Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell is taking over Clayton Kershaw’s old locker at Spring Training, a symbolic passing of the torch from one lefty to another.
Kershaw, after spending his entire career in Dodger blue and cementing himself as one of the greatest pitchers of all time, made the tough decision to retire amid a series of injuries and his growing family needing him to be home rather than on the road for 162 games plus the entire postseason.
The lefty got to go out on his own terms, as a champion who got a ceremonial last start at Dodger Stadium.
Now, the franchise and Kershaw turn the page on a glorious era as the southpaw moves into a broadcasting career with NBC, and the Dodgers pass down his locker to another elite left-hander — Snell.
According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, Snell is in Kershaw’s old locker stall.
How do the Dodgers feel about the first Spring Training without Clayton Kershaw?
As Dodgers pitchers and catchers start reporting to Spring Training, Kershaw’s absence is certainly being felt, especially since he has been such a mainstay, having crossed over from the previous ownership.
“When we get to spring training at Camelback and not seeing his locker where it’s been for 17 years, 18 years, it’s gonna be different,” Dave Roberts said, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.
“The presence, seeing No. 22 out there early, doing sprints, seeing him in the weight room, knowing it’s Kershaw Day (when he pitched), not having that – it’s different.”
While there is no lack of leadership on the Dodgers — Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Kike Hernandez, and Max Muncy are all long-time members of the clubhouse — an element of joy and playfulness that Kershaw always brought to the team, especially amid the long slog of a season, will be missing.
However, players like Muncy are intent on keeping the same feeling around the team.
“I’ve actually been thinking about that a lot with us reporting soon. It’s going to be a lot different,” the third baseman said.
“He’s been the leader here for 18, 19 years. I’ve always said he’s the one that sets the example here – not with his words, just with his actions.
“How he competes every fifth day, how he goes out there and does his work before the game, does his work in the weight room, does his dry work trying to get better on the mound, working on his mechanics. He’s always been about, ‘How do I get better and then how do I make my teammates better?’”
“I know he says the culture was set before him. But to me, he’s always been the one who set the culture here with the Dodgers. We’ve all been following in his footsteps. It’s up to us to keep that going. It’s going to be a challenge but we’ll be thinking about him for sure.”
