Ted Lilly
Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 29
Starting pitcher
Born: (1976-01-04) January 4, 1976 (age 36) Torrance, California
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
MLB debut
May 14, 1999 for the Montreal Expos
Career statistics (through May 18, 2012)
Win-Loss	130-110
Earned run average	4.10
Strikeouts	1,660
Teams
Montreal Expos (1999) New York Yankees (2000–2002) Oakland Athletics (2002–2003) Toronto Blue Jays (2004–2006) Chicago Cubs (2007–2010) Los Angeles Dodgers (2010–present)
Career highlights and awards
2x All-Star selection (2004, 2009) Member of 2009 WBC USA Team

Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly III (born January 4, 1976, in Torrance, California), is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws left-handed. Lilly -- named so because his great-grandfather rode with the Rough Riders -- attended Yosemite High School in Oakhurst, California, and Fresno City College.

Professional career[link]

Minor leagues[link]

Lilly was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 23rd round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft. After two seasons in the Dodgers farm system, he was traded (along with Peter Bergeron, Wilton Guerrero and Jonathan Tucker) to the Montreal Expos for Hiram Bocachica, Mark Grudzielanek and Carlos Pérez.

Montreal Expos[link]

Lilly made his Major League debut for the Expos on May 14, 1999 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, pitching one inning in relief. He made his first start on September 19 against the Atlanta Braves. He pitched in nine games for the Expos, with three starts.

New York Yankees[link]

Lilly was traded to the New York Yankees on March 17, 2000 as part of a trade involving Hideki Irabu.^[1]

Oakland Athletics[link]

Lilly played for more than two years for the Yankees before being dealt to the Oakland Athletics in a three team deal that included pitchers Jeff Weaver heading to New York and Jeremy Bonderman going to the Detroit Tigers. Lilly was in the starting rotation for Oakland, and pitched in the American League Division Series in both 2002 and 2003.

Toronto Blue Jays[link]

Lilly was traded from the Athletics to the Toronto Blue Jays for Bobby Kielty.^[1] He made the American League All-Star team in 2004 as the Jays' lone representative that year.

The highlight of his career as a Blue Jay was a start on August 23, 2004 against the Boston Red Sox. He pitched a complete-game shutout and struck out 13 batters in a three-hit 3–0 victory.

Lilly was 15–13 with a 4.31 ERA and 160 strikeouts in 2006, exceeding his previous career-high for wins (12). He also equaled a career high for starts (32) and nearly matched his career highs in strikeouts and innings pitched. This season, he ranked first among the Jays' pitching staff in strikeouts and second only to Roy Halladay in wins (Halladay had a 16–5 record before a recurring elbow injury ended his season in late September).

On August 21, 2006, in a game against the Oakland Athletics, Lilly was surrendering an early 8-0 lead in the 3rd inning when manager John Gibbons took him out of the game. With the score 8-5 and runners on 1st and 3rd, Lilly refused to give him the ball. Eventually, he reluctantly left the mound and later feuded with Gibbons in the locker room, though Gibbons maintained no punches were thrown.

Lilly filed for free agency at the end of the 2006 season, and alongside Barry Zito, Jason Schmidt and Jeff Suppan, was one of the most sought-after free agent pitchers, partially due to the thin market for starting pitching. On the morning of December 6, 2006, he informed the Blue Jays that he would not be returning to the club, thus rejecting a four-year, $40 million deal. He cited a "change in scenery" as his reasoning. Later on that day, Lilly agreed to an identical four-year, $40 million deal with the Chicago Cubs, officially ending his tenure with the Blue Jays.

Chicago Cubs[link]

Lilly pitching for the Cubs in 2007.

In his first start for the Cubs, Lilly defeated the Cincinnati Reds in a strong outing, taking a no hitter into the fifth inning, and only yielding one earned run over seven innings.^[2] Lilly then was the starting pitcher for the Cubs home opening game at Wrigley Field on April 9, 2007. Lilly gave up three runs in six innings, but did not factor into the decision.^[3] Lilly pitched well in April, lasting at least six innings in each of his five starts while never giving up more than three runs in a game posting a 2.18 ERA.^[4]

Lilly was prominent in a contentious series in Atlanta between the Cubs and the Atlanta Braves. In game one of the series, Alfonso Soriano hit three home runs in his first three at-bats as part of a Cubs 9-1 victory.^[5] In the next game, Tim Hudson hit Soriano with a first-pitch fastball triggering home-plate umpire Tim Tschida to issue warnings to both teams.^[6] On the final game of the series, Lilly hit Edgar Rentería in the first inning, and was promptly thrown out of the ballgame by Jim Wolf.^[7] Lilly was not suspended for his actions in the game. In 2009 he was named to his second all-star game, as the Cubs lone representative.

On June 13, 2010, Lilly took a no-hitter into the 9th against the Chicago White Sox. In the ninth, he gave up a lead off single to Juan Pierre, then was lifted for relief pitcher Carlos Mármol, who got the save, getting out of a bases loaded jam, for a 1-0 Cub victory. This was the longest outing that Lilly held a team hitless. The no-hitter would have been the first pitched at Wrigley Field since Milt Pappas in 1972.

2009 World Baseball Classic[link]

Lilly was the starting pitcher in two games for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

In the first game he faced Venezuela but was pulled after 36 pitches. Manager Davey Johnson wanted to get work for starter Jeremy Guthrie and as many relievers as possible. Lilly left with the United States trailing 1-0, thanks to the homer he served up to his former Cubs batterymate, Henry Blanco.^[8] His second start was against Puerto Rico, a game that Team USA would win with a David Wright two-run single in the bottom of the ninth. For his part Lilly gave up two home runs, the only two hits he gave up in his 3¹⁄₃ innings.

Los Angeles Dodgers[link]

On July 31, 2010, Lilly and Ryan Theriot were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Blake DeWitt, Brett Wallach, and Kyle Smit.^[9] Lilly won his first five starts as a Dodger posting a 1.83 ERA. He finished his season with the Dodgers with a record of 7-4 and a 3.52 ERA in 12 starts, which included a complete game shutout on August 19 against the Colorado Rockies. On October 19, 2010, Lilly agreed to a 3-year, $33 million, contract with the Dodgers.^[10] After a disappointing first half of the season in 2011, where he had an ERA of 4.79, Lilly pitched much better in the second half, with a 2.96, also allowing only 9 homers in the second half after allowing 19 the first half. His final record was 12-14 with a 3.97 ERA in 33 starts.

Pitching style[link]

Lilly is a finesse pitcher, as he lacks elite velocity with his pitches but relies on above-average control and movement, as well as the ability to throw a variety of pitches. He throws two fastballs -- a four-seamer and a two-seamer in the 86-90 mph range -- and two breaking balls, a slider and a big, slow curveball. He also features a changeup. He uses the slider more against left-handed batters and his other off-speed pitches more against right-handed batters. His pitching motion uses a straight-over-the-top delivery.^[11][12]

Personal life[link]

Lilly's wife, Natasha (Tasha), is a veterinarian. They are active advocates for animal humane societies^[13], and reside in Oakhurst, California. Their son, Theodore Roosevelt Lilly IV, was born on March 14, 2010.^{[14] [15]}

See also[link]

Baseball portal

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins

References[link]

External links[link]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

John Gibbons
Catcher, Manager
Born: (1962-06-08) June 8, 1962 (age 50) Great Falls, Montana
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 11, 1984 for the New York Mets
Last MLB appearance
October 4, 1986 for the New York Mets
Career statistics
Batting average	.220
Hits	11
RBI	2
Games managed	610
Win–loss record	305-305
Winning %	.500
Teams
As Player New York Mets (1984, 1986) As Manager Toronto Blue Jays (2004-2008)
Career highlights and awards
1st round pick in the 1980 amateur draft

John Michael Gibbons (born June 8, 1962, in Great Falls, Montana) was the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball from 2004 to 2008. He is often referred to as "Gibby" by his players and other baseball cohorts.^[1]

Playing career[link]

After being selected by the New York Mets with the 24th pick of the 1980 amateur draft, Gibbons had a very brief 18-game major league playing career as a catcher with the Mets in 1984 and 1986. He was projected to be the Mets' catcher of the future^{[by whom?]} but he batted only .220, with one home run and 2 RBIs (but 16 strikeouts) in 50 at-bats. Injuries also took a toll on him so he retired as a player in 1990. Gibbons served as the Mets' bullpen catcher during the 1986 postseason, in which the Mets won the World Series.^[2][3]

Bullpen catcher and coach[link]

Hired by the Blue Jays General Manager J. P. Ricciardi in 2002 as a bullpen catcher, Gibbons worked his way up to first base coach in June 2002. Ricciardi was his former roommate in the minor leagues.

Managerial career[link]

After Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi fired manager Carlos Tosca in 2004, John Gibbons was hired. The Blue Jays went 20–30 with Gibbons as manager. During the remainder of the season, it was not unusual to see as many as six rookies per game on the Blue Jays' field.

At the end of the 2004 regular season, Gibbons was given a 1-year contract as the manager for the 2005 season. This contract was extended for three seasons just a week into the 2005 season. Gibbons went on to lead the Jays to an 80–82 record in his first full season as a big league manager.

Expectations were higher in 2006, after the Blue Jays acquired A.J. Burnett, Troy Glaus, Lyle Overbay, B. J. Ryan, and Bengie Molina. Toronto ended the season in second place in the American League East division with an 87–75 record, one game ahead of the Boston Red Sox. It marked the first time the Jays had finished higher than third since 1993, when they won their second of two consecutive World Series titles.

Gibbons was fired as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays on June 20, 2008. He was replaced by former Jays Manager Cito Gaston.^[4]

Controversy with his players[link]

On May 28, 2005, Gibbons chastised former Toronto starter Dave Bush in the dugout after the right-hander showed his displeasure on the mound about being removed from a game. The next day Bush was sent to the minor leagues.^[5] After the season, Bush was traded to the Brewers, where the former 2nd round draft pick doubled the number of wins he had achieved in either season as a Blue Jay.^[6]

Gibbons was again involved in controversy in July 2006, after his feud with Shea Hillenbrand came to a head. After the former Blue Jays infielder and designated hitter wrote negative comments about the team on a display board in the Blue Jays clubhouse, Gibbons confronted him in a closed team meeting and allegedly challenged him to a fight. Hillenbrand, who has a history of clashing with officials from several teams, was upset about his lack of playing time and that no one in the Blue Jays front office had made an attempt to congratulate him on recently adopting a child. Three days later the Blue Jays traded Hillenbrand, who was hitting .301 at the time, to the Giants.^[7]

Gibbons was involved in more controversy on August 21, 2006, when he got into a confrontation with another of his players—Blue Jays pitcher Ted Lilly – after Gibbons walked to the mound to remove Lilly in the third inning of Toronto's game against Oakland. Visibly frustrated at his own performance (having given up 7 runs in that inning to erase an 8–0 lead), Lilly initially refused to surrender the ball to Gibbons. He ultimately left the mound and headed for the clubhouse.^[8] When Gibbons returned to the dugout, he followed Lilly into the clubhouse tunnel where, according to eyewitnesses, Gibbons confronted the pitcher about his insubordination. The two exchanged shoves, and a number of players and Blue Jays staff rushed in from the dugout to break it up.^[9] Following the confrontation, both men considered the matter resolved, and there were no apparent tensions thereafter.

The final controversy occurred with Frank Thomas. At the beginning of the 2008 season, Gibbons benched Thomas, who had a batting average of .167 after the first 20 games of the season. Thomas, typically a slow starter, was livid over his lack of playing time. He claimed that the Blue Jays were giving him less playing time to prevent him from getting 364 at-bats in the season, which was the required amount for his $10 million 2009 option to become guaranteed. The Blue Jays responded the next day on April 20, 2008 by releasing Thomas. Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi met with Thomas and they agreed that the best thing for the team and for Thomas would be to let him go.^[10]

Post-Toronto coaching/managerial career[link]

On October 10, 2008, Gibbons was hired as the bench coach by the Kansas City Royals, replacing Dave Owen^[11] who became the third base coach.

