Sign my jersey! Even Clayton Kershaw’s opponents want one

Los Angeles – It was in mid -June, San diego padress The city was in the city that promised to be a hot chain Los angeles doorsAnd Joe MusgroveHis injured Ekka, there was one thing in his mind:

A signed safe Clayton Care Jersey.

Major League players often send each other’s jersey to friendship or praise or even milestones. But Musgroves did so that he was once close to a prominent member of the Padress, once a major member of the Padress’s greatest member as a major Legore.

Musgrove said, “This is the first when I have sent an over in praise for what someone has done for the game.” “I know he has now flooded with him, and it may seem a lot, but he has a big impact on the game – not only as a player, but the way he handles himself.”

Korshav will start his final regular season at the Dodger Stadium on Friday, which we now know will be one of the last performances of his career. But even before the news of his adjacent retirement Got official on ThursdayIt was likely enough for Major League baseball to give him a special invitation for this year’s all-star game. And for many opposing players to find opportunities to pay their respects in their own way, whether he is offering praise, expressing gratitude or, often, demanding autograph.

The 37 -year -old Korsev has noticed that Jersey’s requests have “increased slightly from previous years”, but insisted that it is “nothing crazy”. Sometimes a home series will go and no one will ask. Other, he will be filled with them. “It is as if they all talk,” Korsev said. He signs them all, either by listing his achievements – 3x NL Sai Young, 2014 NL MVP, 2x WS Champion! As he wrote on one Colorado Rockies Starter Kyle freeland – Or scribbing a brief message. In his mind, it was not long ago that he was on the other side.

“It’s surprising how fast it flipped, you know?” Karshaw told ESPN last week. “You don’t think you are an old man until this happens, and then you are. It happens fast.”

When Kershaw signed His fourth consecutive one -year contract with Dozers in March, he was considered a luxury. Blake Snell And Roki Sasaki Was already added. Yoshinobbu yamamoto And Tyler glass They were coming back healthy. Shohi Ohtani Was on track to return as two-way players. The choice of Emmet Sheihan, Tony Gonsoline And In dustin Was in the next line.

But when Karshaw re -included rotation in mid -May, offsen knee and toe surgery, he helped stabilize a employees who had once again absorbed an avalanche of injuries. In August, as the goal began to go as a rotation of the doors, he found another level, winning all five of his five while posting a 1.88 ERA. Kreshaw is throwing the slowest fastball of its career, offset with a slider that often lacks its traditional bite and resorts to more inventability than ever, Even with topical Ephus pitchAnd yet his record is 10-2 and his ERA is 3.53.

“He is joking about how he only 86, 87 – and he is still out,” San francisco giants Starter Logan web Said. “This is the most impressive thing for me.”

The web was a 12 -year -old in Northern California when Kerash started his major league. His high school years matched with a four-year stretch from 2011 to 2014, which was seen that Karshaw claimed three Cym Young Awards and one MVP, 72 regular-season winning, Tally submitted 895⅓ innings and established himself as one of the greatest of his era. A division rival has not removed any brightness, competing against him as a partner frontline starter on the opponent.

The web said: “He amaze me every once.”

Two months ago, the web shared an all-star team with Karshaw for the first time and he was adamant about getting a jersey from him, even though he said, “I usually ask people asking people.” On Friday, the web would look at the opposite dugout as Kersh made the presence of the last dodger stadium of his career, depending on how he is a factor in LA’s October plans.

Dozers have currently claimed six-man rotation, and two of those members, Yamamoto and Snell, are originally a guarantee to start in a best-three wild-card series. The third place will go to Ohtani, until the doors surprised outsiders Posting him as a relieverThen there is a glasso, which was loaded with more than $ 130 million extensions to reduce the significant start, and Sheehan, a promising right -handed batsman who has been effective out of the bullpen.

Kreshaw was not sufficient to contribute to last year’s championship run and does not want anything other than helping with this one. But he is also realistic.

“We will see,” said Karshav. “We will see what happens. My job is just to pitch it well. Whatever decisions they make, or if I get a beginning or whatever happens – they are going to make the best decisions for the team. I will understand in any way. Obviously it is difficult for them what I want to do.”

Dosters’ manager Dave Roberts does not know what role Karshaws can play in a Postsen roster, but he said “there is a place for him”.

“The bottom line I trust him,” Roberts said. “And for me, Postsen is about the players you trust.”

