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Indianapolis Star
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Kyle Schwarber was Indiana baseball's last first-round MLB draft pick. That may change Sunday
BLOOMINGTON — Devin Taylor on Sunday could become the first IU baseball player in more than a decade picked in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. Taylor, who holds a slate of program records including the Hoosiers' all-time home run mark (54), won't wait long to hear his name called this weekend. He could be taken as early as the opening round. Not since the Cubs took Kyle Schwarber No. 4 overall in 2014 has a Hoosier heard his name called in the draft's first round, proper or compensatory. But Schwarber is not alone among program alumni to enter the professional game a first-rounder. Here's the company Taylor — widely considered among the best college hitters in the draft — might join Sunday. (draft picks listed chronologically) Round 1, Pick 1, Oakland Athletics, 1966 secondary draft Don Lohse is the answer to one of the MLB draft's great trivia questions: He was the first pick in the sport's first January draft. Beginning in 1966, baseball held a secondary draft for players not taken in the regular draft the previous June. The Athletics took Lohse with the first overall pick, and he spent five years playing in the minors. Lohse's Baseball Reference page suggests his playing career ended after the 1970 season, which he spent with Double-A Birmingham. A right-handed pitcher, Lohse finished his professional career with a 15-30 record, and a 4.56 ERA. Baseball discontinued the January draft in 1986. But Lohse's name is forever attached to another famous draft story because of it. It was in that 1966 secondary draft the Atlanta Braves selected Tom Seaver, No. 20 overall, last pick of the first round, before commissioner William Eckert voided his contract citing exhibition games Seaver's USC team had played the previous season. Because Seaver had already signed a professional contract, the NCAA ruled him ineligible to return and pitch in college, but Major League Baseball denied him entry via the draft until Seaver's father threatened legal action in the matter. Eckert eventually ruled that other teams could match the Braves' offer, and via a lottery the New York Mets won the rights to sign Seaver, who went on to win National League Rookie of the Year in 1967. He eventually became one of the most decorated pitchers of his era, winning three Cy Young Awards on the way to first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. From 2023: IU's Devin Taylor a program changer. 'It's like God made him to be a professional hitter.' Round 1, Pick 8, California Angels, 1966 draft Selected six spots after Reggie Jackson, Jim DeNeff went to the Angels listed as a shortstop, though he could play the field with more utility than that. His BBRef page also suggests he played third base, and in the outfield. Like Lohse, DeNeff never made it to the majors, though he did come closer. Across six minor-league seasons, he played for six different teams, including the 1970 Hawaii Islanders, managed by eventual World Series-winning Pittsburgh Pirates skipper Chuck Tanner. DeNeff spent his last two professional seasons in AAA, across stints with Toledo, Hawaii and Salt Lake City. According to BBRef his career ended following the 1971 season. Round 1, Pick 29, Chicago Cubs, 1993 draft Indiana went 27 years between first-round picks, before the Cubs used a compensatory slot to grab Kevin Orie in 1993. The West Chester, Pennsylvania, native rose quickly through Chicago's system, making his debut in 1997. That season, Orie finished as a finalist for rookie of the year, in a race that also included Livan Hernandez, Andruw Jones and Vladimir Guerrero. Southern Indiana native Scott Rolen won it. Orie would eventually spend parts of four seasons in the majors, splitting his time between Chicago and Florida (now Miami). He also spent time in the high minors with several teams including the Phillies, Yankees and Brewers, before formally retiring in 2006. Insider: IU baseball product set record as best pitcher in Korea, now seeks MLB World Series Round 1, Pick 26, Milwaukee Brewers, 2009 draft The first selection in one of the best drafts in program history, Eric Arnett at the time owned IU's single-season strikeout record when he was taken by Milwaukee in 2009. A long, hard-throwing right-hander from Ohio, the Brewers hoped Arnett might develop into a major league-caliber started. But a raft of injuries plagued his professional career, including rotator cuff problems and a torn ACL. Only once in five minor-league seasons did Arnett manage to throw more than 85 total innings, and he never advanced further than high Single-A ball. According to BBRef his career, spent entirely in Milwaukee's system, ended in 2013. Round 1, Pick 38, Chicago White Sox, 2009 draft The second of three first-rounders for IU that year, Josh Phegley was a compensatory pick to the White Sox. One of the most prolific hitters in program history, he'd helped lead IU to a Big Ten tournament title and its first NCAA regional appearance in more than a decade that spring, leading Chicago to grab him with a comp pick. Phegley reached the majors with