Jul 19, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; National League starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) of the Los Angeles Dodgers smiles on the mound in the first inning against the American League at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw Shares Heartfelt Message for Fans After First All-Star Game Start
It shouldn’t have taken this long, but maybe it was always meant to be this way. Nothing has ever felt more right than watching Clayton Kershaw make his first career start in an All-Star Game at Dodgers Stadium.
The All-Star festivities concluded on Tuesday evening in Los Angeles, and it was everything fans wanted it to be. There was plenty of fanfare for current and former Dodgers, incredible mic’d up moments throughout the game, but most importantly, there was Clayton Kershaw on the mound.
Going toe to toe with the best hitters the American League has to offer, Kershaw held his own during his first All-Star Game start. After giving up a lead off single to the Angel’s Shohei Ohtani, he quickly erased him with a vintage Kershaw pick-off move and followed that up with an Aaron Judge strikeout. All things said, it was a pretty perfect afternoon for the long-time Dodger.
After his one inning of work, Kershaw was able to enjoy the festivities from the sidelines. And while he has always been one to deflect from his own personal achievements, he had to acknowledge the specialness of this moment (quotes via The LA Times’ Jack Harris).
“Knowing that I’m not going to get to start an All-Star Game at Dodgers Stadium ever again, it was just really cool for me to kind of take that all in at once.”
It was obvious that the fans loved seeing him out on the field, and they gave him the ovation he deserved when announced during the introductions. For his part, Clayton felt the love and enjoyed every minute of it.
“I can’t say enough good things about Dodger fans, people in LA in general, just how much these last few days, how much they wanted me to do this. It meant a lot to me too, so that was really cool.”
Clayton Kershaw is as humble as they come, and years ago, he likely would’ve dismissed the fanfare and insisted that there was a bigger picture. Things change, however, and he’s starting to see the finish line to an incredible career. With each new memory that is made, you can see the appreciation for it loud and clear from one of the greatest to ever wear a Dodger uniform.
