Two years after Clayton Kershaw helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series title, his childhood friend Matthew Stafford is now in position to win a championship with the Los Angeles Rams.
Stafford and the Rams will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, which is being played at L.A.’s home, SoFi Stadium, and could see the Dodgers’ free-agent pitcher attend. “I talked to Clayton the other day,” Stafford said.
“He’s excited for me, which I appreciate. We didn’t get too deep into what it’s like or what to expect. His job is so much different than mine. He’s just excited. He said he’s going to try and be there with a buddy of his that we both grew up with.
“Just cool to be doing it in the same city as him. Been such a big fan of his career for so long, it’s cool to just connect with him and have him not only be excited for myself, but our team and our success.”
Kershaw and Stafford have a friendship that dates back to playing together on youth sports teams in the Dallas area. Kershaw has attended several of Stafford’s games in years past, and the favor was returned last season when the quarterback was in attendance at Dodger Stadium for the left-hander’s return from the 60-day injured list.
“For him to come out and show support the day after was really cool,” Kershaw said after his outing. “We’ve known each other for a long time and we played a lot of sports together growing up. It’s always fun to have somebody to cheer for in another sport, and Matthew is that guy for me.
“Now that we’re both in L.A., it’s kind of full circle. It’s pretty cool.”
Will Dodgers re-sign Kershaw?
Although some prominent free agents chose to sign a new contract prior to the MLB lockout beginning in December, Kershaw was not among them. Nor was he extended the qualifying offer for the 2022 season.
The general expectation remains that Kershaw will decide between re-signing with the Dodgers, joining his hometown Texas Rangers, or potentially retiring. Corey Seager, who signed a 10-year contract with the Rangers, recently admitted to recruiting his former Dodgers teammate.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