Andrew Abbott sat With Cincinnati Reds Teammight Chase burns On August 26, in the first-base dugout of the Dodger Stadium and he could not understand what he was watching.

“Is this a change?” He asked.

Harash Family do not throw many changesLarge scale because he never confident his ability to do so. But suddenly the Abbott was watching him unaccounted for a pitch that traveled in the 80s and was away from opposing the right-handed hits, a continuation of a partition change that he began to include a few years ago. For Abbott, it talked easily that has increased the effectiveness of Kersh.

“He knows what he is doing,” Abbott said. “He can only detect things on the fly.”

The third year of the third year of Reds shared a clubhouse with Karshaw for the first time during the all-star game in Atlanta in this summer. He wanted so badly to take his brain about the pitch sequencing, but he did not want to waste Karshaw’s time; He talked about small things about his Dallas relations and left it on it.

Six weeks later, when Reds visited the Dodger Stadium, Abbott created a point to provide a visiting clubhouse attendant with a Korsew Jersey, which was sent to the other side for a signature. He was already one Christian yelichWho represented their first strike; Edwin DiazHis former team partner, brother of Alexis; Joy Votto, A Reds Legend; And Aron judgeSurely the best hitter on the planet. Abbott did not want to bother Karshaw initially, was worried that he could just add to a heavy pile, but he could not afford the disappearance that could be his last opportunity.

Abbott said, “Ever since I was a child, I saw Korsha.” “I mean, I was 9 years old when he made his debut. I just like people I have seen and I have made such an idol. They are those after whom I go. It is good that you are in work with him.”

After pitching for his two biggest rivals in the last four years, then Padress, then veterans-Sanel signed a five-year, $ 182 million contract with Dosters on Offsen and told Andrew Freedman, the president of the baseball operation, that he wanted his locker next to Keshav. Snell’s locker neighbor in the spring training neighbors, and now remains under only two lockers inside the newly renovated home clubhouse of the Dodger Stadium.

As a fellow left hand, Snell has tried to absorb as much as possible by looking at Karshaw, especially how he uses his slider. However, he has learned that a lot of his success is inspired by his mindset.

“He never gives,” Snell said. “He is a contestant. And you can’t, like, train or teach him. You have either it or you don’t. And he is very elite in competition. The game comes, and that is the best version of your own.”

Snell arrived in the major league as a 23-year-old East-East-Tour pick. But he did not believe that he would remain very long, so he made it a point to collect many individual jerseys. They already have two frame -fed Karshaw jersey hanging on an office wall with memorabilia, but the end of their first year with the doseers has surprised them whether they have enough.

Snell said: “I can find one more.”

Those people During his career, Karshaw is seen, it was thought that he would allow himself to mix while pitching in a game – Revelation alone in it – Standed as a clear sign that it would probably be. Roberts, who managed the National League all-stars before this summer, saw a more reflective, commendable side for Karshaw before taking the mound for his 11th midsmor classic.

Roberts saw it when Kersh addressed his NL colleagues before the game, reminded him that it was an opportunity to honor those who had reached him there. He saw it 13 days earlier on the night of 2 July, when Karshaw made six-inning outings with a 3,000th strike of his career and spread on the field to accept fans. Most of all, they have seen it easily with which Kersh takes himself in this season. “The edges,” Roberts said, “is not so difficult now.”

“He knows that he had a tremendous career, and I think he is now making it a point. He is being deliberately done about taking it every moment.”

Kreshaw allows itself to taste its 3,000th strike-one milestone has reached only 19 other pitchers-and made a conscious effort to take this year’s all-star game every moment. His wife, Ellen, and four of his children made a point to travel for each of their one this season, even when the schools in Texas resumed earlier this month, adding a layer of sentiment to the stretch run.

But as much as the Karshaw would like to absorb in every innings in his major league career. The season is going on, stakes keep stressing, and Karshava believes in the link between rejecting success and maintaining an edge. “The minute you taste, the minute you think about success, you are satisfied,” he said. But this also means that he cannot really enjoy the end.

There is a cruelty in it.

“Yes,” Karshaw said, “but that’s fine. Because you want to compete, as you always did. At the end of the day, being healthy, to compete well on a great team well – be able to compete well on a great team – being on a great team – being on a great team – you can ask for all this. If you do all the goods or satisfied, you get down or you are all down or you go down.”

JC Rogers of ESPN contributed to this report.