Clayton Kershaw Dodgers legacy and former teammate A.J. Ellis reminisces on his battery mate

00:00:10
Speaker 1: Major League Baseball's most interesting man. There are several to choose from, but the man of the hour certainly is Clayton Kershaw, announcing his retirement at the end of the twenty twenty five season. He announced it yesterday at Dodger Stadium. Tonight will be Clayton Kershaw's final start at home in the regular season. Hopefully we see some postseason innings from Kersh. Eric and I got to talk about it at length yesterday when we heard the news. But Trevor, I'm interested in your take. I mean, we knew this was coming. You know, he's almost forty years old, eighteen seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it's still hard to swallow that Clayton Kershaw is not going to be there next year as a player. What do you think about when you think about Kersh?

00:00:48
Speaker 2: He is.

00:00:50
Speaker 3: We throw around like once in a generation style, like type players. I'd say he's one of a time. He's top five all time for me. The things the guy has done in the scope of baseball over one hundred and fifty years is absolutely incredible. Three Cy Young's in four years a career two five era. I was happy if I got a two five in a week like that is that's incredible.

00:01:18
Speaker 4: People don't when people think.

00:01:19
Speaker 3: Of Clint Kershaw, they don't necessarily think of like big strikeout pitcher. But in terms of strikeouts for nine, he is above Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Hurt Schilling. Like these guys, these are guys we remember punching everybody out and Clayton Kershaw is better than them. That one interesting thing that I love looking at, especially all time players in general, is all of their kind of scure like splits like home away, you know what, inning was the best one thing that strike strikes me but doesn't surprise me about Clayton Kershaw, same exact guy, home and away, like that's usually not how it plays out for guy's full career. He's got like a two five three at home and a two five to five on the road for his whole career, which is incredible. And you know what his best inning is, his most dominant inning for his career, the eighth.

00:02:06
Speaker 4: The eighth inning when he throws.

00:02:08
Speaker 3: In the eighth, he was unheittable, untouchable, and he did it like, you know, one hundred and sixty times. So just a few of the little nuggets but if you go and you go on his baseball reference page, you go to the splits thing, You'll be there for twenty four You'll be there for an entire day, just digging around. And then you add in the fact consummate professional does it the right way. Baseball is this guy's north star. He shows up the field, the first one there, he's last one to leave, loves being around, everybody, hangs out with the guys, talks ball. It's just when you think of baseball and how it's supposed to be experienced and lived and what bar or holding yourself to high standards looks like it's Clinton Kershaw. So it is sad that we're coming to the end here and all things do. But you know, I'm glad he's stayed with the same team and didn't have to negotiate that with himself because.

00:03:04
Speaker 4: It sounds like something he wanted for his whole career.

00:03:07
Speaker 3: And then he gets to go out on his own terms, all things that anybody who retires hopes they get to do. And I'm a static for him and how he's been able to have his career and then also end it.

00:03:20
Speaker 1: Very few get to go out on top of the way Clayton Kershaw is doing eric. You heard aj Ellis talk about the fact that Kershaw was so grateful and what mattered to him the most was the amount of innings pitch strike going deep into the game, eating up innings. You heard Trevor talk about it. He was the best in the eighth inning. But you look at the accolades. If we can throw up that graphic once again, what impressed you the most over the course of the eighteen year career. Is it the amount of strikeouts over three thousand? Is it the cy Young's Is it the MVP? Is it the era title? What impresses you the most on a list of really unbelievable accomplishments.

00:03:57
Speaker 5: Besides a person that he is, I mean him and aj shared not just a field, but their faith and the fact that he's raised his family in this game. That's always first and foremost the most impressive thing for me. But if you're gonna pick like one type of like era of Clayton Kershall his entire career, Guy's always doubted him and it's like you're gonna see some regression from him. He's gonna start struggling. He never did that. But the most impressive thing for me when he was hitting free agency. I think it was twenty thirteen to fifteen somewhere. I think he hit it in fourteen was free agency. I saw somebody wrote an article about and obviously this is eleven years ago, about how his first six years in the big leagues were the most dominant first six years of anybody in baseball history, anybody ever. So we talk about arbitration, we talk about all that stuff like you're always compared to the guys of the past. When you look at that first six years of work that he put in, he was the most dominant. That really encapsulates what he was as a pitcher during that time. And that's so impressive to me.

