With the Dodgers win in the World Series an era ended. Clayton Kershaw retired after 18 years, 223 wins, and countless memories. His final career WAR is 80.3. Highest ever for a Dodger player. Pee Wee is second with a 68.5. He went out a winner. His 11-2 record was the second best on the team behind Yoshi.
He left a champion after so many disappointments in previous years. His post season stats are mediocre at best. He was 13-13 with an ERA 2 points higher than his ERA during regular season play. 2020 saw his best post season performance as he was 4-1 during the run to the title.
This year he pitched 2.1 innings in the post season. Just one hitter in the World Series. It was fitting that he got the hitter out on a close play. The Phillies had knocked him around in his 2 innings of work in the NLDS. It had to be satisfying to at least get to contribute to the win in this series after having to sit out in 24.
Whatever CK does from this point on, his legacy is etched in stone. Hs #22 will not be worn again. In five years, he should be a first ballot Hall of Famer. The only question is will the Dodgers wait until after he is elected to retire his number or will they do it much sooner.
Kershaw is the only pitcher in Dodgers history to record 3000 strikeouts while being a Dodger his entire career. Sutton had almost 500 less than Kersh. Injuries the last several years robbed him of the chance to be the Dodger career leader in wins. He finished just 10 behind Sutton.
Many of his greatest accomplishments were at his home field, Dodger Stadium. His only no hitter against the Rockies, his 3000th K. 117 of his 223 wins came at home. His ERA there was 2.26. His ERA against the Giants in their home park, 1.84. The only NL West stadium that he had a losing record at is Chase Field in Phoenix.
He was 33-7 in interleague play with a 2.30 ERA in 65 games. He recorded 20 or more wins against D-Backs, 22-12. Giants, 27-16, Padres, 24-11, Rockies, 29-11. He was in double figures in wins against the Angels, Cubs, Mets, Cardinals and Nationals. He was truly one of the dominant pitchers of his era.
Many fans though still point to his record in the post season. To be fair, he pitched very well quite a few times only to be undone by just one bad pitch. Then there were a few games where he just was not very good that particular day. Much like game 1 of the 23 LDS. But many many times he was more than a match for some of the better teams in the league.
Kershaw was the Dodgers first round pick in the 2006 June draft. They picked 7th that year. These are the players picked before him, Hochevar by the Royals, Gregg Reynolds, Rockies, Longoria, Rays, Brad Lincoln by the Pirates, Brandon Morrow by the Mariners, and Andrew Miller by the Tigers. Of those players, Longoria is about the only one who had an impactful career with the team that drafted him.
On May 25th, 2008, Kersh made his MLB debut against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. He pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs in a 10-inning 4-3 Dodger win. The 20-year-old had an impressive spring training in which he struck out 19 batters in 14 innings. He started the 08 season in Jacksonville. He went 0-3 but had a 2.28 ERA and struck out 47 in 43.1 innings. Colletti promoted him to the Dodgers.
There was a crowd of 46,566 was at Dodger Stadium on that Sunday afternoon. It was chilly, 62 degrees. LA was 25-23, in second place, 3.5 games back of Arizona in the west. The Cardinals were 31-21 in a virtual tie with the Cubs in the central. The Cardinals were looking to rebound from a disappointing season in 07 when they were under .500 and finished in 3rd place. They had a formidable lineup led by Albert Pujols. Troy Glaus who would hit his 300th homer that year was also on the team as was Ryan Ludwick who would finish second to Pujols in slugging that year.
The first batter to face Kersh that day was Skip Schumaker, who would be a teammate of Kersh’s in 2013 just 5 years later. Kershaw struck him out. Brian Barton walked and was doubled home by Pujols. Unfazed, Kershaw struck out Ludwick and Glaus. One of the pitches he unveiled that day was his knee buckling curveball which Ludwick would compare with Barry Zito’s after the game. 
The Dodgers starting lineup that day was Juan Pierre LF, Luis Maza 2B, Andre Ethier RF, Russell Martin C, James Loney 1B, Matt Kemp CF, Blake Dewitt 3B, Chin Lung Hu SS, and Kersh. With one out in the bottom of the first, Maza connected for what would be his only MLB homer off of Todd Wellemeyer who was in his first full season with the Cardinals at age 29.
