By Jon Weisman
Embarrassing as it is to admit, I think what I might remember most about my first year with the Dodgers was the stress I felt trying to do a job worthy of this franchise.
That being said, there were some incredibly cool moments that I’ll recall. But nothing remotely compares to the one I’m about to describe, one culminating in a tension beyond dreaming.
Don Mattingly comes to the mound to remove Clayton Kershaw in the second inning on May 17 at Arizona. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
It was an odd mission, unlikely to be rewarding, and it was voluntary.
But I chose to revisit Clayton Kershaw’s May 17 blowup against Arizona, when he allowed seven runs in the second inning.
I was listening on the radio when it happened, and it was more than six months ago, so some of its nuances — yes, there were nuances — weren’t fresh in my mind. I remembered the four-pitch walks to Cody Ross — yes, more than one. I remembered the three triples. I remembered that Kershaw just was not Kershaw — the seven runs makes that pretty clear — and that given that he had come off the disabled list just a couple weeks before, there was some amount of panic among Dodger followers.
Kershaw, of course, recovered spectacularly from the start, with a 1.43 ERA and 211 strikeouts in his next 176 innings. You wanted to forget that outing in Arizona? Wish granted. It was completely irrelevant to his National League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player pursuits.
And yet, I retained some curiosity about it, mostly because it was just so unusual.
.@JimmieJohnson and @ClaytonKersh22 sing? https://t.co/kymZTrsu8p
— Stu Hothem (@hothem) December 16, 2014
Clayton Kershaw joined NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson in presenting at Monday’s American Country Countdown Awards … and thanks to Stu Hothem of NASCAR.com, we can document that it was music to … someone’s ears.
— Jon Weisman
[mlbvideo id=”37032255″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
Clayton Kershaw on Saturday won three MLB.com Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards (GIBBYs). Ken Gurnick of MLB.com has more.
— Jon Weisman
Time for the NL #MVP to celebrate. pic.twitter.com/QP3UYhkYDK
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 14, 2014
By Jon Weisman
It’s been a busy week of interviews for National League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, but he squeezed in one more conference call after today’s latest honor. Here are some excerpts:
[mlbvideo id=”36919935″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
[mlbvideo id=”36919951″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
— Jon Weisman
![LAD_14-Kershaw-MVP-IG[2]](http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/lad_14-kershaw-mvp-ig2.jpg)
By Jon Weisman
In the crowning individual recgonition of a stupendous season, Clayton Kershaw has become the 11th Dodger to win the National League Most Valuable Player award and the first NL pitcher to do so since Bob Gibson in 1968.
Kershaw had 18 first place votes and 355 points overall, topping Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton (eight, 298) and Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen (four, 271).
Finishing seventh in the balloting was Adrian Gonzalez, while Yasiel Puig and Dee Gordon also received top-10 votes.
What was your favorite part of Kershaw’s season?
Share your thoughts in the comments below. Congrats to Kershaw!
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw, speaking to SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo today after winning his third National League Cy Young Award, on what was missing in 2014:
“Obviously, the postseason hurt. That’s something to keep me motivated. … It doesn’t feel good to fail, especially in those situations. To get to raise the trophy at the end of the year with your teammates, that’s the ultimate goal. Not to try to take away anything from Cy Young awards or anything like that, but if I were able to do that, that’d be pretty special.
“It’s the same way as last year, unfortunately. You just think about it until your next start, and it’s gonna be a while for that next one. You try to take your mind off it … but obviously it’s going to be in the back of my mind all next year, and hopefully we get in the playoffs and I go deeper.”
— Jon Weisman
By Jon Weisman
No apologies necessary.
Earning unanimous support on all 30 ballots from the Baseball Writers Association of America, Clayton Kershaw has won his third National League Cy Young Award in four seasons.
The Cy Young Award is a regular-season honor. It’s not a World Series trophy, and Kershaw would be the first to explain the difference.
