Clayton Kershaw became the 20th member of the 3,000-strikeout club on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox, but his longtime batterymate Austin Barnes was unfortunately not around to witness it firsthand.
Barnes became Kershaw’s preferred catcher and the two forged a strong friendship over their 11 seasons as Dodgers teammates.
But because the Dodgers made the difficult decision to release Barnes on May 20, the pair’s partnership ended after 86 starts together. Although the 11-year veteran wishes things were different, Barnes couldn’t be happier for Kershaw, according to Sam Blum of the Athletic:
“I wish I could have been there,” Barnes acknowledged. “I’m just super excited for him. It’s an unbelievable accomplishment.”
It took a little over a month for Barnes to find a new organization, as he signed a Minor League contract with the San Francisco Giants. He was assigned to their Arizona Complex League affiliate on June 29.
Not wanting to miss out on Kershaw’s historic moment, Barnes watched the broadcast from Arizona and called pitches as if he were still sitting behind the plate:
“I was just like, ‘Man, throw the curveball, throw the curveball,’” Barnes said. “Get to two strikes and finish him. I was going along with the game, trying to get a strikeout with him. Trying to will it over the phone.”
Barnes appeared in 13 games for the Dodgers this season, hitting .214/.233/.286 in 42 at-bats. Because Kershaw started 2025 on the injured list as he recovered from multiple offseason surgeries, Barnes did not catch any of the left-hander’s starts before getting released.
Kershaw made his season debut on May 17, days after Barnes was designated for assignment. The Dodgers’ decision was surprising and disappointing to Kershaw.
Barnes’ willingness to compete and his relationships with teammates in the clubhouse were just some of the reasons why Kershaw was sad to see him go.
Austin Barnes reacts to Clayton Kershaw’s milestone
Kershaw’s historic achievement has been met with plenty of congratulatory messages, including CC Sabathia and former Dodgers teammates Jack Flaherty and Barnes.
Sabathia is a fellow member of the 3,000K club. Flaherty only had a brief stint with the Dodgers last season, but played a key role in the team winning the 2024 World Series.
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