Former Cardinals Slugger Claps Back at Clayton Kershaw for 'Bush League' comments

The future Hall of Famer did not like this one bit.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who announced earlier this season he would retire at the end of the year, speaks to the crowd during the 2025 World Series championship celebration at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. | JOE LUMAYA/SPECIAL TO THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Long before the Los Angeles Dodgers created their own "evil empire," the St. Louis Cardinals had their number in the postseason. In 2013, St. Louis dispatched the Dodgers in a six-game NLCS. The next year, the two teams met in the NLDS, with the Cardinals winning in four games.

In Game 4 of that series, Matt Adams hit a go-ahead home run off of Clayton Kershaw that proved to be the difference. The Cardinals won 3-2 and advanced to the NLCS. Before Kershaw's last start at Busch Stadium in 2025, the Cardinals showed a video of that moment, with Kershaw calling the move "bush league."

Adams recently clapped back at Kershaw's comments.

Ex-Cardinals slugger claps back

Oct 7, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) reacts after giving up a three-run home run to St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams (32) in the 7th inning during game four of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"I was kind of shocked that he made those comments, but you know, he's a competitor," Adams said. "He didn't really take kindly to it, but from what I remember I think he went out there and had a pretty good start, so I think that may have backfired a little bit for the Cardinals."

Adams was clearly surprised that Kershaw made these comments, but was at least willing to acknowledge him as a competitor. At the end of the day, it's just gamesmanship and a good-natured jab. The Cardinals beat Kershaw four times in the postseason over those two seasons, and they were essentially his achilles heel.

The two teams also had a little bad blood at times, and Kershaw was around for that, so clearly, he remembers it and had a chip on his shoulder from those defeats. It also clearly motivated him to pitch a good game in St. Louis the day the video was shown.

So, in the end, it isn't such a big deal. Baseball is a game of competition, friendship, and rivalries. The Cardinals and Dodgers did not like each other at the time, and they had good reason not to, as they were two of the top teams in the National League, constantly competing for World Series titles.

The Cardinals got the last laugh in that series, but the two teams are trending in completely opposite directions entering 2026. The Dodgers have won back-to-back World Series titles and the Cardinals are entering their first year of a rebuild under Chaim Bloom.

But Adams also seemed to take a little bit of sick pleasure in the fact that this got under Kershaw's skin. Adams will have that moment for the rest of his life, and the Cardinals and their fans will always cherish the days when they had the future Hall of Famer's number.