Most baseball experts view Dodger legendary pitcher Sandy Koufax’s six-year run of outstanding dominance (1961-1966) as the best of any to ever play the game. Unfortunately, Koufax had to retire at age 30 due to arm problems which limited his career numbers.
It could be argued that Clayton Kershaw is the greatest Dodger pitcher when it comes to longevity.
In his 18th season at age 37, Kershaw got his 3,000th strikeout on Wednesday to place him in an elite group of 20 pitchers who have reached that milestone. No other Dodger is on that list. It came on his 100th pitch of the night, the final out of the sixth inning. That allowed a more extended time to celebrate Kershaw and his remarkable achievement with the fans and his family. How magical was that!
It’s nice to know that Koufax has been Kershaw’s inspiration whenever Sandy visited spring training camps. Kershaw was the one Dodger player to speak at the dedication ceremony of Koufax’s statue. How nice a coincidence that both pitchers are lefties and have last names that start with ‘K’ which is shorthand for strikeout.
Kershaw won the Cy Young award three times in 2011, 2013, 2014, that last year also winning the MVP award. Only 20 other pitchers in the history of the game have earned that honor.
Look at how Kershaw compares to others in the 3,000-strikeout club:
- He is one of four left-handed pitchers on that list; Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton and CC Sabathia are the others.
- He is one of three pitchers who stayed with the same team for their entire careers; Walter Johnson (Washington Senators) and Bob Gibson (St. Louis Cardinals) are the others.
- He ranks fourth with the most strikeouts per nine innings.
- He ranks second behind Walter Johnson (2.17) with the lowest career ERA of 2.52.
- He ranks first with the highest winning percentage of .697 (216-94), meaning 70 percent of his decisions were victories.
What makes these achievements even more remarkable is the type of player and person Kershaw is:
- He’s a modest man who puts his team ahead of his individual feats. To prove how true that is, last year when he was injured and hardly pitched, he was ecstatic about the Dodgers winning the World Series even though he admitted he had nothing to do with it.
- He leads by example. His teammates marvel at his strict discipline in his preparation, adhering tightly to a timed routine that never varies which explains his consistency.
- He is a competitor who pitches even better when there is traffic on the bases.
- He is a decent person who never swears on the mound, a man of faith, who along with his wife Ellen has raised over $23 million assisting at-risk children and their families around the world with their Kershaw’s Challenge organization.
In his press conference after the game, he mentioned one pitcher in his time with whom he modeled himself after: CC Sabathia. Kershaw mentioned how Sabathia would often pitch on short rest and put his team on his shoulders during the playoffs. Sounds like Kershaw and his competitive approach to the game. No matter how many tough times he’s had in the playoffs, he’s the first one willing to push his body to its limits to help out his team.
I had a hard time deciding whether to attend Wednesday’s game. The big draw was the high chance that Kershaw would reach 3,000 strikeouts—he only needed three more. When you go to a game, there’s no guarantee your team will win or that you’ll witness something extraordinary like a no-hitter. But this felt like a near certainty. However, ticket prices had skyrocketed. In the end, my rational side won over my emotions, and I chose to watch the game on TV. That was a mistake.
That’s why when Kershaw is elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame five years after he retires, I will travel to Cooperstown to see that happen. It’s the least I could do to pay my respects to a man who has given me so many wonderful moments as a Dodger fan.
Crosby Chronicles 