LOS ANGELES (AP) — An emotional Clayton Kershaw said Thursday he will retire at the end of the season, having spent his entire 18-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Wiping his eyes, his voice choking at times, Kershaw said he knew going into the season that it was likely going to be his last, but he didn’t want to say anything in case he changed his mind. “I’m really not sad. I’m really at peace with this. It’s just emotional and I tried to hold it together,” he said at a Dodger Stadium news conference. “I told our guys not to make it weird today because I was going to get weird if you make it weird, and here I am making it weird.”
The three-time Cy Young Award winner had his wife, Ellen, and four children with him in the room crowded with his teammates, manager Dave Roberts and media.
“I’ve just never been around a greater competitor,” Roberts said. “Very accountable, very consistent. He’s made me better and I think we’ve both grown together so I feel fortunate to have been able to manage him and be around him for 10 years.”
The 37-year-old left-hander who got his 3,000th strikeout in July will make his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium on Friday night against the San Francisco Giants.
“The game in and of itself I’m going to miss a lot, but I’ll be OK without that,” Kershaw said. “The hard thing will be the feeling after a win. That’s pretty special.”
The 11-time All-Star and 2014 NL MVP is tied with Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most years with the Dodgers in franchise history. Kershaw won World Series championships in 2020 and 2024.
“I love being here. I wouldn’t change that for anything,” Kershaw said. “My kids have grown up here. We’ve all grown up here.” Kershaw has a career record of 222-96 and 15 shutouts, which lead active major league players. He threw his only no-hitter in June 2014 against Colorado.