He is one of the most iconic stars of MLB, as the "cricket star" of the legendary Los Angeles Dodgers, known as the "strongest left shot on the surface"; he comes from a single parent family, but has a happy marriage, and is the "perfect man" on and off the field. He is the protagonist of this issue of the MLB Superstar Archives, Clayton Kershaw.
Young to fame
Corredon-Kershaw was born on March 19, 1988 in Dallas, Texas. At the age of 10, his parents divorced, and since then, Keshaw has lived with his mother. When he was in high school, Hetschaud attended the local sports school, Highland Park High School. There's Bo Schultz and Chris Young, who will enter MLB, and Matthew Stafford, who is also a future NFL draft pick and a friend of Kershaw's. It was also here that Kershaw showed off his baseball talent.
In his senior year of high school, his record of pitching was a terrible 13 wins and 0 losses, with only 0.77 defense rate in 64 rounds of pitching, and 139 triples. In the final with Northwest High School, he threw the most extreme "complete game", so that all 15 of the opponent's batters were eliminated by three strikes to end the game early.
Video source: Dodgers Insider
For a time, scouts all over the United States were eyeing this "proud son of heaven". In the 2006 draft, Corretton-Kershaw was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 7th pick in the first round for a signing fee of $2.3 million, a record high for the Dodgers. However, Kershaw soon lets everyone know that he is not a small league pool. In less than 2 years, the 20-year-old went all the way from 2A to major leagues to become the youngest major league player in 2008.
Sharp balls and rigorous habits cast legends
Kershaw pitches are discreet, hiding the finger grip method and the small movement of the wrist through almost the same shot posture. The ball that flies out is unpredictable, it may be a four-slit speedball with a speed of up to 150 kilometers per hour, it may be a sliding ball that suddenly sharpens the lateral bend halfway through, or it may be a large curved ball that is the signature of Kershaw.
Kershaw's curved ball is a must. Seeing that it was a bad ball that was too high, it fell sharply, but it was caught by the receiver at the lowest point of the good ball area. Such a drastic change of track makes the batters overwhelmed and can only be helpless. It is very ornamental and extremely lethal.
Kershaw's curved ball
With this "stunt", Kershaw became the Dodgers' ace pitcher, and the Dodgers, a century-old legendary team, is easier to attract countless lights. As a Dodge ace, naturally every move has attracted much attention, the success or failure of the team is tied, and the psychological pressure is huge. Kishaw uses habits to combat stress, even to the point of some superstition.
Kirschoff serves as a starting pitcher every five days, eats the same cereal for breakfast that day, wears the same clothes, drives the same car, arrives on the pitch six hours early, and warms up in the same way. Kershaw was like a changed person this day, and his nerves were extremely tight. His wife and teammates did not dare to talk to him, or even dare to look at him, and when they saw him, they bypassed him. What's more, he only wears the same hat for a season and never changes it. Therefore, asking about the gift that fans most want to give to Kershaw is the hat, asking the fans who most want to receive gifts from Kershaw, it is also a hat, and it must be "original".
Ace moves forward again, and the playoffs surpass themselves
From 2011 to 2014, Kishaw was in excellent condition and hot. In 4 years, he has won the National League Yang Award three times, the National League MVP once, and the pitcher's triple crown once, and has made great achievements. In 2014, Kishore threw a no-hits game, becoming the second pitcher in MLB history to complete 15 strikeouts in a single game, with no hits and no guarantees.
Image source: Dodgers social media
However, the famous Kershaw quickly exposed a great weakness: he did not seem to be good at playing in the playoffs? For some teams that have entered the playoffs all year round, the performance of the regular season can only be said to be a "precursor", and the performance of the playoffs is the focus of fans. Keshaw, on the other hand, has repeatedly "dropped the chain" in the key games of the playoffs.
Since 2013, Kershaw seems to have been under the "playoff curse", repeatedly losing his hand in October, and some "famous scenes" have also made Kershaw labeled "a dragon in the regular season, a worm in the playoffs". From 2013 to 2019, the Dodgers have made the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, but have not been able to win the World Series championship.
In 2020, the Dodgers are once again in the World Series, this time facing the Tampa Bay Rays. Corretton-Kershaw is no longer in peak form after two years of injury. What's more, in the past few years, Kershaw's playoff stats and regular season judgments have also made fans and the media put a question mark on Kershaw.
However, the Dodgers still trusted their ace and insisted that Kershaw start in the first game. In this game, Kershaw only lost 1 point in 6 innings, soared eight triples, and won the shot. The Dallas News in his hometown cheered the next day that "Corretton-Kershaw threw off the ghost of the playoffs." In the battle of King's Hill in game five, facing a 2-2 draw, Dodgers head coach Dave Roberts once again entrusted Kershaw with a heavy responsibility, and he also won the victory with a good shot of 5.2 innings and two points, allowing the Dodgers to listen smoothly. Finally, under Kershaw's leadership, the Dodgers won the World Series championship for the first time in 32 years. While making up for the honor of the most heavyweight team, Kershaw also tore off the label of "overwhelmed".
Image source: Dodgers social media
Perfect ace on the field, perfect man off the field
On the field, Kershaw breaks the spell and becomes the strongest being, and outside the arena, he is also known as the "perfect man" - on December 4, 2010, Kershaw married his girlfriend Ellen Melson, who had been in love for 7 years. The two have 4 children after marriage, and the family of six is happy and harmonious, envious of others.
Ellen told Kershaw before she got married that she would work full-time for charity. In January 2011, Kishore accompanied his wife to Zambia, Africa, initially just to have a show. In Lusaka, zambia's capital, they met a 10-year-old orphaned girl with AIDS. The little girl's smile touched Kershaw's heart and changed him, allowing him to join his wife's charity without hesitation. The couple formed the Kershaw's Challenge foundation and named the little girl Hope. Twenty-three months later, the Kershaw Challenge foundation built an orphanage called The House of Hope, which housed Hope and other orphans. In 2012, at the age of 24, Kershaw received the Roberto Clemente Award in recognition of his philanthropic contributions.
Image source: Kershaw Challenge official website
After winning the award, Keshaw became more serious about public welfare. Since 2013, every year, Kershaw and his wife have held a table tennis tournament ("Ping Pong 4 purpose" at Dodger Stadium to raise money for the Kershaw Challenge Foundation. This table tennis tournament attracted many teammates and celebrities, and raised a lot of money. Over the past 10 years, mr. and Mrs. Kirkshaw have donated more than $10 million to charity. Wealth and fame have not eroded Kershaw's mind, and he continues to give back to society with practical actions, interpreting the higher definition of "perfect man".
Image source: Kershaw Challenge official website
Looking forward to the glory continues
Corretton-Kershaw is undoubtedly one of the most iconic stars in MLB today, a well-deserved Dodgers ace pitcher, and on the field, Kershaw is the reassuring team ace and overcame the pressure of the playoffs to win the World Series championship. Off the field, Keshaw warms everyone in need with responsibility and love. With the 2022 season already underway, can Kershaw lead the Dodgers to glory again? Let's wait and see!
Kshaw is full of honors on and off the field, and what is the moment that impresses you the most? Come and share it with you in the comments section!