Chicago four years later, eventually spending time with both the White Sox and Cubs, as well as Oakland. Across eight major-league seasons, Phegley appeared in 387 games with more than 1,200 plate appearances, 35 home runs, 162 runs batted in and a career .649 OPS. He retired after the 2020 season, and later spent time on former IU coach Tracy Smith's staff at Michigan. Round 1, Pick 46, Minnesota Twins, 2009 draft The last of those three first-round picks in 2009, Matt Bashore closely followed his battery mate off the board to the Twins. A left-handed Ohio native with a wicked curveball, Bashore served as the morning Saturday starter on that '09 regional team that eventually faced Sonny Gray in the NCAA tournament. Bashore's career would also be affected by injuries, namely a second Tommy John surgery required after suffering UCL damage in the minor leagues (he had also required Tommy John once in high school). In total, Bashore made just 29 total appearances in the minors, across stints in the Twins' and Yankees' farm systems. He has since retired from baseball and now works in physical therapy with an emphasis on orthopedic injuries, in Carmel. Round 1, Pick 4, Chicago Cubs, 2014 draft One of the best IU baseball players ever, Kyle Schwarber remains a program legend both for his exploits in college and his career since. A left-handed power hitter, Schwarber anchored the lineup that propelled Indiana to its only College World Series appearance, in 2013. He clubbed 40 home runs across three seasons in Bloomington, also leading the Hoosiers to their first national seed in the NCAA tournament, in 2014. Chasing Devin: More than Kyle Schwarber and the sleeveless slugger, Devin Taylor sets IU baseball HR record Schwarber moved rapidly through the Cubs' system before suffering a serious knee injury early in the 2016 season. He still managed to return in time to contribute to Chicago's historic World Series win that fall. He's since gone on to play for Washington, Boston and Philadelphia, where he's already hit 29 home runs this season. Schwarber's 313 career home runs are the most by any former IU player in major league history. Schwarber — a fan favorite in Bloomington who served as guest picker during ESPN's "College GameDay" visit in 2024 — stands alongside Ted Kluszewski as one of the two best players in program history.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Calls 'Weird' All-Star Nod a 'Tremendous Honor'
Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Calls 'Weird' All-Star Nod a 'Tremendous Honor' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Dodgers saw their longtime ace, Clayton Kershaw, earn his 11th All-Star Game selection, courtesy of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. Advertisement After receiving such an honor, the Dodgers ace reacted to his selection ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers series in a piece from Steve Megargee of the Associated Press. "You never take for granted getting to go to an All-Star game," Kershaw said. "Obviously, I don't deserve to get to go this season. I haven't pitched very much." Kershaw, who pitched just 44.2 innings this season with a 3.43 ERA, likely wouldn't make the All-Star game in any season with these numbers. But Manfred is using his Legend Pick for the first time since 2022. "I didn't really actually know that was a thing. At the end of the day," Kershaw said, "It's weird, but it's cool, so I'm just going to enjoy it." Advertisement While he didn't make the All-Star team like the other players on the team, his efforts in his long 18-year MLB career more than make up for any hard feelings; he also isn't taking a roster spot away from anyone, as it's an extra spot for Kershaw. Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws the pitch for his 3000th strikeout during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images A few days before learning he was heading to his 11th All-Star game, Kershaw reached 3,000 career strikeouts. Combined with his 216 career wins, 76.9 WAR, three Cy Young Awards, and an MVP, there isn't much Kershaw hasn't done in his Hall of Fame career. He's been one of the best pitchers of this era, and Manfred's use of the Legend Pick for Kershaw is in honor of such career achievements. In 2022, Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols earned such nods, and three years later, Kershaw gets one of his own. Advertisement Even though Kershaw isn't making it on his pitching this season, he's still honored to be heading to the All-Star game. "I'll never pass up that opportunity. It's a tremendous honor." Kershaw said, "Super thankful to get to go. Regardless of the situation or how I maybe snuck into the All-Star Game, it's pretty cool to get to be able to go." At 37 years old, Kershaw is heading to his 11th All-Star game, his first since the 2023 season. The Dodgers legend has more than earned this special selection, as he's been one of the best pitchers this century. Related: Rob Manfred Makes Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Announcement Related: Dodgers Announce Roster Moves Ahead of Brewers Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Los Angeles Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Who's better, Clayton Kershaw or Sandy Koufax?
