Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman gave former Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw one last memory to hold onto ahead of his retirement: The ball from his final out in the major leagues.
Kershaw made his final appearance for the Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series last season, coming in for the final out of the 12th inning with the bases loaded. The southpaw forced a groundout from Nathan Lukes to end the inning, but the ball found its way to the stands before Kershaw could get his hands on it.
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Even with the ball lost in a sea of blue, Friedman managed to retrieve it for Kershaw.
“The fan who caught it eventually reached out to Friedman,” The Athletic’s Andy McCullough wrote. “The ball made its way to Kershaw’s home in Dallas, where Ellen gave it to her husband for Christmas.”
Kershaw chimed in on the matter, stating the ball seemed like the real deal.
“No authentication or anything — but it looks like the real ball,” Kershaw said. “So I’m going to keep it.”
The keepsake is a small token of the Dodgers’ appreciation for Kershaw, who has spent the last 18 years as the cornerstone of the franchise.
Kershaw made his debut for the Dodgers in 2008, and instantly propelled himself into stardom. The left-hander won three Cy Young awards in four years from 2011-14 — finishing second in the year which he didn’t win it — and earned an MVP award in the final season of that stretch.
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He also won three World Series championships, five ERA titles, a Gold Glove and a Triple Crown during his time in MLB.
Throughout his major league career, Kershaw maintained a 2.53 ERA through 455 appearances on the mound. He struck out 3,052 batters in his career, and is one of just 20 pitchers in the history of the game to reach 3,000 strikeouts.
The southpaw isn’t done just yet, though, as he declared his intent to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic with Team USA on Thursday. Kershaw will be making his first WBC appearance after missing out of the 2023 roster, and will hope to help bring Team USA their second ever first-place finish this year.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
LA Baseball Report
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