Two MLB icons\u2014Clayton Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani\u2014shared a unique bond built on respect and admiration. As Kershaw closes the book on his legendary career, he leaves behind a record even Ohtani couldn\u2019t break.<\/p>\n
Shohei Ohtani (31, LA Dodgers) drew attention this season for his admiration of one particular player\u2019s performance. After games, if he wanted to highlight a teammate, he would post that player\u2019s photo on his social media as a sign of respect\u2014a routine for him. Clayton Kershaw (37) was a regular on Ohtani\u2019s \u201clist.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ohtani admitted that simply watching Kershaw up close was an enormous help. Kershaw debuted in MLB in 2008 and pitched in 455 games (451 starts) over 18 seasons\u2014a true legend. Ohtani explained that you could understand how Kershaw survived so long in such a tough league just by observing his preparation between starts. He trained relentlessly and prepared meticulously, which amazed Ohtani and taught him a lot.<\/p>\n
Kershaw, in turn, never held back his admiration for Ohtani, who became one of MLB\u2019s greatest players. Despite being younger, Ohtani achieved what was once thought impossible\u2014excelling as both a pitcher and hitter. Kershaw repeatedly expressed respect for that feat.<\/p>\n
Having watched Ohtani\u2019s preparation process firsthand, Kershaw couldn\u2019t help but acknowledge it. Both players discovered \u201chidden truths\u201d about each other that weren\u2019t visible from the opposing dugout and gave each other a thumbs-up.<\/p>\n
Now, Kershaw has ended his career after two seasons as Ohtani\u2019s teammate. But Kershaw has one \u201cbadge of honor\u201d: he never allowed a single hit to Ohtani in regular-season play. For a future Hall of Famer, that\u2019s something to brag about.<\/p>\n
Kershaw, now enjoying a stress-free offseason, appeared on the popular U.S. sports talk show The Dan Patrick Show<\/em> on November 9 and cheerfully reflected on his career. Away from the intensity of competition, Kershaw answered questions with a smile, including those about Ohtani.<\/p>\n When asked if he ever faced Ohtani during his Angels days, Kershaw laughed:<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. Check the stats\u2014I\u2019ve never given up a hit to Shohei. And now that I\u2019m retired, that record will stand forever.\u201d<\/p>\n Patrick confirmed Kershaw held Ohtani hitless in 11 regular-season at-bats with four strikeouts. Kershaw chuckled: \u201cThat feels great. I\u2019ll be in a good mood all day.\u201d<\/p>\n Not entirely hitless\u2014Ohtani did get a single off Kershaw in the 2022 All-Star Game when Kershaw started for the NL and Ohtani led off for the AL. But that was an exhibition. In regular-season play, Ohtani never reached base against Kershaw\u2014a rare feat given Ohtani\u2019s talent.<\/p>\n Patrick asked how Kershaw approached pitching to Ohtani. Kershaw replied: \u201cThat\u2019s a question other pitchers ask too. You can\u2019t throw him average-speed pitches. My velocity now is pretty average, so I\u2019m not sure I\u2019d fare well today. Against Ohtani, you need either a really fast pitch or a slow curve.\u201d<\/p>\n Did Kershaw ever joke about this record to Ohtani? He said no: \u201cI never brought it up. I didn\u2019t know how he\u2019d take it.\u201d<\/p>\n Knowing Ohtani\u2019s character, he probably wouldn\u2019t mind, but Kershaw avoided mentioning it out of respect. Both players were proud of each other.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Kershaw has announced a break. Many expect him to take a role with the Dodgers eventually\u2014they want him to remain a lifelong Dodger.<\/p>\n But for now, Kershaw is preparing for the birth of his fifth child and plans to focus on family life. That\u2019s why he retired voluntarily, without pressure. Kershaw said:<\/p>\n \u201cMost importantly, our fifth child is coming. I\u2019ll be a dad for now and spend time with my family. I\u2019m not planning to take a full-time job anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n The Dodgers will likely bring him back once his family duties ease.<\/p>\n Source:<\/strong> www.spotvnews.co.kr<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Two MLB icons\u2014Clayton Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani\u2014shared a unique bond built on respect and admiration. As Kershaw closes the book on his legendary career, he leaves behind a record even Ohtani couldn\u2019t break. Mutual Respect Between Two Baseball Legends Shohei Ohtani (31, LA Dodgers) drew attention this season for his admiration of one particular player\u2019s … Continue reading Clayton Kershaw\u2019s Farewell: Why Shohei Ohtani Calls Him the Ultimate Mentor<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[268],"class_list":["post-899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories","tag-baseball-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotvnow.com\/read\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotvnow.com\/read\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotvnow.com\/read\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotvnow.com\/read\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotvnow.com\/read\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=899"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotvnow.com\/read\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":904,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotvnow.com\/read\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions\/904"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotvnow.com\/read\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotvnow.com\/read\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotvnow.com\/read\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotvnow.com\/read\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What\u2019s Next for Kershaw? Family First<\/strong><\/h3>\n