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Sorry we are a day late, asthma, plus a cold, plus smoke in the air from fireworks equals bad breathing. For the next part of our 'Ask....' series. Jaime Jarrín, the Spanish-language voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, for 64 seasons before retiring after the 2022 season, will answer selected questions from readers. Jarrín is in the Baseball Hall of Fame as a broadcaster and was the longtime interpreter for Fernando Valenzuela. Please send your questions to askjaimejarrin@ before 10 p.m. Friday. When Clayton Kershaw reached the 3,000 strikeout mark, Bill Plaschke wrote a column saying it clinched Kershaw being the greatest pitcher in Dodgers history, greater than Sandy Koufax. I could give you pages of stats and biographical information on both men, but I'm guessing most of you already know about them. Books have been written about Koufax, and books will be written about Kershaw. A few weeks ago, I wrote 'Kershaw and Koufax are the two best pitchers in Dodgers history,' and I got inundated with emails from angry Koufax fans, wondering why I would mention them in the same sentence, let alone list Kershaw first (um, alphabetical order). So, I broach the topic very carefully. The thing to keep in mind is they are both great pitchers. Both first-ballot Hall of Famers. Both have won World Series, Cy Young Awards and MVP awards. So how do you determine who is the best? It depends on how much you value certain things. Let's look at some arguments. 1. Koufax had only five great seasons, and they all came when the rules of the time favored the pitcher. 2. In his prime, Koufax pitched 300 innings a season and had multiple complete games (Koufax had 27 complete games in 1965 and 1966. Kershaw has had 25 complete games in his career and never pitched more than 236 innings in a season). Keep in mind that Kershaw never wanted to come out of games, he was really an old-school pitcher stuck in modern times. 3. Koufax is the best postseason pitcher in history with an 0.95 ERA in eight postseason games, all in the World Series. Of all pitchers with multiple Cy Young Awards, Kershaw is easily the worst in the postseason, going 13-13 with a 4.49 ERA. If we just limit it to the World Series, it's not much better, as he is 3-2 with a 4.46 ERA. 4. Koufax pitched in three World Series that the Dodgers won. Kershaw pitched in only one. 5. Koufax didn't have to pitch in multiple postseason rounds like Kershaw did. If he had to pitch in three rounds just to get to the World Series, his numbers likely wouldn't be as good. 6. Kershaw had a much, much longer career where he was one of the best pitchers in baseball. Depending on what you call a great season, it's 10, 11 or 12. Koufax had 'just' the five. 7. Kershaw has a career ERA+ of 155, meaning he was 55% better than a league average pitcher in his career. Koufax's was 131, meaning he was 31% better. Of course, Kershaw didn't pitch into the eight and ninth all that often, helping save his ERA somewhat. Those are just a few of the arguments. As to what I think? If I had to pick one, in their prime, to start a winner-take-all game, I'd pick Koufax. If you said 'You can have this guy's regular-season career, starting from Game 1, for your team,' I'd go with Kershaw. So, it depends on what you consider great. They were both great. Read Plaschke's column, which has several good arguments, by clicking here. Have you read it? Then please vote in our survey, 'Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Sandy Koufax?' Heck, you can vote even if you didn't read Plaschke's column. You can vote by clicking here. Of all teams to be swept by, it had to be the Houston (no relation) Astros? They did expose some problems the Dodgers have had all season: Banged-up players and bad pitching. Max Muncy, who was their best hitter in the last six weeks, is on the IL (more on that below). Tommy Edman has a broken toe. Teoscar Hernández fouled a ball off his left foot Saturday, and is still plagued by the groin injury that put him on the IL earlier this season. He isn't close to 100%. Kiké Hernández went on the IL Monday with elbow inflammation. Mookie Betts hasn't seemed to recover from losing 25 pounds just before the season and is hitting a paltry (by Betts' standards) .252/.324/.397. Last season he hit .289/.372/.491. He is currently on track for the worst offensive season of his career. Add in the fact that Teoscar is just a brutal fielder in right, and you have to wonder if a move back to right is being considered, not that they'd talk openly about it. I mean, it was so bad that Michael Conforto hit fifth Sunday. Pitching wise, Ben Casparius is suddenly having trouble getting people out. Noah Davis, with