Managerial records[link]

See also[link]

Baseball portal

• List of Major League Baseball managers in 2006
• List of Major League Baseball managers in 2007
• List of Major League Baseball managers in 2008

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Gibbons

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Toronto Blue Jays page
• John Gibbons addressing a school assembly with a motivational speech

Clayton Kershaw
Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 22
Starting pitcher
Born: (1988-03-19) March 19, 1988 (age 24) Dallas, Texas
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
MLB debut
May 25, 2008 for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Career statistics (through May 16, 2012)
Win-Loss	51–29
Earned run average	2.80
Strikeouts	796
Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (2008–present)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (2011) NL Cy Young Award (2011) Gold Glove Award (2011) NL TSN Pitcher of the Year (2011) National League Triple Crown (2011) National League Strikeout Champion (2011) MLB ERA Champion (2011)

Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is a left-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball.

Kershaw was drafted 7th overall in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. He worked his way through the Dodgers' farm system in just one full season and reached the majors at the age of 20 years old. When he debuted in 2008, Kershaw was the youngest player in Major League Baseball, a title he held for one full year. In 2011, he won the Pitching Triple Crown and the National League Cy Young Award, becoming the youngest pitcher to accomplish either of these feats since Dwight Gooden in 1985.

Being a left-handed strikeout pitcher and playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kershaw has often been compared to Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax.^[1][2][3]

Early life[link]

Kershaw attended Highland Park High School, where he established himself as an elite high school prospect in 2006 when he posted a 13–0 record with an ERA of 0.77, and recorded 139 strikeouts in 64 innings. In a playoff game against Justin Northwest High School, Kershaw pitched an all-strikeout perfect game. He was selected by USA Today as "High School Baseball Player of the Year", and was also the Gatorade National Player of the Year for baseball.

Entering the 2006 MLB Draft, Kershaw was considered the top high-schooler available. The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Kershaw with the 7th overall pick in the draft. He turned down a scholarship at Texas A&M to sign with the Dodgers, with a bonus estimated at $2.3 million. The $2.3 million bonus was the largest to any Dodgers amateur at the time, which was eventually topped by Zach Lee in the 2010 MLB Draft.

Minor league career[link]

Kershaw continued to show dominance with the Gulf Coast League Dodgers. He pitched in 37 innings in which he struck out 54 batters (walking only 5), while compiling a record of 2–0 with a 1.95 ERA. He featured a 93–94 mph fastball (topping out at 96 mph). He was rated as the No.1 prospect in the GCL, and the Dodgers' No. 2 prospect by Baseball America behind third basemen Andy LaRoche.

In two starts in 2006, he fanned 21 batters in 11 innings from July 29-August 3.

Kershaw entered the 2007 season as the top prospect in the Dodgers' system, according to Baseball America. That year, for the Great Lakes Loons, Kershaw recorded a record of 7–5 with a 2.77 earned run average and was selected to play on the East Team in the Midwest League All Star Game. He also was selected to appear in the All-Star Futures Game for the USA Team. On August 6, he was promoted to the Double-A Jacksonville Suns in the Southern League,^[4] where he produced a 1–2 record and 3.65 ERA in 5 starts.

During spring training in a game against the Boston Red Sox, Kershaw gained much attention for throwing a remarkable 1:7 curveball to Sean Casey that started behind Casey but at the end looped into the strike zone and struck him out looking, which announcer Vin Scully dubbed "Public Enemy No. 1."^[5] Kershaw was 0–3 and had a 2.28 ERA with 47 strikeouts through 43.1 innings pitched in his first stint of the year with the Jacksonville Suns. He was then called up to the majors, but optioned back to Jacksonville on July 2, 2008.

Kershaw pitched 18 innings during his second trip to Jacksonville (two starts and one 7-inning relief appearance), winning two games. During this stretch, he allowed only 2 runs earned runs, lowering his ERA to 1.91. He was recalled on July 22.

Major league career[link]

Los Angeles Dodgers[link]

Kershaw at spring training in Florida in 2008.

