Kershaw's streak was, at the time, tied for the fifteenth longest scoreless inning streak in MLB history. He was booed loudly upon being pulled from the game. It came a few days after the season ended, with the nonchalance fostered between partners who know how to hear the unsaid after spending more than half their lives together. Clayton doesnt want the kiddos, as he refers to them, to miss him the way he already misses them. Their barometer will be a series of what they call check marks. Instead, a funny thing happened, a development neither of them foresaw: Clayton Kershaw learned how to throw a baseball better than almost everyone in history. The couple leading every bit of the life they envisioned and more. [232], On December 4, 2010, Kershaw married his girlfriend of seven years, Ellen Melson. The same day, he was placed on the 10-day disabled list. Clayton Kershaw Stats, News, Bio | ESPN Leslie made sure Clayton had his own Christmas stocking in the Melson house before he and Ellen graduated from Highland Park. They come through for their people. Inside, the creams and grays of the first floor are classy and elegant, but similarly give little away. [40] He also pitched two innings out of the bullpen for the Dodgers in the 2008 National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Philadelphia Phillies. [148] Kershaw started the opening game of the 2017 World Series for the Dodgers against the Houston Astros. [202] He has often said that he modeled his pitching mechanics after his favorite pitcher growing up, Roger Clemens. [133] He rejoined the Dodger rotation on September 9. [105] Pitching on short rest in Game 4, he would again be dominant, but again would take the loss after giving up a 3-run home run to Matt Adams in the 7th inning. I dont even know if they knew who they were, Clayton says of Leslie and her husband, Jim. [50] He threw his first career complete game shutout on September 14, 2010, also against San Francisco and finished the season with a record of 1310 and a 2.91 ERA in 32 starts, pitching 204+13 innings and recording 212 strikeouts. [88], After the season, Kershaw and the Dodgers agreed on a seven-year, $215 million, contract extension. [44] He started the second game of the wild card series against the Milwaukee Brewers and threw eight scoreless innings while only allowing three hits and striking out 13. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet carries the ball during a win over Utah on Oct. 8. Dodger Prince , if CK goes to Texas, he of course will live there but this MLB lockout will not end anytime soon so he wont be pitching anyway. Kansas State Census Collection, 18551925, National League Pitcher of the Month Award, Player's Choice Award for National League Outstanding Pitcher, Players Choice Awards for Player of the Year, List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders, List of Major League Baseball career ERA leaders, List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders, List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders, List of Major League Baseball career WHIP leaders, Los Angeles Dodgers award winners and league leaders, "Clayton Kershaw, historically relevant ace", "Major League Leaderboards 2020 Pitchers Dashboard | FanGraphs Baseball", "Career Leaders & Records for Hits per 9 IP", "Why fans are riveted by Giancarlo Stanton's race for seventh place", "Clayton Kershaw makes those Sandy Koufax comparisons plausible", "Koufax-like Clayton Kershaw growing into ace Dodgers crave", "Kershaw 1st to lead majors in ERA 4 straight years,", "Childhood Friends: Clayton Kershaw & Matthew Stafford", "When Pro Athletes Were In Little League", "(PRN) Clayton Kershaw Named Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year", "Prep prospects prepare for draft while still in playoffs", "A&M notes: Aggies' biggest concerns against Sooners; Clayton Kershaw sighting", "Dodgers, Angels sign their top draft picks", "Gulf Coast League Top 20 Prospects List", "Suns Split Doubleheader, Kershaw Optioned to Jacksonville", "May 25, 2008 St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers Play by Play and Box Score", "Yearly League Leaders & Records for Youngest", "HP's Kershaw gets first win with Dodgers", "July 27, 2008 Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers Play by Play and Box Score", "2008 Los Angeles Dodgers Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics", "2008 League Championship Series (41): Philadelphia Phillies (9270) over Los Angeles Dodgers (8478)", "MLB: Kershaw takes no-hit bid into eighth, Dodgers beat Marlins", "2009 League Division Series (30): Los Angeles Dodgers (9567) over St. Louis Cardinals (9171)", "Fielder, Zaun homers, Braun's double highlight Brewers' big inning", "NL Quick Pitch: Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw hands Ubaldo Jimenez first loss", "Clayton Kershaw and Joe Torre among suspended Dodgers", "2010 Los Angeles