Clayton Kershaw retiring: Dodgers fans demand unique tribute; ‘considering a statue’
Clayton Kershaw is retiring after a stellar 18-year career. The 37-year-old will play his final regular-season game at Dodger Stadium on Friday
Clayton Kershaw is retiring after a stellar 18-year career. The 37-year-old will play his final regular-season game at Dodger Stadium on Friday when the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the San Francisco Giants. Emotional fans, meanwhile, urged the team to arrange a unique tribute for the three-time National League Cy Young award winner.
“CALL IT NOW: What will Clayton Kershaw's statue at Dodger Stadium be?” one fan asked on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Alright @Dodgers, we need a Clayton Kershaw statue unveiled at the beginning of next season. It may be unprecedented, but the living legend and future Hall of Famer deserves it,” another one tweeted.
The Dodgers have not announced any plans for a statue yet.
"On behalf of the Dodgers, I congratulate Clayton on a fabulous career and thank him for the many moments he gave to Dodger fans and baseball fans everywhere, as well as for all of his profound charitable endeavors," Dodgers owner and chairman Mark Walter said in a statement. “His is a truly legendary career, one that we know will lead to his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame.”
“There’s very few guys in the major leagues that it seems like no matter what stuff they have, they can just get dudes out at a high level. When you play 18 years and for one team and accomplish all that he’s accomplished, it’s extremely difficult. For guys like that who are Hall of Famers, it’s like, ‘How do they do it?’ You know what I mean? It’s a super tough thing to do year in and year out. Gosh, for 10-12 years he was the best in the game. To do it and be consistent and do it for that long is extremely hard. It’s kind of crazy. It’s tough to do, for sure," Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff said.
Kershaw was limited to seven games for Los Angeles last year but wanted to play another season in 2025. He was named to his 11th All-Star Game this summer and carries a 10-2 record and a 3.53 ERA into the home stretch of the season.
(With AP inputs)
