
There is no mistaking the precocious maturity of Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw. Whether in his calm focus on the mound or in the clubhouse, he is beyond his 23 years. He appears remarkably centered and at peace with himself, recognizing where he is personally and professionally.
Kershaw is a professional athlete, though unlike Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe, he is hardly labeled as "an disastrous signing". Kershaw and Uribe are two Los Angeles baseball players who outwardly approach their workout preparation and physical fitness in markedly different ways.
If there is a robust, does-my-girth-slow-my-bat-speed aspect to Uribe and his 2011 OPS+ of 56 (the starting lineup's worst), Kershaw has a more understated ERA+ of 163 along with a league-leading 248 Ks.
I've never heard him bring up his Cy Young Award-winning campaign and role as team role model while philantrhopically benefitting underserved Zambian children whom have lost their parents to AIDS. Yet, I have a clear understanding of his overall awesomeness.
"I think everybody has different approaches to it," Kershaw said. "For me, everything I do has a purpose to it beyond what’s in this lifetime. At the same time, on the field I have a job to do and that’s what I’m focused on.
"I guess you could say I’m a little more skinny than Juan is. Not to say either one is wrong, that’s just kind of my body type a little bit."
Earlier:
- LAT: The Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw, Tim Tebow and Jesus Christ
- SoSG: LAT's Steve Dilbeck, Constrained By The Shackles Of His Dodger Beat, Finally Uncorks His Own Bottled Tebowmania
- SoSG: The Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw, and Beaker
photos: Uribe: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images North America; Kershaw: Jeff Gross / Getty Images
18 comments:
This settles it, Beaker must be our starting third-baseman.
FREE BEAKER
Dusty Beaker rules!
Kershaw > Tebow > Uribe > Sax
Muppet Dodgers...go!
Ramon Gonzoso.
Honeydew Nomo
Miss Uribe
Swedish Sheffield
+1. Nice
Dioner the Fat
Kemp the Frog
I got nothing, unless Ethier starts saying, "Wacka, wacka!"
Andre Ethier
Jeff Kent
Jason Grabowski-ter
Bill James put together his list of the 100 best pitchers' duels of 2011. All four Kershaw - Timmeh match-ups are there (numbers 3, 5, 18 and 32).
Nice buzzer-beater by Kevin Love last night. Sorry, Lob City!
Lob Hamlet, more like it.
Post a Comment