But the Cy Young is the rightful prize for a pitcher who has been as dominant as Kershaw, and one to celebrate, not denigrate.
Kershaw tied Sandy Koufax with the most Cy Youngs in Dodger history (likewise in a four-year span); together they account for half of the 12 Cy Youngs the Dodgers have won, most in the Majors.
The 26-year-old lefty, who became the first to lead the big leagues in ERA for four consecutive seasons, is also the first in MLB history to win three Cy Youngs before turning 27.
I think back over all the joy Kershaw brought us this year — the no-hitter, the scoreless streak, the start-after-start sensations — and I truly get chills.
“Make no mistake,” wrote Jeff Sullivan in his analysis of Kershaw today at Fangraphs, “what Kershaw did in 2014 was of historical significance.”
It was an extraordinary year, and the Dodgers offer Clayton Kershaw their most sincere congratulations.
[mlbvideo id=”36917683″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Cary Osborne
Clayton Kershaw clearly doesn’t enjoy talking about himself. His body language shows it when he steers questions about himself into answers about the team.
Even after his magnum opus on June 18 at Dodger Stadium — his first career no-hitter that was an error away from being a perfect game against the Colorado Rockies — his eyes drifted in the interview room. The 26-year-old slumped in a chair, looking like he was sitting on jagged rocks.
[mlbvideo id=”36894437″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
Beginning today and continuing through Sunday, SportsNet LA is dedicating much of its programming schedule to a celebration of National League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player Award candidate Clayton Kershaw. Highlights include:
— Jon Weisman
[mlbvideo id=”36770561″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman
Dodger catcher A.J. Ellis spoke to AM 570’s DodgerTalk with David Vasseigh and Kevin Kennedy for nearly 30 minutes Wednesday on a variety of subjects encompassing the 2014 season. If you click the link, the interview begins at approximately the 13-minute mark.
Though Ellis, like everyone else, realizes that ultimately the Dodgers didn’t get the job done, one subject that Ellis touched on is how much grief Clayton Kershaw received after his second playoff defeat in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, wondering how much of that grief was deserved.
By Jon Weisman
In between winning awards, the Dodgers’ top two pitchers have kept busy this week.
Zack Greinke is in New York for tonight’s Gold Glove award ceremony, and his wife Emily has shared pictures on Instagram of their travels to Rockefeller Center and “Jersey Boys” on Broadway.
Down in Dallas, Clayton and Ellen Kershaw hosted the city’s first Kershaw’s Challenge event Thursday, featuring guest musician Clay Walker, and there are photos of the event from Instagram as well.
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
As expected, Clayton Kershaw is one of three finalists for the National League Cy Young Award and the NL Most Valuable Player Award, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced today.
Kershaw is competing with fellow finalists Adam Wainwright and Johnny Cueto for the Cy Young Award, which would be Kershaw’s third in four years if he wins. That award wll be revealed at 3 p.m. November 12 on MLB Network.
In his bid for his first MVP trophy, to be announced at 3 p.m. November 13 on MLB Network, Kershaw is up against Andrew McCutchen and Giancarlo Stanton.
Need a refresher on everything Kershaw accomplished in the 2014 regular season? Click here.
Clayton Kershaw, bowled over with honors. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
Citizen Kershaw has been honored thrice over by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Here’s how the press release sums it up …
Clayton Kershaw on Monday became the first player to ever win three Players Choice Awards in a single year as he was recognized by his fellow players as the NL’s Outstanding Pitcher and the overall Player of the Year as well as the Marvin Miller Man of the Year, which goes to the player in either league who most inspires others through his efforts on and off the field.
What happens when three old friends in crisis fall into an unexpected love triangle? In The Catch, Maya, Henry and Daniel embark upon an emotional journey that forces them to confront unresolved pain, present-day traumas and powerful desires, leading them to question the very meaning of love and fulfillment. The Catch tells a tale of ordinary people seeking the extraordinary – or, if that’s asking too much, some damn peace of mind.
Thank You For Not ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén
