During his ascent to one of the best pitchers in baseball, Clayton Kershaw developed a reputation for being a fiery competitor with laser-like focus on honing his craft. While that holds true, Kershaw’s personality has shifted over recent seasons.
He’s attributed some of it to having children and also a renewed appreciation for the game in the wake of suffering multiple injuries. Although Kershaw still maintains a serious persona, he broke from that in a lighthearted appearance on iHeartRadio’s “The Ron Burgundy Podcast.”
Kershaw’s interview came the night after he was frustrated by his own performance, though the Los Angeles Dodgers still came away with a win. Kershaw’s disappointment led to a discussion on what advice he would give to young athletes about overcoming obstacles:
“It’s going to happen. Everybody is going to have their bad days in baseball, right? I think more than anything it’s how you go about it. Baseball is a lot about how you handle failure. There’s a lot of failure in baseball, so it’s really important to be able to compartmentalize that and go from there.”
As for hecklers, Kershaw recognized those who come prepared with background information to jab him with:
“Some of them do their research. They know your wife’s name, your kids’ names, they know where you’re born. Anything that Wikipedia has, they’ll find it and say it. You’ve got to give them a little credit; they’ve done their research. I just appreciate a good ole, ‘You suck.’ That’s a classic. You can’t fight that. You just say, ‘Thank you,’ and move on.”
Though Kershaw and the Dodgers continue to chase a World Series title that’s evaded the current core over the past few years, he’s enjoyed every bit of the organization and its history:
“It’s awesome. It’s great. I love it. … So many cool people have been part of the Dodgers. It’s really special.
Kershaw’s appreciation for the Dodgers franchise showed when discussing a three-year contract extension signed last winter. He cited not only the comfort level his family has with the city of Los Angeles, but also the Dodgers’ commitment to fielding a contender on a yearly basis.
Based on a character Will Ferrell played in “Anchorman” movies, “The Ron Burgundy Podcast” is an audio comedy based in the news anchor’s world. Ferrell is joined by co-host Carolina Barlow. The podcast debuted this past February.
