LOS ANGELES — This is all going to take some getting used to for Clayton Kershaw. Retirement hasn’t quite settled in yet for the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise icon who, as it turns out, won’t really be away from the organization all that long.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner and three-time World Series champion is officially back with the organization as a special assistant, league sources told The Athletic.
The left-hander accepted the offer that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman offered the moment Kershaw’s 18-year playing career came to an end after last year’s World Series triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays. The details of the role will be hashed out later. It was hard to imagine Kershaw anywhere else.
“Probably not physically here in L.A.,” Kershaw said. “But definitely, I’m sure I’ll watch games. I still want to be a part of the Dodgers, so if I can help in some small piece, I will.”
Kershaw spent his Opening Day back at Dodger Stadium — except instead of sitting in the dugout or being on the mound, he was seated next to the dugout and wearing a headset as part of his new broadcasting duties with NBC.
His big-league broadcasting debut provided a chance to spill on his former teammates. He raved about Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers’ Opening Day starter, calling the right-hander “an absolute machine” and adding that “the ball just comes out of his hand like a piece of art.” When asked which of his former teammates was the fastest, Kershaw heard chirping from Kiké Hernández, urging that it was him.
Kershaw’s broadcast duties also found him back in manager Dave Roberts’ office, only this time for a production meeting.
“That was weird sitting in there with everybody,” Kershaw said. “But I guess it’s just part of that gig.”
These meetings have become old hat for Roberts as he’s navigated the Dodgers’ hefty national broadcast schedule. None of the broadcasters, however, has had the history those two did.
“He asked a couple questions about the bullpen,” Roberts said afterwards with a chuckle. “Listened a lot. But asked a couple questions. He did great.”
Even with a new title in hand, Kershaw is still unsure of what’s next. Next week will be Kershaw’s first “normal” one of retirement, he said. He will call at least one more game in August with NBC. His new role with the Dodgers will have him involved in some fashion, even though much of his time will still be spent with his family in Texas. His spring training was hardly an initiation into retirement, as he was recruited to be part of Team USA’s roster for the World Baseball Classic. Kershaw didn’t pitch in the tournament, but remained involved in the team’s run to the final.
Next came spring break. Then a flight to Los Angeles for the broadcast. He hung around the ballpark Friday as he and his now-former teammates collected their World Series rings.
“For me, it’s just a great ending to my career,” Kershaw said. “I couldn’t have scripted it any better. It was great.”
The future Hall of Famer holds no desire to keep pitching. His last appearance in a game came here at Dodger Stadium, in the 12th inning of Game 3, when he got Nathan Lukes to ground out to get out of a bases-loaded jam. He was warming in the bullpen at the Rogers Centre when the Dodgers secured the final two outs of their title. It’s as good a finish as anyone could imagine.
“I don’t miss the game at all,” Kershaw said. “I just miss the people. I love watching. I just know I can’t play it anymore. I’m at peace with that. I miss this. I miss the stadium. I wouldn’t say it’s hard to be here. But you remember what you’re missing, which is challenging for sure.”
He will leave Dodger Stadium this week with a new job, a new ring (“I heard the ring is pretty over the top,” he said), and a chance to soak in the end of his career as he sorts through what’s next. Kershaw joked about having a “no plan” plan once his playing days were over. Now, he’s set to experience it.
“There’s a freedom with retirement,” Kershaw said. “If you don’t want to work out, you don’t have to. If your back hurts, it doesn’t matter. If your arm hurts, it doesn’t matter. You get to see a lot more stuff, be around for everything. So there’s a lot of great parts. It doesn’t take away from how special playing this game is, but there’s a lot of really awesome parts about being home.”
