Kershaw made his final appearance for the Dodgers last season in Game 3 of the World Series, coming into the final 12th inning with the bases loaded. The left-hander forced a grounder from Nathan Lukes to end the inning, but the ball found its way into the stands before Kershaw could get his hands on it.
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Even when the ball was lost in a sea of blue, Friedman managed to retrieve it for Kershaw.
“The fan who caught it ended up contacting Friedman.” The Athletics Andy McCullough wrote. “The ball made its way to Kershaw’s home in Dallas, where Ellen gave it to her husband for Christmas.”
Kershaw weighed in on the issue, saying the ball seemed like the real deal.
“No authentication or anything – but it looks like the real ball,” Kershaw said. “So I’m going to keep it.”
The memento is a small token of the Dodgers’ appreciation for Kershaw, who has been the cornerstone of the franchise for the past 18 years.
Kershaw made his debut for the Dodgers in 2008 and immediately became a star. The southpaw won three Cy Young awards in four years (2011-2014) – finishing second the year he didn’t win it – and earned an MVP award in the final season of that stretch.
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He also won three World Series championships, five ERA titles, a Gold Glove and a Triple Crown during his time in the MLB.
Throughout his Major League career, Kershaw maintained a 2.53 ERA over 455 appearances on the mound. He struck out 3,052 batters in his career and is one of only 20 pitchers in the history of the game to strike out 3,000.
However, the left-hander is not done yet, as he announced on Thursday that he wants to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic with Team USA. Kershaw will make his first WBC appearance after missing the 2023 roster, and will hope to give Team USA their second ever first-place finish this year.
Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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