The slider was scorching. The hitter was frozen. The strikeout was roaring.
With an 84-mph pitch on the black within the sixth inning in opposition to the Chicago White Sox Wednesday at a rollicking Dodger Stadium, Clayton Kershaw struck out Vinny Capra trying to change into the twentieth participant in baseball historical past to document 3,000 strikeouts.
As spectacular because the pitch itself was the cementing of a reality that has been evident for a number of years.
Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in Dodgers historical past.
Clayton Kershaw data his 3,000th profession strikeout because the Dodgers tackle the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.
(Luke Johnson/Los Angeles Instances)
Higher than even the good Sandy Koufax.
Gasp. Scream. Please.
I wrote this opinion three years in the past and was deluged with a barrage of emphatic and principally emotional arguments for Koufax.
How dare you diss our Sandy! Koufax gained extra championships! Koufax by no means choked within the postseason! Koufax was extra dominant!
All true, in addition to Koufax being an amazing human being worthy of each syllable of reward. However as Wednesday so clearly proved in entrance of a history-thirsty crowd at Chavez Ravine, Kershaw has finished one thing that any protection of Koufax cannot equal.
He’s endured. He’s taken the ball way over Koufax whereas outlasting him in just about each impression pitching class.
Koufax was a meteor, streaking throughout the sky for the best 5 seasons of any pitcher in baseball historical past.
Kershaw, in the meantime, has change into his personal planet, looming above for 18 years with a everlasting glow that’s unmatched in Dodgers lore.
Koufax was a tremendous flash. Kershaw has been an everlasting flame.
Koufax was Shaq. Kershaw is Kobe.
Once I final wrote this, Supervisor Dave Roberts waffled on the query of whether or not Kershaw was the best Dodger pitcher ever.
This time, not a lot.
“Obviously, Sandy is Sandy,” he stated Wednesday. “You’re talking about 18 years, though, and the career of the body of work. It’s hard to not say Clayton, you know, is the greatest Dodger of all time.”
When one talks concerning the GOAT of varied sports activities, certainly, a key ingredient is all the time longevity. Tom Brady performed 23 seasons, LeBron James has performed 22 seasons, and Babe Ruth performed 22 seasons.
One can’t ignore the truth that Kershaw, in his 18th season, has performed six extra seasons than Koufax whereas pitching 463 extra common season innings. Together with his 3,000 strikeouts he has additionally fanned 604 extra batters than Koufax, the equal of twenty-two extra video games composed solely of strikeouts, an unreal edge.
Within the nice Koufax debate, Kershaw is clearly being punished for his postseason struggles, and certainly his 4.49 postseason ERA doesn’t evaluate to Koufax’ 0.95 ERA.
However have a look at the pattern measurement. Kershaw has pitched in 39 postseason video games whereas Koufax has appeared in simply eight. Kershaw has had 13 postseason begins which have lasted previous the sixth inning whereas Koufax has had 5.
Kershaw has pitched in a number of playoff rounds in a number of seasons, whereas Koufax by no means pitched in multiple playoff spherical per season, enormously rising Kershaw’s alternative for failure.
Kershaw has certainly stunk up the joint in a few of the most devastating postseason losses in Dodger historical past. However he has taken the mound for almost 5 instances as many massive video games as Koufax and, ultimately, he has only one fewer World Sequence championship.
In the long run, the strongest argument for Koufax supporters is the seemingly apparent reply to a query. For those who needed to win one sport, would you begin Koufax or Kershaw?
After all you’d pitch Koufax … in case your parameters have been restricted to 5 years. However if you happen to wished to choose a starter and also you needed to do it inside a two-decade window, you’d take Kershaw.
Then there are these not often recited stats that additional the argument for Kershaw over Koufax: Kershaw has a greater profession ERA, 2.51 to 2.76. Kershaw has a greater profitable share, .697 to .655. And regardless of enjoying in an period the place particular person pitching wins are enormously cheapened, Kershaw has 51 extra wins than Koufax.
How uncommon is 3,000 strikeouts? Fewer pitchers have gained 300 video games. Solely three different pitchers have finished so left-handed. Solely two pitchers within the final 100 years have finished it with one staff.
Now for the intangibles. If that is certainly the golden age of Dodger baseball — as Andrew Friedman so deftly described it — then the guardian of the period has been Kershaw.
The clubhouse tradition is borne of his continually current professionalism. The work ethic begins with him. The accountability is a mirrored image of him. For 18 years, by way of damage and embarrassment in addition to fame and fortune, he has by no means complained, by no means blamed, by no means pointed fingers, by no means introduced distraction.
And he all the time reveals up for work. Every single day. Each sport. Each season. Clayton Kershaw has all the time been there, which is why he might be there endlessly on a statue that can absolutely be erected within the heart discipline plaza subsequent to the bronze figures of Jackie Robinson and, sure, in fact, Sandy Koufax.
It’s unlikely the Dodgers would ever script the phrases, “The greatest Dodger pitcher” on the bottom of his statue. They’re understandably delicate to Koufax and his legacy and significance to a legion of longtime followers.
However they know, simply as these followers fortunate sufficient to be at Dodger Stadium Wednesday comprehend it.
They weren’t simply watching greatness. They have been watching The Best.