00:05:14
Speaker 1: Trevor. Where does Clayton Kershaw rank on the Dodgers in the Dodgers lore? Where is he? It's been a lot of great players go through those doors.

00:05:25
Speaker 3: It's a long, storied franchise as well, so that's a lot of people and broadcasters included.

00:05:33
Speaker 4: They can go up on that Mount Rushmore.

00:05:35
Speaker 3: But for this generation, for anyone who has watched Dodgers baseball for the last twenty years, Clayton Kershaw's is the guy at the head.

00:05:44
Speaker 4: For them, and I think that puts him up on that mountain. Top five.

00:05:47
Speaker 3: I think that, especially if we're taking all the generations, everyone's got theirs, and he is this generation's Sandy Kofax. A lot of similarities also, interestingly enough, so absolutely top five for me all time.

00:06:02
Speaker 1: Is he the top since they moved to LA in nineteen fifty.

00:06:04
Speaker 4: Eight, that's an interesting question. I think he's got some.

00:06:10
Speaker 3: Maybe some competition with the broadcaster or maybe in being the most recognizable, maybe Vin Scully. But like in terms of guys playing on the field, I think he's the I think he's the guy that if you're putting up a history of the Dodgers banner somewhere, he might be the guy right in the middle.

00:06:27
Speaker 1: Oh so you met Vin Scully, not me? Okay, Good glad for the clarification on that in terms of the whoop, In terms of the mount rushmore of Dodgers lore, great career, unbelievable person. Congratulations to Clayton and Ellen Kershaw on what has been an unbelievable ride. Hopefully another ring is in his future, but certainly hopefully some postseason innings. Much more to come on foult seratory look at baby face kersh That was after he got drafted the first time he came to Dodgers Stadium. So, my goodness, who would have thought the amount of innings that young man was going to pitch at that very stadium that we would be talking about his retirement eighteen years actually more than eighteen years, because that's when he got drafted, so twenty years later. Ajlis is kind enough to take time away from his duties with the San Diego Padres they are in Chicago, to be with us to talk about and reflect on a career of his very good friend, Clayton Kershat. Aj Elis is probably one of the only people that when he got traded away, I was actually emotionally bummed about it when he left Los Angeles. Aj welcome. What was your immediate reaction to Clayton's announcement that he will, in fact retire at the end of the season.

00:07:40
Speaker 2: It's gonna see Ilana. It's been a long time, miss year. It's what a career it's been. Being able to watch him in my post playing career, watch his starts, watch the way he's battled through, the resiliency he's shown. I've just been in all of him and I'm glad that you know, he and Ellen and the family and he's.

00:08:03
Speaker 6: In the Dodger organization have a chemists realization.

00:08:06
Speaker 2: I've seen some people thinking, and I saw Freddy's quotes that you know, he thought, you know, Clayton would just just stop showing up.

00:08:13
Speaker 6: You know, he's just that kind of guy he is. But Baseball, the.

00:08:16
Speaker 2: Dodger fans, we all deserve the chance to honor him and celebrate him tonight and to me, a special day. I did just hear the news about Apple TV cut in the game, and it's a bummer. So I actually think because of that, he should actually come back and pitch in twenty twenty six.

00:08:31
Speaker 5: And then you'd have to do a whole nother day of retirement speeches for him. Look, you're gonna go on like one hundred different shows, tell us something because this is a player to play or show. Tell us something that we don't know about Clayton that you're not going to talk about when you ask when people ask, oh, what's his favorite color? When you go on the.

00:08:51
Speaker 6: Other shows, Oh man, that's what's going Eric.

00:08:55
Speaker 2: Uh, you know, I don't know what's what stays in the clubhouse and what's what's what's able for publican supts And but uh no, you know it's in a in a world where you knows as a former player yourself and Trevor, you'll you'll you'll understand this as well. Baseball the grind is relentless, and we all have that time where day game after a night game. Uh, maybe he got a little over served the night before on the team plane, not feeling great, had a great had a tough morning with the kids at the house. Clayton's consistency and his inability to ever take the out when we all take it, we all turned that three setter into a two setter. We all turned that forty five pitch bullpen into a twenty pitch bullpen because I'm just not feeling he never cut a corner and that consistency that he showed was like, it's just that model that he had.