2008 season[link]

On May 24, 2008, Kershaw's minor league contract was purchased by the Dodgers, and he was added to the active roster. Tony Jackson, a well-respected beat writer for the Dodgers, called Kershaw's debut the most anticipated start by a Dodgers pitcher since Hideo Nomo debut in 1995.^[6] He made his debut on May 25, starting against the St. Louis Cardinals. He pitched six innings, allowed two runs and recorded seven strikeouts. When he debuted, Kershaw was the youngest player in Major League Baseball, a title he held for one full year. The following week, during an interview with Eric Karros, St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols said Kershaw had "unhittable stuff".^[7]

Kershaw won his first major league game against the Washington Nationals on July 27, 2008. He pitched six-plus shutout innings, allowing four hits, a walk, and struck out five. Kershaw finished his rookie season 5-5, with a 4.26 ERA in 22 games (21 starts).

2009 season[link]

On April 15, 2009, Kershaw pitched 7 innings, striking out 13 batters while allowing only one hit (solo HR) against the rival San Francisco Giants. On May 17, 2009, Kershaw had a no-hitter against the Florida Marlins through 7 innings, then gave up a lead-off double to Florida's Cody Ross. Due to second half struggles from Chad Billingsley and injuries to Hiroki Kuroda, Kershaw became the de facto ace for the Dodgers at the age of 21. He responded by posting a 2.27 ERA in the second half of the season.

In 2009, despite an 8–8 record, he led the major leagues in opposing batting average (.200), opposing slugging percentage (.282), and hits per nine innings (6.26). He also posted an ERA of 2.79 and 185 strikeouts. Kershaw also walked 91 batters, which was second most in the National League.

He made his playoff starting debut against the St. Louis Cardinals and Adam Wainwright in the 2009 National League Division Series. He went 6.2 IP, striking out 4, walking 1, and ended up getting a no-decision (Dodgers went on to win the game in the 9th inning). At 21 years old, he was the youngest pitcher to start a playoff game since Rick Ankiel did so in 2000 at the age of 20.

2010 season[link]

Coming off of back-to-back National League Championship Series, the Dodgers and Kershaw had hefty expectations coming into 2010. Kershaw started the season to mixed reviews. In April, he posted a 3.07 ERA, but did so by walking 22 batters in 29 innings. On May 4, Kershaw had his worst start of his career against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw threw 57 pitches in just 1 1/3 innings and retired only four of the 13 batters he faced—including the pitcher and was booed loudly upon being pulled from the game. Kershaw said after the game, "I didn't give our team any kind of chance. It's just not a good feeling to let your teammates down, let everybody down. It stings, it hurts. I've got to figure things out." ^[8]

Kershaw rebounded his next start by pitching an 8 inning two-hitter and out-dueling the then undefeated Ubaldo Jiménez. He went on to go 11-7 with a 2.68 ERA for the remainder of the season. Kershaw credited his control of the slider being the major turning point for him.^[9] Later in the season, he was suspended for five games after hitting Aaron Rowand of the rival San Francisco Giants with a pitch in a game on July 20. The incident occurred after both teams were given a warning following Giants ace Tim Lincecum hitting Matt Kemp earlier in the game. He threw his first career complete game shutout on September 14, also against San Francisco. He finished the season with a record of 13–10 and a 2.91 ERA in 32 starts, pitching a career best 204.1 innings and recording 212 strikeouts.

2011 season[link]

On February 16, 2011 the Dodgers named Kershaw as the Opening Day Starter for the 2011 season. On May 29, he pitched the second complete-game shutout of his career, striking out 10 while winning a two-hitter against the Florida Marlins, 8–0; he also had two singles and an RBI, scoring twice, in the game. Kershaw produced his third career shutout on June 20, a two-hit, 11 strikeout effort against the Detroit Tigers. This game was of significance because Kershaw became the first Dodgers starter to strike out the side in the 9th inning since Sandy Koufax's perfect game.^[10] In his next start, on June 26, Kershaw pitched another complete game (against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He became the first Dodger starter to have back-to-back complete game victories since Jeff Weaver in 2005 and the first Dodger to have double digit strikeouts in consecutive starts since Chan-Ho Park in 2000. He was awarded the National League Player of the Week award for the week of June 20–26 as a result of those two starts.^[11]

Kershaw pitching to Chipper Jones in the 8th inning on Brooklyn Dodgers throwback day in 2011