a career ERA of 8.95 was on the staff and gave up 10 runs Friday. Most of the guys in the bullpen are having bad seasons compared to their career norms. The bullpen ERA (4.41) is 24th of the 30 teams. In the rotation, they have one reliable guy (Yoshinobu Yamamoto), two erratic guys (Dustin May and Kershaw), one guy who might be solid, but it's too soon to tell (Emmet Sheehan), one guy who pitches well but hasn't gone more than two innings (Shohei Ohtani) and a bunch of wishes and prayers for everyone else. We keep hearing that Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are returning soon (Glasnow perhaps this week), but I'll believe it when I see it, and given their history, how long before they get hurt again? Does this mean it is time to panic? Of course not. Despite all of the above, the Dodgers have one of the best records in baseball and have a comfortable lead over the Giants and Padres. They will make the postseason. If you recall, they struggled at times with similar issues last season, and that season ended OK if I remember correctly. Andrew Friedman has shown that he is not afraid the make moves at the trade deadline. You can count on a move or two before the deadline this season (July 31 at 3 p.m. PT). The roster right now will not be the roster on day one of the postseason. So, let's see what happens. You have to feel bad for Max Muncy. He finally had turned things around and was one of the team's best hitters again. Then, his knee is injured when Michael Taylor of the White Sox slides into it while trying to steal third. It looked terrible, as your knee isn't designed to bend that direction. It looked like he had torn everything in his knee and would be out for the season. However, the Dodgers say an MRI exam showed just a bone bruise and he should be back in six weeks. Hopefully, that's what happens and he doesn't lose his swing while he's recovering. However, the Dodgers have been historically vague when talking about injuries. If you remember, Muncy hurt his elbow on the last day of the 2021, in a similar situation, only the runner collided with his elbow at first instead of his knee at third. After that injury, the MRI was described as the best-case scenario, and Dave Roberts said, 'I just don't want to, we don't want to, close the door on a potential down-the-road postseason appearance.' Muncy and the club kept insisting he could return for the postseason if the Dodgers advanced to the World Series. A month or so after the Dodgers were eliminated from the postseason, Muncy said he had torn the UCL in his elbow and knew he wasn't going to play in the postseason. So, hopefully his new injury is the best-case scenario, but I'm not holding my breath. With this injury, the Dodgers said they won't be actively exploring a deal for a third baseman since Muncy will be back, meaning we will know a lot more about the accuracy of what they are saying if they actually don't trade for a third baseman. The five Dodgers who will be on the All-Star team this season: StartersFreddie FreemanShohei OhtaniWill Smith PitchersClayton KershawYoshinobu Yamamoto Kershaw was named as the commissioner's 'Legend Pick.' Christian Walker continues to be a Dodger killer. He had a big series for the Astros, and is one of only nine opponents with at least 20 homers at Dodger Stadium. The list: Barry Bonds, 29George Foster, 23Henry Aaron, 22Dale Murphy, 22Mike Schmidt, 22Willie Stargell, 21Paul Goldschmidt, 20Dave Kingman, 20Christian Walker, 20 In his career against the Dodgers, Walker is hitting .259/.318/.563 with 10 doubles, 28 homers and 64 RBIs in 340 plate appearances. Some have emailed wondering if they should just intentionally walk Walker in every at bat. No. That would be foolish. Just walk him when the situation calls for it (second and third, one out, for example, depending on who is pitching). There is no one in baseball history you should walk every at bat. Dodgers pitchers Clayton Kershaw, Yoshinobu Yamamoto named to all-star game roster Hernández: Dodgers must aggressively pursue pitchers before the trade deadline With Max Muncy expected back from knee injury, Dodgers stick with trade deadline plans Max Muncy heads to IL with what Dodgers are calling a left knee bone bruise Jaime Jarrín's Hall of Fame speech. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Super grateful' Clayton Kershaw, Dodger teammates bask in glow of 3,000th strikeout
