Clayton Kershaw made history with the Los Angeles Dodgers this week as he became the 20th member of the 3,000 strikeout club, and only the fourth left-hander to do so (the others are CC Sabathia, Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton.)
The 3,000-strikeout club is one of baseball’s most exclusive, with legends Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux,Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Tom Seaver, Don Sutton, Roger Clemens, among the few that have achieved the milestone.
After his latest accomplishment, Kershaw told reporters that it was overwhelming to hear the fans at Dodgers stadium erupting in an ovation that lasted xis minutes. “I don’t have a lot of great words other than it was just really special,” an emotional Clayton said.
Kershaw gets a unique gift from the Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers‘ grounds crew removed the pitching rubber from the mound and gave it to pitcher Clayton Kershaw after his 3,000th strikeout. The moment was the culmination of an incredible feast for the Texas native, who’s a key part of the California team. The pitcher couldn’t belive how heavy the rubber was, but nevertheless he was really happy to get a special recognition.
Kershaw struck out the first Major League hitter he faced when he debuted as a fresh-faced 20-year-old on May 25, 2008. It took a seven-pitch battle, but Kershaw sent the St. Louis Cardinals‘ Skip Schumacher down swinging for the first strikeout of his career.
It has been more than 17 years since that day, and Kershaw has since cemented himself as one of the best pitchers of his era. He joins the San Francisco Giants‘ Justin Verlander and the Toronto Blue Jays‘ Max Scherzer as the other active members of the 3,000-strikeout club. The Atlanta Braves’ Chris Sale (2,528 strikeouts in age-36 season) and the New York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole (2,251 strikeouts, out for his age-34 season due to Tommy John surgery) are the next-closest active pitchers.
Clayton Kershaw has nothing left to prove
In his 18th big league season, Clayton Kershaw — a three-time Cy Young Award winner, the 2014 National League MVP and a two-time World Series champion — hardly has anything left to prove. Three thousand strikeouts might just be the crowning accomplishment for a decorated career that will see him immortalized in the Hall of Fame.
“I think that to get 3,000 strikeouts, that takes a long time,” Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “and a lot of trials, tribulations, surgeries, rehab, frustration, tears. To continue to fight back, come back, show up and post, that’s hard to do. … There was a lot of emotion for Clayton. I hope he enjoys this one, and now I think he can even say that every box for him has been checked.”
Kershaw has acknowledged that there was a time when he didn’t recognize what it meant to spend an entire career with one organization, let alone reach the heights he has with the Dodgers. He has an appreciation for it all now, and it made his milestone night all the more special.
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