DODGERS The KERSHAW Thread

i think you're overestimating the importance of minor league playoff games

 

well you replied to my post that i stated milb playoff games

 

(resurrecting this old thread instead of just burying this in news/rumors, I hope nobody objects)

Much has been written and said about the 3000 K club. Really glad CK got there, as it seemed dicey a couple of years ago when we weren't even sure he was going to play anymore. Something cool also about being the 20th to do it, especially if nobody else gets there for a while... or ever (Sale and Cole have an outside chance, but after that there's nobody even close). Much like I felt about Kobe's accomplishments, the fact that Kersh did this without ever putting on a competitor's uniform makes it extra special. In my younger years I was a big Sutton and Hershiser fan, but in the end they moved to the dark side and I lost some of my admiration for them. In this day and age where loyalty is nonexistent, it's refreshing to witness in the few instances that it is. And the loyalty has gone both ways - Clayton towards the team, and the team towards Clayton. You know, I look at Greinke falling 21 K's short of the list and kinda feel for him just missing it. But you know, he never showed loyalty to any team, and if he had maybe they would've re-upped him just so that he could reach the milestone. Something tells me that Zack doesn't care, but it's still is a shame he got so close and then stalled.

Anyhow, now that CK is there, it's good that this won't be a distraction anymore and hopefully he can get back to pitching effectively as he had been prior to yesterday. That said, in a perfect world I wouldn't mind seeing him play beyond 2025 and pass Smoltz and more. I figure he has 12 starts left this season (assuming health and a 6-man rotation). Averaging 4 per start, that would get him to around 3050, and he'd need 34 more to get to the 19th spot on the list.

Overall though, 3000 was the big get. Congrats Clayton, you're one of a very elite club!

 

Just for shits and giggles, I compiled the 3000 K's club, ranked by career ERA. Walter Johnson may be the greatest pitcher ever, but his numbers are definitely skewed by playing in a different era. What CK has been able to accomplish relative to his peer group is nothing short of otherworldly.


W. Johnson 2.17
Kershaw 2.52 (still active)
Seaver 2.86
Gibson 2.91
Martinez 2.93
Perry 3.11
Clemens 3.12
Maddux 3.16
Scherzer 3.17 (still active)
Ryan 3.19
Carlton 3.22
Sutton 3.26
R. Johnson 3.29
Blyleven 3.31
Verlander 3.32 (still active)
Smoltz 3.33
Jenkins 3.34
Niekro 3.35
Schilling 3.46
Sabathia 3.74

 

Damn, you HAVE been blessed! I've only attended a scattering of baseball games, primarily when I lived in the Bay Area. Mostly at Candlestick - maybe about 30 or so, with a few in the Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Park or whatever they call it now. Other than that, one in Anaheim, one in San Diego, and one at Fenway. I've never been to Dodger Stadium, which is a travesty and must be corrected someday. The only one of the 3K K Club that I've seen in person for sure was CK at Oracle Park. There's a chance I saw others but none that definitively stick out to me. I did attend the 1984 ASG, but the only pitcher in "the club" who was on either roster was Niekro, and in looking at the box score, he didn't even get in the game.

 

@HagenSnellBB
Starting Pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts & a sub 3.00 ERA in their career:
- Tom Seaver
- Walter Johnson
- Pedro Martinez
- Bob Gibson
- Clayton Kershaw
Absolute historic career we have been able to witness.

 

particularly love this one…

• His 2.00 career ERA vs. the Giants is the lowest against them for any pitcher since 1912.

 

Nice.

No surprise that Ellis caught the most with 920. At first I was surprised that Smith caught the fifth most with only 251, but now it makes sense. CK was hurt during much of Smith's tenure.

 

Here's the complete list of Kershaw's catchers and number of strikeouts caught:

Ellis - 920 (2008-2016)
Barnes - 551 (2015-2025)
Grandal - 451 (2015-2018)
Martin - 379 (2008-2010, 2019)
Smith - 251 (2019-present)
Barajas - 171 (2010-2011)
Navarro - 106 (2011)
Ausmus - 55 (2009-2010)
Butera - 45 (2013-2014)
Federowicz - 22 (2012-2014)
Ardoin - 19 (2008)
R. Hernandez - 17 (2013)
Treanor - 11 (2012)
Rushing - 2 (present)


Russ Martin... talk about regrets. Another casualty of McCourt's cheapness. All he was asking for to re-sign in 2011 was $5.5M, and the Dodgers chose to let him go. He had some good years after he left, amassing a career WAR of 38.6. Had he done this all for LA, he would be ranked 16th on the all-time Dodgers list... even ahead of Campy, Garvey, and Fernando. If they had held on to him, they would've been set at catcher for most of the decade. Instead, they struggled to find a regular. Barajas was the main backstop in 2011 but it was the end of his career and he didn't produce much. They also brought Navarro back that year but he couldn't even break the Mendoza line. A.J. became the main guy in 2012-13 and those were his best years - in reality though he profiled more as a backup over his career. Ellis still caught most of the games in 2014, but Butera played in 40% of them and he was just awful. Finally, in 2015, the Dodgers traded for a legitimate starter in Grandal but had to send Matt Kemp to get him. Grandal put up good numbers at the plate but was a liability behind it (in my opinion). In 2019 they brought back Martin for one last hurrah, and he split duties with Barnes and rookie Will Smith. From then on Smith has been the mainstay and on his way to claiming his place in Dodger lore.

Still, when you think of Dodger catchers, it's Campanella in the 50's, Roseboro in the 60's, Yeager in the 70's, Scioscia in the 80's, Piazza in the 90's. 2000's didn't have a defining catcher - mostly split by Lo Duca and Martin - but really it should've been Martin through the 2010's.

 

My favorite is that last one in the montage. I remember that game with Gregor Blanco bailing out thinking it was going to plunk him and instead it crossed middle plate, strike 3.