MLB Network played a rerun of Clayton Kershaw’s MLB debut tonight, and I’m both thankful and depressed because of it. I’m thankful because since it was a Thursday day game back in 2008, I was probably busy dominating a game of kickball or handball during lunch break at the time and wasn’t able to watch the game. After watching it, I’ve realized how much baseball has changed in twelve years. I think the biggest difference is how much more athletic the average baseball player is now compared to then. The main culprit for this change is that players need to be a lot more versatile now because rosters are extremely pitcher-heavy. But as much as I enjoy spotting the differences in today’s game compared to then, the reason I watched this game was because of Clayton Kershaw.
Twenty years old and only two years removed from playing against slapdick high schoolers, he was facing Albert Pujols. His final line of the night was: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 7 K’s…not bad for a seasoned vet, let alone a guy making his debut. We should’ve known he was destined for greatness after striking out the side in his first inning of work as a big leaguer. He’s still one of the best pitchers in the game, but it was clear after watching his debut, how much sharper he was back then. While his fastball hovers around 90 mph nowadays, he threw an easy 95 when he was younger. Similarly, his curveball used to absolutely FALL off the table, while now it’s not as sharp – understandably so (it would be ridiculous if his curve was as sharp at 32 as it was at 20 years old). Seeing Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Russell Martin as young bucks also brought back a ton of nostalgia.
As great as it was seeing Kershaw and the other guys in their early MLB careers, as I said earlier, I am now depressed. I’ve been avoiding these throwback games for this very reason…it makes me very sad that there is no baseball or sports of any kind. The Dodgers (and Lakers) should be on their way to championships this season, but it’s not looking like either team will be able to compete for a title in 2020. While watching the game, I also got pissed me off because I realized how good the Dodgers have been for so long, and that players so deserving of a World Series title like Kershaw and Ethier were cheated out of a one by the Astros. That’s just something I will never get over, regardless of how many years have gone by or however many apologies I hear. Regardless, Kershaw is still my hero, and it’s debatable if I will ever be able to love something as much as I love the Dodgers (besides my parents and possibly my children). It’s safe to say I will be avoiding any sentimental games for the rest of the quarantine.
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