He was selected to the National League squad for the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, his first all-star selection. In the month of July, Kershaw was 4–1 with a 2.02 ERA and NL leading 45 strikeouts, earning him the National League Pitcher of the Month Award. On August 19, Kershaw recorded his 15th win of a season, taking him above his previous high of 14 wins, in a 5–1 victory over the Brewers. On August 23, he stuck out Matt Holliday of the St. Louis Cardinals for his 200th strikeout of the season. He became the 10th Dodger pitcher to record back-to-back 200 strikeout seasons and the first since Chan-Ho Park in 2001.^[12] He also picked up his 16th win in that game, the most wins by a Dodger left-handed pitcher since Fernando Valenzuela won 21 in 1986.^[13] On September 20, 2011, Kershaw won his 20th game by defeating the San Francisco Giants 2–1. He became the first Dodgers pitcher to go 5–0 against the Giants in a season since Vic Lombardi in 1946, beating two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum four times. The scores to those games were 2-1, 1-0, 2-1, 2-1, with Kershaw allowing 1 earned run and Lincecum allowing three in those four starts. Kershaw and Lincecum matching up four times, evoked fans of both teams memories of the days Sandy Koufax and Juan Marichal traded zeroes in the 1960s.^[14] The two appeared together on the Sports Illustrated 2012 baseball preview magazine.

Kershaw finished the 2011 season with 21 wins, 248 strikeouts, and a 2.28 ERA, winning the NL pitching Triple Crown, the first Triple Crown winner since Jake Peavy in 2007 and the first Dodger since Sandy Koufax won it in 1966.^[15] The Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander won the AL Triple Crown the same season, marking the first major-league season since 1924 to feature Triple Crown-winning pitchers in both leagues. Kershaw's 21 wins were the most by a Dodger pitcher since Orel Hershiser won 23 in 1988. His ERA was the lowest by a Dodger since Hershiser's 2.03 in 1985, his strikeouts were the most by a Dodger since Sandy Koufax's 317 in 1966 and his 233 1/3 innings pitched were the most since Chan Ho Park pitched 234 in 2001.^[16] Since 1965 when Sandy Koufax did it, Jake Peavy in 2007 and Kershaw in 2011 are only two pitchers in the National League have led the league in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP.^[15] Additionally, since 1969, only three pitchers had a second-half ERA as good as Kershaw’s 1.31, according to the Elias Sports Bureau: Roger Clemens (0.97 in 1990), Tom Seaver (1.10 in 1971) and Johan Santana (1.21 in 2004). Kershaw also became just the second lefthander to get 240-plus strikeouts in a season before the age of 24 joining Vida Blue.^[15]

After the season, Kershaw was awarded the Warren Spahn Award as the best left-handed pitcher in 2011, the USA Today National League Cy Young, the Players Choice Award for Most Outstanding National League pitcher, the Gold Glove Award as the top fielding pitcher in the NL and the NL TSN Pitcher of the Year. He was additionally selected as the starting pitcher for the Sporting News NL All-Star Team.^[17] On November 17, he was honored with the National League Cy Young Award, making him the youngest Cy Young winner since Dwight Gooden in 1985. He was the 8th Dodger pitcher to the win the award, the first since Eric Gagné in 2003.^[18]

2012 season[link]

On February 7, 2012 Kershaw and the Dodgers agreed on a two-year $19 million contract, the second highest for a player in his first year of arbitration (after Tim Lincecum's $23 million 2 year contract in 2010).^[19]

Kershaw was the Dodgers' opening day starter for the second year in a row, where he pitched 3 innings of shutout ball against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park before being removed from the game due to flu-like symptoms. ^[20] On April 27th, he was able to last through eight innings for his second win of the season against the Washington Nationals. The win was also his 12th straight home win, tying him with Ed Roebuck (June 1960 - August 1962) and Orel Hershiser (September 1984 - October 1985) for the longest home winning streak since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. ^[21] Kershaw won the National League's Player of the Week Award for the week of May 14-20 after he made two starts during that week and pitched 16 scoreless innings, including his fourth career shutout.^[22]

Pitching style[link]