Kershaw would face the minimum over the next 3 innings. Brendan Ryan had a leadoff single in the second but was erased when Schumaker hit into a DP. In the 4th, Wellemeyer gave up a single to Ethier and Martin doubled him home. St. Louis tied the score in the 6th, when a single by Barton and a single by Pujols put runners at the corners. Ludwick drove in Barton with a fielder’s choice. Kershaw ended the threat by retiring Larue.
LA went up 3-2 in the bottom of the 6th as Pierre singled, went to second on Maza’s sacrifice and scored on Martin’s RBI single. Corey Wade relieved Kersh and walked Izturis, the only batter he faced. Torre brought in Joe Beimel. Izturis stole second and went to third on Martin’s wild throw. Beimel struck out Rick Ankiel and was replaced by Broxton who gave up a sac fly to Miles tying the game. He then retired the last hitter.
So, Kershaw would not get his first win. After 9 innings the game was still tied. Saito who was in his second inning of relief, struck out the side in the 10th. Mike Paris, who was also in his second inning of relief, allowed a leadoff single to Terry Tiffee. Pierre then reached first on a failed sac bunt. He stole second. Sweeney struck out then Ethier lined a game winning single to right giving the Dodgers a 4-3 win. LA struck out 16 Cardinal hitters. Despite Ethier’s heroics, newspaper accounts focused on the rookie pitcher. Ethier understood, ” he is here for a reason.” he said. 
That is how it all started. He threw his no hitter on June 18, 2014, six years later, the only blemish an error by Hanley Ramirez. He struck out 15 batters and needed just 107 pitches for his no hitter. One of the more dominant no-hitters in history. He was saved by a spectacular play by rookie, Miguel Rojas, who would be his teammate during his final two seasons in the majors.
On May 15th, 2015, Kershaw beat those same Rockies, 6-4 for his 100th win. He struck out 10 that night. It was his 5th try at winning #100. Justin Turner drove in 2 in support of Kersh and Jimmy Rollins was a triple shy of the cycle. On April 16th, 2023, Kershaw pitched 7 innings of 3-hit baseball as the Dodgers shut out the Mets for his 200th win in a game at Dodger Stadium. The big hitter that night was J.D. Martinez who homered twice and drove in 4. 
On July 2nd of this year, Kershaw struck out White Sox 3rd baseman Vinny Capra for his 300th K, becoming only the 4th left-handed pitcher in MLB history to do that. The 223rd and final win of Kershaw’s career came on the last day of the season against the Mariners. Kersh went 5.1 innings. Striking out 7, walking 1, allowing 4 hits and no runs. LA was up 4-0 when he left the game.
The final appearance by Kershaw came in game 3 of the 2025 World Series He entered the game with 2-outs in the 12th inning at Dodger Stadium in relief of Emmet Sheehan. The bases were loaded. Kershaw was facing Nathan Lukes. He got him to hit a grounder to Tommy Edman who threw to Freeman for the final out. Freeman would win the game in the 18th inning with a homer.
Kershaw is now retired. There will be no #22 on next seasons roster. In a few years, maybe sooner, that number will join the others on the ring of honor at Dodger Stadium. A fitting tribute to the best of his generation. There will always be arguments as long as those of us who saw Koufax pitch as to who was better. But there is no denying that Kersh went out a Champion, a well-deserved honor.
I remember when he was drafted. Nice run.
The Dodgers should retire his number early this season, perhaps in the second or third homestand during Clayton Kershaw Appreciation Day. It was fitting that he would go out as a champion, contributing at a crucial moment.
My all-time LAD rotation goes Koufax-Drysdale-Kershaw-Fernando-Hershiser, with plans to expand to a six-man rotation assuming that Yamamoto and Shohei continue to shove.
You are going to think I am nuts, but I go with Osteen over Fernando. More wins in less seasons, better ERA more shutouts, almost as many complete games. Except for his first year, Fernando was about as average as you could be. He did toss a no hitter, but Osteen was a very good pitcher while with LA.
Osteen was fine…
But yes, I think you’re nuts.
Okay by me but my take has always been Dodger fans are talking with their hearts when they think Fernando was Hall worthy. He simply did not have the numbers. I am enough of a realist to see that. I loved the guy, but he is not as great as fans made him out to be. Osteen has 23 more career wins. And he pitched almost half of his career for bad teams.
