On a field littered with players possessing nine-figure contracts, a pitcher making the league minimum was likely the most significant performer during Game 3 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Little-used reliever Will Klein heroically threw four innings of shutout ball for the Dodgers en route to a wild 6-5 victory in a game that ended in the 18th inning courtesy of a Freddie Freeman walk-off homer.
For a player that’s bounced around the big leagues, it was stunning to see Klein step up on the biggest stage and perform at a level no one would’ve dreamed of.
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MLB pundit Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote a lengthy breakdown trying to make sense of what everyone witnessed in the marathon Game 3 of the World Series. He included a very special note about a meeting in the clubhouse after the contest featuring hero Klein and arguably the most accomplished left-handed pitcher in the history of baseball.
“Games don’t become classics without efforts like Klein’s — and he had an admirer who wanted to acknowledge that. Into the Dodgers’ clubhouse strode Sandy Koufax, his eminence of Dodgers pitching, who, at 89 years old, looked no worse for the wear at 12:48 a.m.,” Passan wrote. “Koufax walked up to Klein, stuck out his hand, looked him in the eyes and said: ‘Nice going.'”
While it’s a simple statement, it’s one with tremendous gravity. Koufax is often seen sitting behind home plate at Dodgers games. A major champion of the pitching staff, franchise, and Clayton Kershaw in particular, the iconic left-hander has offered his support and guidance to players for decades since retiring.
For Klein, a guy who bounced between the Athletics and the Seattle Mariners before ending up with the Dodgers this past June, meeting Koufax and garnering that praise had to have been a ‘pinch me’ moment.
“Getting to meet Sandy after the game was, I mean, kind of surreal,” Klein said. “He’s obviously a legend, a Dodger legend, baseball legend, and just getting to meet him and shake his hand just kind of put it all into perspective.”
Regardless as to whether Klein even throws another pitch again in a Dodgers uniform, he’ll surely be remembered fondly by the fan base for an all-time gutsy performance.
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Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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2 Responses
WILL KLEIN WAS “AS TOUGH AS NAILS.” Nice job Will. Can’t top that comment by the Great one.
Love this article. And of course the fact that Sandy Koufax is my all time favorite player and still there at the end speaks volumes. A Great Man recognizing greatness. Doesn’t get better than this!