The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw follows through on the pitch that struck out Vinny Capra of the Chicago White Sox for Kershaw's 3,000th career strikeout. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) It wasn't so much the culmination of a career as it was another signpost pointing the way to the Hall of Fame. It certainly wasn't the last pitch Clayton Kershaw will ever throw for the Dodgers, but it will likely be among the most memorable. Advertisement Because when Chicago White Sox third baseman Vinny Capra took a 1-2 slider for a strike to end the sixth inning Wednesday night, Kershaw became just the 20th pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 strikeouts. More people have flown to the moon than have struck out 3,000 major league hitters. And for Kershaw, who has been chasing history since he threw his first big-league pitch as a skinny 20-year-old, entering such an elite club will be a big piece of his legacy. Read more: Plaschke: There are 3,000 reasons Clayton Kershaw is the greatest pitcher in Dodger history Only now he has the wisdom and the grace to realize it was never about him in the first place. Advertisement 'It's an incredible list. I'm super, super grateful to be a part of it,' Kershaw said. 'But if you don't have anybody to celebrate with, it's just doesn't matter.' Kershaw would know since he's one of the most decorated players in history. Twice a 20-game winner, a five-time ERA champion and two-time world champion, he's won three Cy Young Awards, was a league MVP and is a 10-time all-star. 'The individual stuff,' he repeated 'is only as important as the people around you.' So while Kershaw stood out when reached the 3K milestone on the 100th and final pitch he threw in the Dodgers' 5-4 win, he refused to stand apart, pausing on his way off the field to point at his family sitting in their usual seats in the front row of the loge section. He then accepted hugs from teammates Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernández. But he saved his warmest embrace for manager Dave Roberts, who bounded up the dugout steps to greet him. Advertisement 'We've been through a lot together,' said Roberts, who has guided Kershaw through doubts and disappointments, through high points and lows in their 10 years together. 'I'm one of the few people in uniform that has been through them,' Roberts said. 'That was kind of what the embrace was.' Kershaw, 37, is just the fourth left-hander to reach 3,000 strikeouts but more important, he said, is the fact he's just the second in a century, after Bob Gibson, to do it with the same team. No pitcher, in fact, has spent more years in a Dodger uniform that Kershaw. 'I don't know if I put a ton of stock in being with one team early on,' he said. 'Over time you get older and appreciate one organization a little bit more. Doc [Roberts] stuck with me, too. It hasn't been all roses, I know that. Advertisement 'So there's just a lot of mutual respect and I'm super grateful now, looking back, to get to say that I spent my whole career here. And I will spend my whole career here.' Kershaw struck out the first batter he faced in his Dodger debut 18 years ago, getting the Cardinals' Skip Schumaker to wave at a 1-2 pitch. It was the first of three strikeouts he would record in his first big-league inning. So even from the start, the K in Kershaw — the scorebook symbol for a strikeout — stood out more than than the rest of the name. In between Schumaker and Capra, Kershaw fanned nearly 1,000 different hitters, from CJ Abrams and Bobby Abreu to Ryan Zimmerman and Barry Zito. Read more: Clayton Kershaw reaches 3,000 career strikeouts, is 20th pitcher to do so in MLB history Advertisement He's stuck out (Jason) Castro and (Buddy) Kennedy, Elvis (Andrus) and (Alex) Presley and (Billy) Hamilton and (Alex) Jackson. He's whiffed (Scott) Cousins and brothers (Bengie and Yadier Molina), a (Chin-lung) Hu and a Yu (Darvish), a Cook (Aaron) and a (Jeff) Baker as well as a Trout (Mike) and multiple Marlins (Miami). Former Giant Brandon Belt was Kershaw's most frequent victim, striking out 30 times in 62 at-bats. Fewer than 50 batters have faced him at least five times without striking out, according to Baseball Reference. Along the way Kershaw's unique windup, the right knee pausing as he lifts both hands just above his cap, has become an instantly recognizable silhouette for a generation of Dodger fans. There's only one other left-hander in team history that can compare with Kershaw, yet he and Sandy Koufax are so different the comparisons are more contrasts than anything. Advertisement Kershaw has been brilliant over the entirety of his 18-year career, winning 10 or more games 12 times. He's never finished a season with a losing record and his career ERA of 2.52 is the lowest of the last 105 years for pitchers who are thrown at least 1,500 innings. Even at 37, he's unbeaten in four decisions. Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw walks off the mound after recording his 3,000th career strikeout as right fielder Andy Pages, left, and first baseman Freddie Freeman, right, react behind him. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Koufax was 36-40 with an ERA above 4.00 through his first six seasons. And while Koufax's career was ended by injury before his 31st birthday, Kershaw has pushed through repeated problems with his back, shoulder, knee, toe, elbow, pelvis and forearm. Only Don Sutton has won more games in a Dodger uniform than the 216 that belong to Kershaw, who will soon be enshrined next to Koufax and Sutton in the Hall of Fame. Advertisement 'Early on they were talking about this next Sandy Koufax guy, this big left-hander. Really didn't have an idea where the ball was going, but pretty special,' said Roberts, who retired as a player after Kershaw's rookie season. 'It's much better to be wearing the same uniform as him.' But Roberts has seen the other side, when the young promise gives way to pitfalls. He's seen Kershaw battle so many injuries, he's spent nearly as much time on the injured list as in the rotation over the past five seasons. Alongside the brilliance, he's seen the uncertainty. So with Kershaw approaching history Wednesday, Roberts loosened the leash, letting him go back to the mound for the sixth inning despite having thrown 92 pitches, his most in more than two years. 'I wanted to give Clayton every opportunity,' he said. 'You could see the emotion that he had today, trying to get that third strike. But I think it just happened the way it's supposed to happen, in the sense that it was the third out [and] we got a chance to really celebrate him.' Advertisement Each time Kershaw got to two strikes, something he did to 15 of the 27 hitters he faced, 'I said a few Hail Marys' Roberts said. 'It's the last box for Clayton to check in his tremendous career,' he added, saying he doubted many more pitchers will ever reach 3,000 strikeouts. 'You've got to stay healthy, you've got to be good early in your career, you've got to be good for a long time.' Read more: Hernández: The Dodgers have the best record in baseball. Why they still have room to improve And Kershaw has been all of that. That, Roberts said, was behind the second long hug he and his pitcher shared in the dugout Wednesday night as a highlight reel of Kershaw's career played on the video boards above both outfield pavilions. The sellout crowd, which had long been on its feet, continuing cheering, eventually drawing Kershaw back out onto the field to doff his cap in appreciation. Advertisement 'That ovation,' he said 'was something that I'll never forget, for sure.' Because who wants to celebrate alone? Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
‘Super grateful' Clayton Kershaw, Dodger teammates bask in glow of 3,000th strikeout
It wasn't so much the culmination of a career as it was another signpost pointing the way to the Hall of Fame. It certainly wasn't the last pitch Clayton Kershaw will ever throw for the Dodgers, but it will likely be among the most memorable. Because when Chicago White Sox third baseman Vinny Capra took a 1-2 slider for a strike to end the sixth inning Wednesday night, Kershaw became just the 20th pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 strikeouts. More people have flown to the moon than have struck out 3,000 major league hitters. And for Kershaw, who has been chasing history since he threw his first big-league pitch as a skinny 20-year-old, entering such an elite club will be a big piece of his legacy. Only now he has the wisdom and the grace to realize it was never about him in the first place. 'It's an incredible list. I'm super, super grateful to be a part of it,' Kershaw said. 'But if you don't have anybody to celebrate with, it's just doesn't matter.' Kershaw would know since he's one of the most decorated players in history. Twice a 20-game winner, a five-time ERA champion and two-time world champion, he's won three Cy Young Awards, was a league MVP and is a 10-time all-star. 'The individual stuff,' he repeated 'is only as important as the people around you.' So while Kershaw stood out when reached the 3K milestone on the 100th and final pitch he threw in the Dodgers' 5-4 win, he refused to stand apart, pausing on his way off the field to point at his family sitting in their usual seats in the front row of the loge section. He then accepted hugs from teammates Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernández. But he saved his warmest embrace for manager Dave Roberts, who bounded up the dugout steps to greet him. 'We've been through a lot together,' said Roberts, who has guided Kershaw through doubts and disappointments, through high points and lows in their 10 years together. 'I'm one of the few people in uniform that has been through them,' Roberts said. 