Dodgers Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics", "It's Clayton Kershaw and Dodgers' hitters who are smokin' this time", "Kemp, Kershaw picked for first All-Star Game", "Star bright: Clayton Kershaw named NL Pitcher of the Month", "Clayton Kershaw: First Dodger With Back-To-Back 200-Strikeout Seasons Since 2001", "Tim Lincecum Wants Revenge on Clayton Kershaw", "Clayton Kershaw and Tim Lincecum and an endless pitcher's duel", "Kershaw's 21 win of 2011 puts him in Triple Crown Position", "Kershaw recognized with Warren Spahn Award", "Kemp, Kershaw win Players Choice Awards", "Dodgers' Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Clayton Kershaw all Golden", "Sporting News 2011 MLB awards: AL, NL All-Star teams", "Kershaw is the winner of NL Cy Young Award", "Flu knocks Kershaw out of Dodgers' opener", "Kershaw, Dodgers Win Nailbiter Over Nationals, 32", "Clayton Kershaw Wins National League Player Of The Week", "Clayton Kershaw earns spot on National League All-Star team for Los Angeles Dodgers", "Clayton Kershaw Has Audacity To Allow One (Unearned) Run, Loses", "After Kershaw exits, Dodgers can't close Padres", "Clayton Kershaw finishes with best ERA as Dodgers beat Giants", "Kershaw dazzles with shutout, homer vs. Giants", "Clayton Kershaw 2nd fastest Dodger to 1,000 strikeouts", "Kershaw turns in perfect All-Star third inning", "Puig nabs NL Player, Rookie awards for June", "Clayton Kershaw first Dodgers pitcher since Sandy Koufax with 200 strikeouts in four straight years", "Dodgers 11, Rockies 0: Clayton Kershaw finishes in style", "Dodgers ace Game 1 behind Kershaw's 12 K's", "Clayton Kershaw wins 2013 Warren Spahn Award", "Clayton Kershaw named to Sporting News NL All-Star team", "Clayton Kershaw wins 2013 NL Cy Young Award", "Clayton Kershaw puts Opening Day streak on the line", "Dodgers place Clayton Kershaw on disabled list after back injury flares up", "Clayton Kershaw throws seven shutout innings in return", "Kershaw tosses first no-no as Dodgers rout Rockies", "Clayton Kershaw named NL Pitcher of the Month for June", "Clayton Kershaw, Yasiel Puig lead 4 Dodgers named to All-Star team", "Innings Pitched Records & Scoreless Innings Pitched Records", "Clayton Kershaw wins NL Pitcher of the Month for July", "Clayton Kershaw reaches 200 strikeouts for 5th straight year", "After sim game, Kershaw on pace for NLDS opener", "In M.V.P. LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw 's resurgent 2022 campaign has been put on hold, at least temporarily. [242] When Kershaw won the 2011 Players Choice Award, he donated $260,000 to Hope's Home. Draft: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1st round (7th) of the 2006 MLB June Amateur Draft from Highland Park HS (Dallas, TX). As such, the Kershaws are the very best kind of Park Cities story, a byproduct of its espoused ideals. By the kitchen, theres an unopened bottle of champagne signed by friends with congratulatory messages. [75] He finished second for the NL Cy Young behind R. A. Dickey, receiving two first-place votes. [3] He has been described for much of his career as the best pitcher in baseball, and one of the greatest pitchers of all time.[4]. Clayton delivered a handwritten letter and his beige suit matched her bridesmaids dresses. Thats just as well. [153] He came back in game seven to pitch four scoreless innings of relief in the game, and in the process, he broke Orel Hershiser's Dodgers post-season record with his 33rd strikeout. Kershaw was 22. He interjects himself into photos with Ellen and her girlfriends, tilts his head back and howls along to Rucker covering Garth Brooks Friends in Low Places. He closes out the evening playing auctioneer for a signed Rucker guitar, his raspy voice calling for bigger bids, exhorting the crowd to go higher, until its going once, going twice, sold. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Do you have a blog? But you can come pretty darn close. Kershaw was awarded the Roberto Clemente Award and also the Branch Rickey award for his altruistic work. [146] The four home runs were tied for the most allowed in a postseason game. We present them here for purely educational purposes. [157] On May 6, Kershaw was placed on the disabled list due to left biceps tendinitis. A decade later, Kershaws future is unclear because his contract is set to expire in November. It wasnt how he had envisioned winning a championship, but it didnt matter. He allowed only one run in six innings with seven strikeouts against the Giants, but still lost the game 10. They have a blast, Kershaw said. And I know that he doesnt want to miss those little special moments that can happen any and every day with your kids. Remnants of the October triumph are sprinkled around the Kershaw household. Its all by design for the couple sitting for a rare interview together at a dark-stained kitchen table inside it. This is what we believe. He wants to be Calis protector. