Clayton Kershaw is worthy of applause each time he takes the mound. The Dodger Stadium crowd is rarely shy to give it to him.
Take your pick as to the primary reason: 203 career wins, 15 years of major-league service, the rewriting of a tortured postseason record, a World Series ring and a position as one of the faces of the franchise since 2008.
Yet rarely will he receive a more stirring reception than Tuesday night.
Kershaw will pitch with an in-form arm but a grieving heart against the Minnesota Twins, having lost his mother Marianne Tombaugh on Saturday, according to his wife, Ellen Kershaw. No age or cause of death were given.
The decision to play was his and his alone. As of early Tuesday, Kershaw had declined to comment on the matter, but it’s reasonable to assume that doing what he loves, and what he does best, is the best way of paying tribute to the woman who raised him.
“It is very special,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. “When you’re dealing with this, the passing of a parent, that’s up there, as tough as it gets,” Roberts added.
Kershaw is 6-2 this season with a 2.36 ERA and a 0.946 WHIP, as the Dodgers have burst out to a National League-leading 27-15 start. No team in baseball has been hotter over the last 10 games and Kershaw, as ever, is a pivotal part of the rotation.
The 35-year-old is a private man, but the role his mother played in his life and development has been mentioned frequently over the years. He has lived in L.A. ever since joining the Dodgers but has made no secret of the fact that he foresees a Texas life for his retirement, a family-and-faith based existence full of good food, an abundance of friends and dogs treated as part of the family.
Tombaugh was always there for Kershaw’s practices in a variety of sports in Highland Park, Texas, where he would eventually become the top pitching prospect in the country, raising him as a single mom from the time he was 10. Kershaw’s father, Christopher, was a talented musician who worked in advertising. He died in 2013.
“Clayton grew up with a baseball in his hand, ready to play a game in a sandlot or on a ballfield just like this one on a moment’s notice,” Ellen Kershaw told a charity event for their foundation – Kershaw’s Challenge – last weekend.
“She experienced no greater joy than watching her son grow into the man, the philanthropist, the father and the ballplayer he is today.”
“There’s a Michael Jordan quality to Clayton Kershaw” — Alex Rodriguez explains
The concept of dealing with loss is one of life’s toughest threads, but can be especially fraught for athletes. When the passing of a loved one comes midseason, the decision of how to handle things is rarely simple. In so many cases, the player’s relationship with their parent is intrinsically linked with their sport, years’ worth of memories dating back to childhood.
In Kershaw’s case, with his mother passing on Mother’s Day weekend, there was extra poignancy.
The Dodgers were guided by Kershaw’s wishes, offering him immediate bereavement leave that was temporarily deferred. Los Angeles kept top prospect Gavin Stone out of his scheduled Triple-A start as a precaution in case he needed to be called into action, however, Kershaw appears geared to go.
“It’s pretty remarkable,” Roberts said, when asked about Kershaw’s ability to compartmentalize. “It’s not surprising. Once he makes his start, I’m sure there’s going to be some things that are going to take place he’ll take part in, a ceremony or service, if that’s what they choose.”
Kershaw is the big brother figure on a team that, once again, believes it can go all the way. The postseason letdowns have been all too frequent for the fan base’s liking, and Kershaw himself has admitted to being hungry to add at least one more ring to his career collection.
Saturday will bring a nationally televised clash against the St. Louis Cardinals (7:15 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) as Roberts’ squad seeks to open some daylight at the top of the NL West, where the Arizona Diamondbacks have presented the strongest challenge so far, and the big-spending San Diego Padres are still mired just below .500.
Sweeping the Padres last week was a statement of significance, a welcome lift just at the time when Roberts is urging his group to put their stamp on the season.
In terms of an emotional boost, however, there might be none greater than seeing Kershaw do his thing Tuesday, an appearance that will blend professionalism and competitiveness with humanity and love.
And it’s when the loudest cheer of the season at Dodger Stadium might come, before a pitch is even thrown.