'That was kind of what the embrace was.' Kershaw, 37, is just the fourth left-hander to reach 3,000 strikeouts but more important, he said, is the fact he's just the second in a century, after Bob Gibson, to do it with the same team. No pitcher, in fact, has spent more years in a Dodger uniform that Kershaw. 'I don't know if I put a ton of stock in being with one team early on,' he said. 'Over time you get older and appreciate one organization a little bit more. Doc [Roberts] stuck with me, too. It hasn't been all roses, I know that. 'So there's just a lot of mutual respect and I'm super grateful now, looking back, to get to say that I spent my whole career here. And I will spend my whole career here.' Kershaw struck out the first batter he faced in his Dodger debut 18 years ago, getting the Cardinals' Skip Schumaker to wave at a 1-2 pitch. It was the first of three strikeouts he would record in his first big-league inning. So even from the start, the K in Kershaw — the scorebook symbol for a strikeout — stood out more than than the rest of the name. In between Schumaker and Capra, Kershaw fanned nearly 1,000 different hitters, from CJ Abrams and Bobby Abreu to Ryan Zimmerman and Barry Zito. He's stuck out (Jason) Castro and (Buddy) Kennedy, Elvis (Andrus) and (Alex) Presley and (Billy) Hamilton and (Alex) Jackson. He's whiffed (Scott) Cousins and brothers (Bengie and Yadier Molina), a (Chin-lung) Hu and a Yu (Darvish), a Cook (Aaron) and a (Jeff) Baker as well as a Trout (Mike) and multiple Marlins (Miami). Former Giant Brandon Belt was Kershaw's most frequent victim, striking out 30 times in 62 at-bats. Fewer than 50 batters have faced him at least five times without striking out, according to Baseball Reference. Along the way Kershaw's unique windup, the right knee pausing as he lifts both hands just above his cap, has become an instantly recognizable silhouette for a generation of Dodger fans. There's only one other left-hander in team history that can compare with Kershaw, yet he and Sandy Koufax are so different the comparisons are more contrasts than anything. Kershaw has been brilliant over the entirety of his 18-year career, winning 10 or more games 12 times. He's never finished a season with a losing record and his career ERA of 2.52 is the lowest of the last 105 years for pitchers who are thrown at least 1,500 innings. Even at 37, he's unbeaten in four decisions. Koufax was 36-40 with an ERA above 4.00 through his first six seasons. And while Koufax's career was ended by injury before his 31st birthday, Kershaw has pushed through repeated problems with his back, shoulder, knee, toe, elbow, pelvis and forearm. Only Don Sutton has won more games in a Dodger uniform than the 216 that belong to Kershaw, who will soon be enshrined next to Koufax and Sutton in the Hall of Fame. 'Early on they were talking about this next Sandy Koufax guy, this big left-hander. Really didn't have an idea where the ball was going, but pretty special,' said Roberts, who retired as a player after Kershaw's rookie season. 'It's much better to be wearing the same uniform as him.' But Roberts has seen the other side, when the young promise gives way to pitfalls. He's seen Kershaw battle so many injuries, he's spent nearly as much time on the injured list as in the rotation over the past five seasons. Alongside the brilliance, he's seen the uncertainty. So with Kershaw approaching history Wednesday, Roberts loosened the leash, letting him go back to the mound for the sixth inning despite having thrown 92 pitches, his most in more than two years. 'I wanted to give Clayton every opportunity,' he said. 'You could see the emotion that he had today, trying to get that third strike. But I think it just happened the way it's supposed to happen, in the sense that it was the third out [and] we got a chance to really celebrate him.' Each time Kershaw got to two strikes, something he did to 15 of the 27 hitters he faced, 'I said a few Hail Marys' Roberts said. 'It's the last box for Clayton to check in his tremendous career,' he added, saying he doubted many more pitchers will ever reach 3,000 strikeouts. 'You've got to stay healthy, you've got to be good early in your career, you've got to be good for a long time.' And Kershaw has been all of that. That, Roberts said, was behind the second long hug he and his pitcher shared in the dugout Wednesday night as a highlight reel of Kershaw's career played on the video boards above both outfield pavilions. The sellout crowd, which had long been on its feet, continuing cheering, eventually drawing Kershaw back out onto the field to doff his cap in appreciation. 'That ovation,' he said 'was something that I'll never forget, for sure.' Because who wants to celebrate alone?
