From the 1800’s to present day baseball has been constantly changing. Stadiums are now symmetrical and don’t include 258 feet down the left field line and 475 feet dead center like the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan once did. Skin color doesn’t keep legends like Josh Gibson from playing the game. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is the enthrallment from Dodgers fans when seeing Clayton Kershaw step on the mound for Opening Day.
April 5th, 2010 was the last time someone not named Clayton Kershaw was scheduled to pitch Opening Day (He would’ve started 2019 and 2020, but was ruled out because of injuries). Vicente Padilla and his infamous “soap bubble”, as Vince Scully liked to call it, did not fare well against the abysmal Pirates. In just 4 ⅓ innings he allowed 7 earned runs and 2 bombs to Garret Jones.
Swimming in a pool of Frank and Jamie McCourt divorce drama the Dodgers went 80-82 and finished 4th in the NL West that year. Buried within the throws of 2010’s ownership turmoil was a promising lefty from Texas who proved his 2.76 ERA from the year before wasn’t just a blind pig finding a truffle.
Since 2011 penciling Clayton Kershaw for Opening Day starter has become a subconscious act for Don Mattingly and Dave Roberts. It’s automatic as a blink when they sneeze.
Beginning in 2011 he has gone on to start a Dodger record 8 Opening Day games posting a 1.05 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. In those games his personal record is 5-1 and the team’s is 7-1. In his first 26.2 innings he gave up only one run. It occurred in Australia
though, so does it really count? Since 1913 he has the lowest ERA of pitchers with a minimum of 6 starts. The top of the list doesn’t hold names like Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander. Instead you see names like Bob Feller, Hal Newhouser, and Walter Johnson. One example of how Kershaw’s excellence will last for centuries to come.
Every single appearance has been at least a quality start. His worst game of the 8 was a no decision against the Padres in 2015 when he gave up 3 earned runs in 6 innings. He’s allowed one or none in all other starts. But one Opening Day outing sticks out as immaculate among the many. It’s like Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or Billy Mays’ Mighty Putty.
If you’re aware of his sovereignty you clearly know I am referring to his 2013 outing against the Giants. Besides his no hitter I don’t think his pitching omnipotence has reached higher levels. He shutout the defending World Series champions, striking out 7 and needing only 94 pitches. Greatest part of all? A solo shot off George Kontos in the bottom of the eighth while the game was goose egg to goose egg. First time it was done since 1953. The Dodgers scored 3 after it, but I prefer to remember him providing the only run support for himself that day.
Someone with a vague knowledge of the game could look at Opening Day as just another baseball mishegas. If it was the Simple child of Passover they would ask, “Kershaw is phenomenal in every game (besides the playoffs) so why do these Opening Day starts stick out?” It’s simple. Opening Day starter is the one who will split seas and lead you to the promised land. It’s who the manager contends as his ace. He is the closure to fans’ anxiety that’s been building up for months. Most important of all he is the symbol of spring and a tell tale sign that nature is healing.
Clayton is no longer the Ferrari Testarossa that we once knew in the first half of the 2010’s. His velocity has dropped about 3-4 MPH. His fastball on the inner half no longer leaves players whiffing or with Carpal tunnel syndrome. But the one thing that remains are his off speed pitches. Opening Days or not his curveball still makes more knees buckle than lead pipes in mob films.
He enters this season on the last year of his 3 year $93 million contract so this may very well be the last time we see him start an Opening Day game. It’s going to be a season of utter uncertainty in that regard. But the one thing set in stone is that he will forever be the greatest to be pencilled in for game 1 of 162 for the boys in blue.