If you don’t understand Fernando’s cultural significance you will never get it.
His success went far to heal the gulf between Los Angeles area residents and the Dodgers over the debacle that taking Chavez Ravine was. It resulted in MANY millions in attendance over many years. But you already know that. You just don’t assign it any value.
His cultural significance I totally get. I give it the value it deserves. But performance on the field counts too. I loved the guy. But fans, especially Dodger fans can be blinded by their love of certain players. Garvey was a very good but not great player. He did not have the numbers that the really great ones at his position have. Fernando is the same thing. Culturally he changed the fan base of the Dodgers singlehandedly. And he will most likely be elected to the Hall at some point for his impact on the game. But on the field, he was a very good, not great player.
Yes, Fernando and “Fernandomania” he inspired were magical… His rookie run was stupendous, and it made him a folk hero.
To me, guys like Sutton and Osteen were just kind of boring. Good, not great…
Sutton won over 300 games simply because he played for 23 years. He never won a major pitching award. He won 20 games just once in his career when winning games actually meant something to the stat geeks. Osteen was pretty much the same guy, not spectacular, just steady. But in the 1965 World Series, he won the most important game of the year. Had he lost, LA might well have not won that series.
You seem to just dismiss the fact that Sutton DID win 300 games. That is Hall worthy no matter how many seasons he played. He won more games than any other LAD. So you are goiing to annoint Osteen over Sutton because of one game?
Sutton was who he was, very good, not great. Longevity does not mean he was great. He was also not very likeablle.
I know he does not get a lot of love here, but how can you leave off the Dodgers pitcher with the most wins as a Dodger…Don Sutton. Same ERA as Osteen, with 56 more complete games than Osteen. Sutton had a better ERA and wins as a LAD than Orel. Granted Sutton did not have a 1988 season and win a CY. His first two playoff appearances (1974 and 1977) were very good. His 1978 postseason was horrendous. He was the only LAD pitcher to beat Oakland in the 1974 WS, beating Vida Blue.
How about a little love for Li’l D.
Sutton should get more respect. I get that totally. I just never liked the guy. But his record stands. I would still take Osteen over Valenzuela. And Sutton over Hershiser.
The guy’s in the HOF… Seems like ample respect to me.
Yep. I have seen a lot of drum beating for Hershiser too, all of it based on just one GREAT year.
Well said.
It doesn’t take a deep dive to come up with some interesting comparisons between Sutton and Kershaw. In two fewer years with the club, Sutton had a thousand more innings pitched, 156 complete games to 25, and more wins.
One might wonder how much better Sutton’s wins and ERA numbers might have been if he had someone like Kenley Jansen finishing for him.
I’ve always liked Sutton. In his scrum with Garvey I think he landed the most scratches and hair pulls.
In a game at DS with Gibson vs Sutton, I won 3 beers betting on various outcomes. Sutton won me 2 and Dodgers offense against Gibson won me the other.
Since I was 3 beers ahead I bet a beer that Crawford would hit a home run on the very next pitch. He did.
I was at his first game at Dodger stadium, I think I might have the ticket around here somewhere. I told my daughter that I read this new pitcher’s supposed to be pretty good so let’s go see his first game
When Kershaw made his debut, I was still living in Arizona and driving long haul I would listen to the games on Sirrus radio. I did not get to see him pitch until I retired so it would be 2011 before I had access to the games. But I was watching the night he threw his no hitter. Since I subscribed to MLB.TV, I have seen almost every game he has pitched and been to a couple of games when he was the starting pitcher. I always felt like the Dodgers had a great chance to win the game when he was pitching. The difference between him and Sandy was, you felt that every time Koufax pitched you had a chance to see something very special Sandy in his prime was just that dominant. But I am very happy I got to see both of them. Dodger legends for sure.
Nice tribute Bear to a great player and even better person. Can’t imagine 26 season without OLold 22 out there. I will miss him!
Mlb.com put out a Kersh era Dodger all-star team:
Thanks Cassidy
Looking at the starting Dodger line-up for CK’s first MLB start makes me grateful we have such great ownership today. It is indeed a great time to be a Dodger fan with ownership so committed to putting money toward player acquisition, development, scouting etc. along with making Dodger Stadium a great place to watch baseball.