00:09:44
Speaker 6: I wasn't all on that.

00:09:45
Speaker 2: I think all his teammates are in all on that, and it's something that is is what you know, stood the test of time for his his ability to be consistent and to dominate on the field.

00:09:55
Speaker 5: Was there ever a point where you just because he was dominant, dominant like when kids go back and look at his baseball reference, he was dominant, dominant. Was there ever a point where you're like, I know, he should throw a fastball here or throw his curveball, but I just want to see if he's this good. We got two run lead. I want to see if I can just throw this. Was there ever a point where you were like, kind of like a heat check.

00:10:16
Speaker 2: No. You know what's funny is everything with him was so scripted out, like in our pregame meetings, and like he you know, I said earlier today when chatting a little bit, I think both of us were so fortunate to come up with you know, Rick hunting Cutting, Brad Ostmas, who really taught us. You know, you know what it was like to prepare, what it was like the game plan, and you know, Clayton took at the heart and so you know his ability to prepare and get ready for you know, an opponent. In that conversation we'd have two hours before that first start. He was so detailed with what he wanted to do on the mound. Uh, it didn't waiver and it was not the scoreboard did not matter, the score of the game did not It was his get outs as fast as he possibly could. His job was to throw innings, go deep in the game, and uh, you know that was his goal every season's every single season he took took the mound, was the lead the National League Indians pitch.

00:11:04
Speaker 6: That's all you wanted to do was lead the league in his.

00:11:06
Speaker 2: Pitch because that was the marked of effectiveness and so uh, having a game plan, having a scouting port, having a competitiveness, having an ability to game manage all played into that ability to really become, you know, the ace that he that he was for for such a long period of time.

00:11:22
Speaker 1: There's a couple of images that are just emblazoned in my brain. One is very doctored. It's you and Clayton coming out of the bullpen before a Clayton start. But it's like behind you, guys, was just this wall of fire because it was such an unbelievable battery and the relationship that you two had was second to none. And I'll also never forget when Clayton threw his arms up in the air.

00:11:43
Speaker 6: You were caught, you know, you caught the no hitter.

00:11:45
Speaker 1: You embraced You guys had such a special relationship. And I said at the top of this that I was. I was so emotionally upset when they traded you, but so was Clayton. And I remember the interview after the AJLS trade and Clayton was emotional. And Clayton does not show his emotions to the public often. Can you speak to his relationship and what you guys meant to each other?

00:12:09
Speaker 2: Well, Yeah, to be able to be sixty feet away in your workplace from you know, the most dominant you know, picture of a generation, someone who's at the top of the world in what their their craft is, and that for that person also be your best friend. I don't know of anyone else who can can have that experience. And you know, we we came up in the Dodger system together. You know, I was a couple of years ahead of him in the draft, but he flew past me along the minor league away and player development as he you know, on the the trajector he was on. And but by the time we caught back up, you know, it was you know, we were just we were just connected. You know, we were in a cab together every morning, we're every day.

00:12:50
Speaker 6: To the ballpark. You know, we were we were just on the rail together. Hanging out.

00:12:54
Speaker 2: You know, at the time I was, I was not the everyday catcher. We had some really talented guys in Russ Martin, Rod Barajas and others. Uh so I was, you know, my job was to catch his bullpens, to be out and do his conditioning with him, just to kind of give him a partner to to train with.

00:13:07
Speaker 6: And in the midst of that time spent.

00:13:09
Speaker 2: Together, we we built a bond, and we we built some common so we had to we share some common interests with with with faith, and with our family, and our competitiveness and our desire for for teams success to surpass individual success. And you know, it's it's it's what's kind of kept us connected. It's what's kept us together for so long. And you know, it's been wonderful in my post playing career, even in my role with the Padres, to to continue to be a sounding board for him and to just to help walk through you know this, this this final act of his career with him, and you know, our friendship is beyond special to me compared to what it was to be his teammate. And I'm glad they we'll continue to be you know, great lifelong friends, you know, following his career, did.

