Clayton Kershaw has experienced some of the highest of highs and lowest of lows throughout his storied Los Angeles Dodgers career.
On opposite ends of that spectrum are the Dodgers losing to the Houston Astros in the 2017 World Series, but achieving immortality three years later. Kershaw has openly discussed how freeing and satisfying it was for the Dodgers to win the 2020 World Series.
He also has not been shy when discussing the Astros’ cheating scandal that was instrumental to their winning the World Series in 2017.
With the Dodgers playing at Minute Maid Park this weekend, Kershaw made it clear he still harbors plenty of emotions over being cheated out of a World Series and having to visit the Astros’ home stadium, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I don’t like coming here,” Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw said when asked about the team’s latest visit to Minute Maid Park, site of three games during the 2017 World Series, including the pivotal Game 5 which he started.
Kershaw repeated the same sentence four more times when asked whether time had lessened the pain, softened the memories or helped him deal with the fact that the Astros had been exposed as perpetrators of a sign-stealing scheme.
“I don’t like coming here,” he repeated then referred to a display outside the stadium.
“I don’t like rolling up and seeing the 2017 ring in front of their stadium.”
This weekend’s series is the Dodgers’ third visit to Minute Maid Park since the Astros were found to have orchestrated an electronic sign-stealing scheme. They didn’t play in front of any fans in 2020 and had limited crowds during a visit in 2021.
Attendance restrictions were lifted when the Astros played at Dodger Stadium later in the 2021, and Dodgers fans let their anger be heard throughout the series.
Clayton Kershaw’s record
Kershaw making his 2024 debut earlier this week marked a 17th season pitching. That set a Dodgers franchise record for most seasons by one pitcher.
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