Seriously. Luis Maza wtf!
I thought the same thing.
I do actually miss the days when you could bat a guy like that 2nd and not Aaron Judge.
As per MLB analyst Blake Harris of BR Betting, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays are the only two teams remaining in the race to sign Kyle Tucker this offseason.
At this point, what team out there is gonna give him $300M+ other than TOR? Blue Jays know Dodgers aren’t gonna go high on years, so why bid against themselves? Feels like this benefits the Dodgers,” Harris posted via X on Saturday.
Why not the Mets?
I like Blake Harris as a Dodgers blogger. But I have no idea how connected he is. He has never before been consideed connected with any decision makers with the Dodgers or MLB. No reports from Mark Feinsand, Jon Morosi, Jeff Passan, or Ken Rosenthal, so I will wait.
I thought the posting that had AF saying they had someone in mind that helped both sides of the ball. I assume that it is an outfield position which suggests Tucker, Bellinger or Bader. If it’s a trade, I have no idea.
this also shows how cheap and pathetic the Cubs are. They traded for this guy and aren’t even attempting to resign him
Dodgers low A affiliate in the California League will now be in Ontario and the team name is The Tower Buzzers. Rancho is now an affiliate of the Angels. They had an event yesterday featuring Mike Scioscia.
No doubt the name has something to do with Ontario Airport, but I would have preferred The Tower Buzzards.
Going to be interesting to see what kind of a mascot they come up with. Buzzards would have been much easier.
Bear, do you know if the Dodgers own the team or just have a working agreement?
😂 😂 😅 The mascot is a bee. Working agreement. They still show Rancho on the Milb site as a Dodger affiliate.
A bee for the Buzzers. Makes sense.
Per Katie Woo of The Athletic (with Ken Rosenthal contributing), the Mariners and Giants have emerged as the front-runners for Brendan Donovan. She has even reported return prospects who could head back to St. Louis.
· Mariners – P Jurrangelo Cijntje, and OF Lazaro Montes. Cijntje pitches with both arms, and reached AA as a 22 year old. Both are top 100 prospects with Montes #29 and Cijntje #90.
· Giants – LHP Carson Whisenhunt and 2B Gavin Kilen. Whisenhunt has reached MLB as a 24 year old last year, while Kilen was an All American 2B with University of Tennessee last year. I am sure the Giants are checking with their new manager Tony Vitello as to the future projections of Kilen. Neither player are considered a top 100 prospect.
Cijntje will be 23 next year while Montes will be 21. Kilen will be 22 and Whisenhunt will be 25. If it is based on prospects, Seattle has to be considered the better package as it is reported.
Both teams are negotiating with Arizona for Ketel Marte. It will take considerably more to get Marte.
This very much looks like a trade deadline package, and one the Dodgers could participate in. I would imagine that the Dodgers could be considered if they are willing to pony up Zyhir Hope and Jackson Ferris. That would fairly match Seattle and better SF. However, the Dodgers are not considered a team looking to acquire Donovan.
That would be a bad indirect return for Michael Busch.
For what it’s worth just heard an interview on xm radio mlb station Tyler Glasnow said he asked AF if he was getting traded and was told he wasn’t going anywhere. Anything can change at any time but as it stands now it sounds like Skubal is non starter
2019 Astros Top Prospects https://share.google/CkfHImlFZfs9X6BuT
Tucker scouting grades
Damn, he had a 65 run score
Overall 45. Every organization has a truck load of those. He won’t amount to much.
Overall 60, I’m not sure what the pitching numbers were all about.
I was joking. You appear to be the only one who caught it.
Of course Tucker was a top prospect. And now he is the most prized free agent hitter on the market. Who gets him? Whoever is willing to pay him what Bora$$ wants.
Would I would like to see, and probably won’t see, are career projections on players like Tucker. He’s 29, and with his history projects 560 PA’s for ‘26. (I’ll take the under). Projections for his contract are 10-12 years, $400-460 million. How much WAR is he projected to put up over the next 10-12 years, (you know each organization must have algorithms for that number) and what will $/WAR be each year until the end of that contract.
Another question I have would be is there a ceiling on much $ the Dodgers will defer?
