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Sarah's Take: Nothing limiting Kershaw
Still learning ropes, Dodgers lefty makes winning look easy
By Sarah D. Morris / Special to MLB.com
07/26/09 11:45 PM ET
Clayton Kershaw has captured my imagination. I haven't felt this excited about a young Dodgers starter since Fernando Valenzuela. At 21, Kershaw is arguably the best Dodgers starter. If Kershaw continues maturing as a pitcher, I can see him winning a Cy Young Award in the foreseeable future.Since last June, Kershaw has been the youngest starter in the Major Leagues. Yes, the fans in Los Angeles have witnessed some growing pains with Kershaw, and they probably will see more. However, it is evident that the Dodgers have something special if Kershaw remains healthy.
Ever since Kershaw was in high school in the Dallas metropolitan area, he has dominated the opposition. In high school, he won 13 and didn't lose a game. When his school went to the playoffs, Kershaw pitched an all-strikeout perfect game. This is unheard of in baseball. During his senior year, he earned two national athletic awards. Kershaw had a scholarship offer to Texas A&M, which has a good baseball program. Everyone knew Kershaw would be drafted early in the First-Year Player Draft. The Dodgers selected Kershaw as the seventh pick in the first round.
Baseball scouts loved Kershaw. In addition to having a fantastic 95-plus-mph fastball and a huge overhand curveball, Kershaw has a power-pitcher build and clean, simple mechanics, so the likelihood of arm problems is slight.
Kershaw is a serious young man who has good family support from a single mother. He rose through the Dodgers' Minor League system quickly. Though Kershaw didn't earn many professional wins, he baffled hitters. He exhibited great control, a rarity with young left-handed pitchers.
Barely 20 years old, Kershaw was invited to Major League Spring Training camp in 2008. The Dodgers waited until the middle of Spring Training to have him pitch in a Major League exhibition game. On national television against the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox -- who were considered the best offensive team in baseball -- Kershaw made his debut. The young phenom simply made the Red Sox look foolish with his curveball.
After that memorable Spring Training performance, many members of the media wanted the Dodgers to have Kershaw on their Opening Day roster, but the Dodgers resisted the idea.
For the first two months of the 2008 season, the Dodgers had starting rotation problems that bugged the media. They wanted to see if Kershaw could handle the job in the Major Leagues. They didn't enjoy watching aging veterans struggling while Kershaw was impressive at Double-A. Though I didn't write much about the possible promotion of Kershaw, I agreed with those writers. I understood that the Dodgers didn't want to rush the young pitcher into the Majors before he was ready, but watching Brad Penny self-destruct was pointless. Every Dodgers fan knew that the Dodgers weren't going to re-sign Penny, and Kershaw was the future of the organization.
On May 25, 2008, Kershaw made his Major League debut against the St. Louis Cardinals, an excellent offensive team. Kershaw pitched well for six innings but didn't receive a decision. Except for a brief demotion in which the organization tried to teach him to use fewer pitches so that he could last longer in games, Kershaw has been a mainstay of the Dodgers' starting rotation.
This season, Kershaw has been a consistent starter for the Dodgers. At Dodger Stadium, Kershaw has been outstanding. In his first start at home, against the San Francisco Giants, Kershaw struck out 13. On the road, he has found it more of a challenge, but he has improved in this aspect of his game.
The Dodgers and their fans must remember that Kershaw is a kid. This season, he has worked on developing a circle changeup. Although the new pitch is still a work in progress, it has helped to keep opposing hitters off-balance. Kershaw still throws too many pitches at times, but his pitch efficiency has improved. In his last five starts, Kershaw has been brilliant.
Some people have compared the young Clayton Kershaw to the pitcher who everyone wants to be, Sandy Koufax. This is putting too much stress on any pitcher. I only know Kershaw is special, and I expect to witness great things from him if he remains healthy.
Sarah D. Morris is the editor of Sarah's Dodger Place This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
