2020, Kershaw defeated these demons, making five departures and in advance 4-1 with an MPM of 2.93 in the first series of victorious global series of Dodgers since 1988. The title, said Kershaw since, meant that he could have imagined.
“I think I have that [World Series] I certainly started to let myself relax a little more, “said Kershaw in 2023.” I did not know that I had carried this weight a lot. “”
And once he won it once, the notoriously competitive left -hander wants to start again.
This is why, even if his body has continued to break down in recent years, Kershaw returned to each spring. He believed, when he was in good health, he could still contribute to a list of World Series. And despite many free agent flirts with his Texas Rangers in the hometown, he has always seen the Dodgers as the best way to get there.
He did the title of the World Series of last year for the emblematic Southpaw. Kershaw was a limited participant, making only seven regular season departures before missing the playoffs with his foot and knee problems. But he enjoyed in the celebration, in particular the winning parade of the title that the 2020 team had been refused by the Pandemic of Covid-19.
He then knew that he would be a dodger for life.
Thursday, he finally became official.
After 18 seasons, Clayton Kershaw calls him a career.