My guess is, at 29 Tucker has maybe 5 years of 4,9 WAR in him and after that the number will be dropping. 4.9 WAR is worth a lot of money, so, yeah, he’s probably worth $400-460 million. So I say, pay him and put Teo in LF.
Or trade for Duran or Wilyer.
RIP Rob and Michelle Reiner. Murdered in their own home today. Their son is the prime suspect.
Terrible loss.
“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice, An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others.”
His talent and his voice will be missed.
Yep, and he is also remembered as Archie Bunkers son in law.
”Meat head” if I remember right
He was so much more than that.
Adolis Garcia signed a 1-year deal with the Phillies. Josh Bell signed a 1-year deal with the Twins.
Mets/Padres involved in big trade talks if you believe the dailies.
I’m 71 years old. I was taken by the hand to new Dodger Stadium in 1962 @ 7 yers old. SandyKoufax retired when I was only 11 years old so I can’t say I really understood his greatness at the time he was doing it.
But I understood how incredible Clayton Kershaw was. I was there on Opening Day in 2013 to see him hit his only career home run and I was there form any of his games in his 2014 MVP season. I am blessed to have seen his entire career. Thanks Kersh!
I was at that game too Dan. I think it was like a 1-0 shutout over the Giants. He was just incredible over those 13-14-15 years. His numbers would have been insane except for all the injuries that began to pile up. Still, what a ride with old #22! I will miss him.
Rams atop The Athletic Power Rankings this morning. If they beat Seattle they could stay in California all the way to the Super Bowl. Lakers look good too, but not that good. The Kings are…. I don’t know what the Kings are.
Detroit should trade Skubal but probably won’t until the deadline. If they don’t wait Los Angeles is the likely landing spot.
Tucker remains the best fit for the Dodgers but it’s doubtful he accepts the terms LA prefers.
It feels like a trade is coming but I don’t know where or when. We wait.
And though it hasn’t officially started yet, winter drags on. Going to be 70 on Christmas Day here. Can’t say that in Detroit, though I doubt any Tigers remain there for the winter.
This Thursday will be huge for the Rams, especially without Davante. Take this, and yes, Rams won’t have to leave the state in the playoffs.’
The Lakers are much better than I expected this year, but I still cant’ see anyone beating OKC this year (or San Antonio over the next few years).
Kings are irritating in that they keep going to OT and losing.
Please do not think that I am disrespecting the impact Valenzuela had on baseball in Los Angeles. Fernando was magical that one year. ROY and Cy Young, not even Skenes pulled that off. I just look at the overall body of work and see a very good pitcher who was a cultural icon. But he was and is not a Hall of Fame pitcher.
I am in your camp on Valenzuela. A cultural icon and a very good pitcher. But not a HOF’er. Should be elected to the hall as a broadcaster and baseball ambassador however.
There seems to be a safe bet that Friedman will let the players who won back to back WS to have a chance at a repeat. That means unless Friedman gets an offer he can’t resist, Kike’, Teo, Max, Glasnow, Rojas gets that chance and that list most likely to include Sheehan.
On the bubble would be Kim, Freeland, Wrobleski, Casperious, Dryer, and maybe Rushing.
If Tucker is signed then the Dodgers are even less likely to make a trade.
What do we know about Tucker’s clubhouse attributes and hustle?
As I mentioned above, pay Tucker.
Or make the trade(s) we’ve suggested here.
Bogus, man
Maybe to you, but I can name plenty of pitchers from his era who were as good if not better. We look at him differently.
I would pass on Tucker and sign Bader for CF. Bader for 2 years as the bridge to our OF prospects.
If the Dodgers do sign Tucker, it will be on a short term deal. Which of the 4 OF do you think will put up better numbers than Tucker? I would take Tucker over De Paula and Hope. I would hold onto Quintero and Sirota for CF.
If you could sign Tucker for 4 years $180MM, why wouldn’t you? Because of a maybe on De Paula ,who is more of a DH, or Hope?
That would be a great outcome. Pry that window clean open for the next four years then ease in the youngsters.
I’d take Tucker over all of them.
The likely scenario would probably be pick the one you think is more likely to be an every day + WAR player and move the others. And I’d send them all to Boston for Duran.
I’m in your camp Badger, give me Tucker for four or five years.