It doesn’t take a computer genius to find the endless lowlights of Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw in the postseason. Whether it’s because of bad luck or just the way the history books were meant to be written, the reality is that the Dodger lefty has ended every season of his career disappointed and hungry for more.
ESPN’s Wright Thompson had a fantastic one-on-one interview with Clayton back in March, just two weeks before the start of this next baseball season. Just moments before that hope for a new chance at redemption came to a screeching halt.
Kershaw was ready for a fresh start and was looking forward to playing on what looked to be the best Dodger team in recent memory. These last few seasons have left him with an empty feeling, knowing that when the team needed him the most, he hasn’t been able to deliver.
His words after the Dodgers were eliminated by the Nationals in the first round last season echoed this sentiment.
“I let down the guys in the clubhouse. That’s the hardest part every year. … Everything people say is true right now about the postseason.”
That game was what inspired Thompson to reach out for an interview, telling his agent how emotional it was to see him be willing to fail again and again for the chance at success.
Kershaw’s Legacy
Everyone knows how each of the past 7 seasons have ended. Although the Dodgers have won 7 straight division titles, each postseason was cut short before the final champagne could be poured.
But what baseball fans don’t think about is that while they get to quickly move on and hope that next year holds a different ending, for the players it is a reminder that they have one less opportunity to win, one less season to do what they so deeply love.
As focused as the world is on Kershaw’s mortality, he knows it better than anyone. He knows that time is running out and that father time mourns for no one. Clayton Kershaw is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Moreover, he still has plenty in the tank to give and, hopefully, he gets the chance to… but time is running out.
“This season, whenever it finally begins, will be No. 13 for Clayton Kershaw.
Sandy Koufax retired after 12.”
While the world waits on baseball and other sports to return, all Kershaw can do is wait and prepare. He knows that if things go well, his name could once again be called when it matters most and that’s exactly how he likes it. Many of these past seasons have ended on the heavy shoulders of Clayton, but then again, that’s the way it should be. Through all the years of heartache, there is no way I would rather win it all than by watching him throw the final strike.