Kershaw pitching style is unique in that he has a high leg kick. The leg kick helps him generate power off his four-seam fastball and adds a dimension of deception on batters. Out of the stretch, he uses a slide step as it makes it difficult for the base runner at first base to get a read on him. Kershaw also keeps the ball hidden well. He never gives the batter a clean look at the ball until one or two frames before the release, which makes his release point much tougher to pick up.^[23] He has stated many times that he has modeled his pitching mechanics after his favorite pitcher growing up, Roger Clemens.^[24] Earlier in his career, Kershaw had problems with his front shoulder flying open and repeating his delivery, that caused him to lose his release point making his control spotty. Since the middle of the 2010 season, his control improved so dramatically that it isn't seen as a weakness anymore. In 2009, he walked 4.8 batters per 9 compared to 2011, where he only walked 2.1 batters per 9.

Kershaw pitch repertoire includes a four-seam fastball that sits anywhere from 93–97 with cut and late movement, a two-seam fastball with natural cut at 91–93 mph, a slider, a 12–6 curveball, a hard curveball and a circle changeup. His slider and both curveballs are considered plus pitches for him, most notably the slider, which registered as one of the top off-speed offerings in 2011.^[25] Kershaw is a strikeout pitcher, having a career average of one strikeout for every inning pitched. He is also known for having one of the better pickoff moves to first base^[26] and is considered one of the better defensive pitchers in baseball.^[27] When he's on his game, Kershaw allows very few base runners, strikes out batters at a high rate, records outs mostly by infield pop-ups or ground balls, and when batters try to bunt, he usually fields his position exceptionally well. A testament to this was in 2011, where Kershaw led the National League in WHIP and strikeouts and won Rawlings Gold Glove Award.

After a spring training game in 2012, newly acquired Dodgers catcher Matt Treanor discussed Kershaw's pitching style:

"He's a different type of competitor. He doesn't need anyone out there telling him what to do, so I try to limit how much I try to get him to do something. As far as his stuff is concerned, I don't think I've caught anybody like him. He's got that pause, he mixes up his moves, he fields his position really well, he locates well. He does everything above average. You'd think he's been around longer, but he's only 24."^[28]

Awards and Accomplishments[link]

Personal life[link]

Kershaw is the great-nephew of the discoverer of Pluto, astronomer Clyde Tombaugh.^[29]

He is a Methodist with strong religious faith.^[30][31]

On December 4, 2010, Kershaw married his girlfriend of seven years, Ellen Melson.

Kershaw grew up and attended school with Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.^[32] He also grew up with Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim closer Jordan Walden^[33] and former Baylor University star and current Dodgers top relief prospect Shawn Tolleson.^[34]

Volunteer work[link]

Prior to the 2011 season, Kershaw visited Zambia with his wife as part of a Christian mission organized by Dallas-based Arise Africa. After the trip, Kershaw announced his dream of building an orphanage in Lusaka, Zambia, which he called "Hope's Home" after 11-year-old Hope, an HIV-positive child Kershaw met while in Zambia. To accomplish his goal, Kershaw pledged a donation of $100 per strikeout recorded in 2011. With Kershaw's career high of 248 strikeouts thrown during the 2011 season, he donated $492,300 towards his $70,000 goal. When Kershaw won the 2011 Players Choice Award, he donated $260,000 to Hope's Home. He and his wife will be returning to Zambia in 2012.^[35]

Kershaw will donate $100 for every strikeout in the 2012 season to Kershaw's Challenge, calling this season's incarnation of the project "Strike Out To Serve." Kershaw had a similar program in 2011, and also donated a portion of monetary bonuses he received for the many awards he won last year. Seventy percent of the money raised in 2012 will go to Arise Africa, with 10 percent each going to the Peacock Foundation in Los Angeles, Mercy Street in Dallas, and I Am Second.

Author[link]

On November 17, 2011, Regal Books announced that they will be publishing a book co-authored by Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, named Arise. In Arise, Clayton and Ellen tell their story so far—from meeting in junior high school in Texas, to eye-opening visits in Africa. The book was released on January 5, 2012, just days after the Kershaw's returned from a trip to Zambia and about a month before major league pitchers report for Spring training.^[35]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

• USA Today All-USA high school baseball team

References[link]

External links[link]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Minor League Baseball bio