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. This is as much a reunion as a charity event, an unofficial homecoming at the end of each baseball season. I have a lot of respect for Corey and Marcus, and they just signed deGrom. Charbonnet was selected 52nd overall in the NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He picks her up. He was the second youngest Dodger to reach that mark, behind only Fernando Valenzuela. I think thats been a big adjustment for us.. He wonders whether hell know when the time is right, whether he can avoid hanging on for too long. The slider has become Kershaw's go-to pitch. [26] On August 6, he was promoted to the Double-A Jacksonville Suns in the Southern League,[27] where he produced a 12 record and 3.65 ERA in five starts[28] and was selected as the top prospect in the Dodgers organization heading into the 2008 season. Even after having a herniated disc in his back he performed out of the ordinary. us. He had cruised through the first six innings while allowing only two hits (both solo homers) and surrendered six runs in the seventh. When they began dating, after Clayton asked Ellen to be his girlfriend between classes during their freshman year, it would be almost another year before theyd spend any time together alone. [188] However, he experienced more arm pain in an October 1 game against the Brewers, causing him to leave the game in the second inning. He was the 8th Dodger pitcher to win the award, the first since ric Gagn in the 2003 season. As far as $5.35 purchases go, Ive done far worse. [83] He was the third player in history to lead the Majors in ERA three years in a row, joining Greg Maddux (199395) and Lefty Grove (192931). [166], Kershaw's contract allowed him to opt out and become a free agent after the 2018 season, but on November 2 he and the team agreed to a new three-year, $93million contract. [60][61], Kershaw finished the 2011 season by leading the NL with 21 wins, 248 strikeouts, and a 2.28 ERA, winning the NL pitching Triple Crown, the first Triple Crown winner since Jake Peavy of the 2007 San Diego Padres and the first Dodger since Sandy Koufax won it in the 1966 season. A pop-a-shot arcade basketball game was stationed on the far wall. One of my favorite teammates of all-time! [203], Kershaw's repertoire includes a four-seam fastball that sits anywhere from 91 miles per hour (146km/h) to 95 miles per hour (153km/h) and in his younger years topped out at 98 miles per hour (158km/h) with late movement, a slider at 84 miles per hour (135km/h)90 miles per hour (140km/h), a 126 curveball between 72 miles per hour (116km/h)75 miles per hour (121km/h), and a seldom thrown changeup (under 3%). Clayton Kershaw ranks amongst the greatest pitchers of the 21st century, winning multiple Cy Young awards and a National League MVP, while also helping the Los Angeles Dodgers take home the World Series crown in 2020. [207][208] According to Al Leiter in the 2018 season, the average spin rate of his curve ball was listed to be barely above league average (2497 rpm, 2484 rpm league average), but he is still able to use the pitch effectively due to better control and location, and having similar release action to Sandy Koufax. In a pre-COVID world, were going on the road with him at least twice a month, traveling and stuff. Kershaws father was out of the picture for most of his life after his parents divorced when he was 10. That cannot last forever, and they know it. The Giants said only that Crawford left for a family emergency, and while they would not elaborate, Crawford's wife Jalynne posted on Instagram the devastating news that one of her sisters died.. And I think the Rangers are on that path.. Her parents grew her in Dallas, where she finished her studies and encountered her high school friend of then and spouse of now, Clayton. [180] He started the first game of the 2020 World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, tying Greg Maddux for second place all-time with 11 Game 1 starts in the postseason. [8] Kershaw is also a three-time NL wins leader and three-time NL strikeouts leader. The girls, meanwhile, were on the Highland Park Belles andbonded over Oprah Winfrey, whose talk show theyd watch after school and compare notes on the following day at school. In 2015, San Francisco Giants ended up losing from the Dodgers team by getting 13 batters struck out by Kershaw. He sees a physical therapist twice a week and throws with a small group of professional pitchers at Highland Park High, where he starred down the road. Everyone but Clayton rolls their eyes at that idea. After the season, Kershaw was named to the All-MLB Second Team. Stepping back into Stroud's 2019 reality, time was running out for him to grab the spotlight. NEXT: Former Dodgers Infielder David Freese Speaks Up About Lockout. Theres no one that I am more excited to tell if something exciting has happened to me, says Shay King, one of the couples closest friends and the development director at Kershaws Challenge.