Just doin the dishes..... Thanks @VinceMcMahon and @WWE!! pic.twitter.com/McSG21mYz8
— Clayton Kershaw (@ClaytonKersh22) December 17, 2013@YasielPuig admiring the Cy Young Award spread: pic.twitter.com/x9c1fwlDXL
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 15, 2013
From "Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw in special company with Sandy Koufax " by Bill Shaikin at the LA TImes:
Kershaw said there have been no contract talks since the season ended.When a smart veteran reporter like Shaikin wonders out loud if Kershaw intends to stay with the Dodgers, I start to worry. In the meanwhile, let's enjoy Kershaw while we have him.
"Right now, I'm in L.A. for one more year, regardless," he said. "That's as far as I look."
He said he loves L.A., and he believes the Dodgers can win the World Series. But he declined to make the one declaration the Dodgers and their fans would most love to hear. He would not say L.A. was his first choice.
The Dodgers might be funded by Big Insurance, but the Texas Rangers are funded by Big Oil. The Rangers have Yu Darvish but have also called the likes of C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis their ace in recent years, so no doubt they would jump at the chance to bring Kershaw home. The Dodgers could sign Masahiro Tanaka, trade for David Price, and consider themselves insured against a Kershaw departure.
It was four years ago that Jamie McCourt was calling herself the face of the Dodgers. Since then, that billing has gone to Magic, and Gonzalez and Matt Kemp.
The true face of the Dodgers is the face of unparalleled accountability, work ethic and leadership. The face of the Dodgers is the guy who leaves next week to visit the orphanage he and his wife built in Zambia. The face of the Dodgers is the distinguished gentleman and worthy heir to Koufax.
Let us hope the Kershaw story is not entitled "Legacy, Interrupted."
Well I might just be the proudest person ever! What a fun memorable night! pic.twitter.com/ufgRyhVZEg
— Ellen Kershaw (@ellenkershaw) November 14, 2013
The heart of the Dodgers' lineup got it done today, with Matt Kemp, Juan Rivera and Andre Ethier going 8 for 12 and accounting for three RBIs.
It was a grinder through the bottom of the sixth, when Don Mattingly decided to pull Chad Billingsley with a 2-1 lead. It was a calculated risk, as Bills had only thrown 77 pitches, but the bases were loaded and Mattingly wanted to give James Loney a chance to break from his 0-for-14 slump.
Unfortunately, Loney is now 0-for-16 on the year. But Matt Guerrier got through the seventh and Rivera, Ethier and Tony Gwynn strung together some two-out hits to give the Dodgers some breathing room. Kenley Jansen and Javy Guerra made it stand up.
So the good news is the Dodgers are 5-1 for the first time in 13 years. And I guess Chad will be well rested for his next start. The bad news is the Dodgers have announced Vin Scully won't be working tomorrow's game, running his sick streak to three. Feel better, Vin!
From last Friday's LA Times:
I was hoping to post matching Cy Young and MVP ads, but alas, that can't happen.
From "Clayton Kershaw's Cy Young is a connection to Dodgers tradition" by Bill Plaschke at the LA Times:
Clayton Kershaw was preparing to walk across the diamond and into Dodgers history Thursday afternoon when he spotted a man standing alone, staring at him like a father would stare at a son.It was Dodgers scouting boss Logan White, tossing his phone from hand to hand, rocking on his heels, trying to act composed, failing miserably.
"What are you doing over there?" Kershaw shouted. "You need to hug me!"
On the infield dirt they embraced, the new Cy Young Award winner and the man who was responsible for scouting, drafting and signing him.
"Thank you, thank you," whispered Kershaw.
"A great day, a great day," whispered White.
If you understand baseball scouts, you will understand why White views Kershaw as his child.
You will also understand why, after they hugged for a long minute, White's sunglasses could not hide a long trickle of tears.
"It's like watching somebody grow up," said White. "What a wonderful day."
1&2: AP; 3: @Dodgers
Justin Verlander (1-0, 5.00) vs. C.J. Wilson (0-1, 10.80).
Welcome to a Yankees-free ALCS! The Tigers will ride certain Cy Young winner Justin Verlander against a Rangers team that boasts two Southern California ones-that-got-away: former Dodger Adrian Beltre and former Angel Mike Napoli. The Rangers, sans Cliff Lee, are undoubtedly out to prove last year's World Series loss to the Giants was a fluke. The Tigers are trying to remind Detroit natives the Lions aren't the only game in town. Joust!
From an IBWAA press release:
The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the third of its 14 annual awards Wednesday, naming Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Clayton Kershaw its 2011 Cy Young Award winner.Voting results are as follows:
1st Place: Clayton Kershaw, LAD
2nd Place: Roy Halladay, Phil
3rd Place: Ian Kennedy, Ariz
4th Place: Cliff Lee, Phil
5th Place: Craig Kimbrel, AtlLos Angeles Daily News' columnist Tom Hoffarth explains his Kershaw vote this way: "It wasn’t just because Kershaw racked up the Triple Crown numbers, or that the eight others who did the same since the first Cy Young was given out 55 years ago also won the award, too, nearly unanimously. That’s too easy. All the 'new' numbers support him as well. Kershaw was also first in WHIP (0.98), in opponent’s batting average (.207), and his run-support average (5.52) was tougher than Ian Kennedy (6.12) and Roy Halladay (5.89). A new standard has been established the last three years – Felix Hernandez, Zack Greinke and Tim Lincecum won the Cy in 2010, 2009 and 2008 on teams that finished under .500, with far less dazzling stats. And check it out: the 2011 Dodgers were actually above .500."
Mike Petriello, of MikeSciosciasTragicIllness.com, adds this perspective: "The NL Cy Young is really a complete toss-up between Kershaw (233.1 IP, 66 R), Halladay (233.2 IP, 65 R) and Lee (232.2 IP, 66 R), particularly since Baseball Prospectus has the Dodgers and Phillies defenses behind them essentially tied in effectiveness. A vote for any of the three would be completely defensible. From this viewpoint, Kershaw gets the slight edge simply because he was the most dominating, even in the somewhat more forgiving Dodger Stadium. He finished second in MLB (behind Justin Verlander) in strikeouts and second again (behind Zack Greinke) in K%. Only Verlander allowed a lower batting average to his opponents, and Kershaw's swinging strike percentage topped both of his Philadelphia competitors. Even with a slightly higher walk rate than Halladay or Lee, Kershaw held opposing batters to the lowest OPS of anybody in baseball, topping even Verlander."
Ron Kaplan, Features Editor at NJ Jewish News, sums up his feelings here: "Kershaw has enjoyed one of the best pitching seasons in several years. Despite playing for an underperforming Dodgers team and faced with a most distracting situation not of his own making with the team’s troubles this year, he managed to lead the NL in wins, strikeouts, and ERA – the pitcher’s “Triple Crown” – while allowing fewer than one hit/walk per inning. One can only imagine how much worse Los Angeles fans would have had it without Kershaw and Matt Kemp as the bright lights in an otherwise dismal campaign."
Earlier at SoSG: IBWAA Has Its Head On Straight
All Clayton Kershaw did today was pitch 7 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and six strikeouts. He only finishes the regular season tied with Ian Kennedy in the National League for wins (21), first in ERA (2.28), and first in strikeouts (248). Congratulations, Clayton, on your first Cy Young Award.
Matt Kemp's bid for his own Triple Crown took a slight hit today — he went 1 for 5, lowering his average to .324 and putting him nine percentage points behind Ryan Braun. Three more games to make history, Matty!
photo by Kent C. Horner/Getty Images
