Cover your eyes (and ears) Padres fans, as all-time great Los Angeles Dodger Clayton Kershaw will be making his playoff broadcast debut during San Diego’s Wild Card series on Tuesday.
Kershaw, in his work with NBC Sports, will be on the call for the Padres as they host the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the series Tuesday night.
While it’s certainly exciting for Kershaw, Padres fans will be much less enthused.
How did Clayton Kershaw play against the Padres?
In his 18 seasons, Kershaw played in 50 games against the Padres, 48 of which he started on the mound, according to Baseball Reference.
He racked up a personal record of 24-11 and had a lifetime ERA of 2.17 against the Dodgers’ rivals down south.
He also had 320 strikeouts against 213 hits allowed, giving up a total of 88 runs, only 74 of which were earned.
Given that level of success and Kershaw’s general Hall of Fame-worthy resume, it’s no surprise that he’ll serve as the “Inside the Pitch” analyst, so at least Padres fans won’t have to listen to him all night.
That said, they certainly have some feelings about NBC’s decision.
Padres fans sound off on Clayton Kershaw commentating their game
For Friars on Base, Tremayne Person detailed that the Padres “have spent the better part of two decades watching him ruin nights.”
“The résumé explains why NBC hired him. The uniform explains why the Friars don’t want to see it,” Person wrote.
Person also said that Kershaw “will probably be terrific” when broadcasting, but that isn’t enough to satisfy Padres fans.
“Rivalries carry memory. Kershaw wasn’t some anonymous, brief middle reliever who passed through LA,” Person wrote. “He was the face of the Dodgers’ rotation, a future Hall of Famer and a recurring reminder of the gap San Diego spent years trying to close.”
While Padres fans may be upset, Dodgers fans seem to be enjoying the idea of their rival fans being forced to listen to Kershaw.
Will you be tuning in to hear Clayton Kershaw broadcast the Padres game?
One Response
I will be tuning in to watch kersh