00:13:55
Speaker 5: He discuss with you signing back with the with the Dodgers, And if he did, how close was he actually too because you said he's kind of a you're a confident for him somebody can talk to. Was there a sense he would have been for the Rangers.

00:14:09
Speaker 2: No, I think it's you know, fair to say, and Clayton even admitted that that's that's definitely something that had always you know, been you know, on the radar as a potential you know, final type of uh, you know, a final destination for his career, to get back home, to wake up every day, take his kids to school. I think there was a lot of attractiveness to that, but I think there was even but the poll towards being a one uniform guy, the poll towards you know, continue to just to play in post seasons and compete for that, it was was too strong.

00:14:40
Speaker 6: And you know, I think, you know, he doesn't like to talk legacy.

00:14:43
Speaker 2: He doesn't like to talk about his place in history, but he's also aware of it, and he's also aware of what he means to the Dodger fan base, what he means in the legacy of Sandy Kofax and Fernando Venezuela and then Clayton Kershaw. You know, he's left handed, you know, you know, generational people, talents and who have transcended Dodger Baseball, transcended and become Southern California icons. And it's just, you know, I think he realized, you know, a few years back, that you know, whenever it was time to conclude his Dodger career, that was also going to coincide at the end of his baseball career.

00:15:19
Speaker 3: Clayton and you just locked it in for me, He's always seemed like a guy who's pretty understated and doesn't love the spotlight, even though he has had so many moments in that spotlight. And for catching him being a friend for so long, what's a what's a quintessential behind the scenes like conversation moments, something that may seem understated in the moment, but that just demonstrates what type of pitcher and athlete and competitor that Clinton Kirsh ees.

00:15:47
Speaker 2: So you guys have beitt in the dugout during no hitters before and the game starts getting deeper and deeper in the game. We've all seen the scene where the starting pitcher is sitting alone and no one is talking to him, and everybody's kind of allowing him to.

00:16:00
Speaker 6: You know, no one wants to go and.

00:16:02
Speaker 2: Break the concentration or jinx the no hitter and talk to the starting pitcher, and you know, they're in his no hitter. In twenty fourteen against their Rockies, we're getting towards the later and ings of the game and no one's talking, and uh.

00:16:13
Speaker 6: But we're getting towards the bottom of the lineup, and we we.

00:16:15
Speaker 2: We realized the you know, if the Rockies are definitely gonna start deploying some right handed hitters, they have a pitcher spot coming up, there's gonna be some pinch hitters coming up. And so Rick Honey cutting myself were over there kind of staring at the lineup car kind of talking through what's gonna happen, and Clayton all of a sudden, we feel this this present sneak up behind us. It's between both and Clayton says, who they gonna pitch it? And neither Rick or I want to talk. But neither Rick and I want to say a word to Clayton in this moment, and it's like, uh, and before we say thing, he goes, I think it's gonna be Colberson. I think Colberson's gonna pinch it. We're just gonna pitch the strengths, right, pitch of strengths. And I think I just said, yeah, pitch of strengths. And you turn around and Rick huney Get said you talked.

00:16:52
Speaker 6: You just ruined it, and I was like, oh God, did I just screw this up?

00:16:55
Speaker 2: Well, thank god, Charlie swung in the first pitch fastball and popped up the Yassio Puig who made the only two hands catch in the history of his career. He was able to get that out uh to close off the uh, the second out of the.

00:17:07
Speaker 6: Ninth in UH.

00:17:09
Speaker 1: It should have been a perfect game.

00:17:11
Speaker 6: AJ, I don't want to go there on.

00:17:14
Speaker 1: All right, all right, I'll go there.

00:17:15
Speaker 6: I'll go there.

00:17:16
Speaker 4: A j Ellis.

00:17:17
Speaker 1: It is a pleasure. Thank you for taking the time. You were so kind to do it last minute for us. We knew it was coming. It doesn't seem real, but a lot of unbelievable innings thrown with you behind the dish. Thanks my friend, see you soon.

00:17:29
Speaker 6: Yeah, great to see you guys.

00:17:30
Speaker 2: And we all get to celebrate tonight, and yeah, I hope he gets another playoff moment as well, then we celebrate that as well.

00:17:37
Speaker 6: It's be great, so thank you guys,