MLB All-Star Game 2022: Clayton Kershaw says first All-Star start 'means a lot'

By Rowan Kavner
FOX Sports MLB Writer

LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw didn't anticipate how much Dodgers fans would serenade him with cheers and applause when he set the franchise's all-time strikeout record earlier this year. He shouldn't be surprised by the reaction the next time he takes the mound. 

On Monday afternoon, Kershaw was named the National League All-Star starting pitcher for the first time in his decorated 15-year career — a decision that holds special weight this season.

Tuesday's All-Star Game (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) will take place at his home ballpark, with his kids old enough to understand and take in the experience. His two oldest of four children, Cali and Charley, are now 7 and 5, respectively. 

"As you get older, everything gets put into perspective a little more with this game and how special it is," Kershaw said. "Definitely doesn't last forever. I'm just trying to enjoy it. I'm just going to enjoy tomorrow, and I think they will, too." 

Kershaw thanked NL manager Brian Snitker for the opportunity. In past All-Star Games, the left-hander was happy to just take part in the festivities. But as this year's game drew closer, Kershaw realized how much it would mean for him to start his first All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.

While he felt there were more deserving options — he listed his teammate Tony Gonsolin, Miami's Sandy Alcantara and Atlanta’s Max Fried among them — many around the league expressed their support for the choice.

"That’s what he deserves," said Rangers All-Star Corey Seager, who spent the first seven years of his career with Kershaw in Los Angeles. "To be that important to an organization and do the things he's done, to win a World Series for this team and then be able to start in the All-Star Game, it's another topping on top of the cake he's created here. It'll be really cool to watch. It'll be fun for me just to experience it."

Alcantara leads the majors with a 1.76 ERA and the NL with 138⅓ innings pitched and two complete games. Gonsolin leads the NL with a 0.84 WHIP and took an 11-0 record into the All-Star break. Either would have made sense as a starter. 

But as Snitker tossed around names of potential starters, Kershaw's "kept coming to the forefront." 

The chance to give the future Hall of Famer the opportunity at Dodger Stadium, rewarding his contributions to the game of baseball and the Dodgers, was too great to pass up — not that his statistics are anything to scoff at. Kershaw earned his ninth career All-Star nod after going 7-2 with a 2.13 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 75 strikeouts in 71⅔ innings in the season's first half.

"I think it was the right move," said Justin Verlander, who has started two All-Star Games and was surprised to learn Kershaw hadn't started one before. "He totally deserves it. I think the baseball world should really appreciate what he's been able to accomplish and is still accomplishing." 

Kershaw has taken a perfect game through seven innings twice this season, including in his final start before the break. The first time came in his regular-season opener April 13, when he struck out 13 batters in Minnesota. The performance was all the more remarkable considering that the last time he took the mound in a game that counted, he departed after 1⅔ innings with his elbow injured and his future uncertain. That Oct. 1 injury forced him out for the Dodgers' postseason run. He didn't pick up a baseball again until January. 

The three-time Cy Young Award winner didn't want to make a decision on his next destination until he felt he was 100 percent and could contribute through a full season. Kershaw was bound for either Los Angeles, where he spent his entire career, or Texas, where he grew up. The lockout provided him the time and clarity he needed to make his choice. 

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said keeping Kershaw was the "No. 1 priority" going into the offseason. Friedman's wish was granted, with Kershaw returning to the Dodgers on a one-year deal — a strategy the 34-year-old could deploy the rest of his career.

"We're a part of something special here," Kershaw said after signing. "We know that. The chance to win is special. Playoffs are an expectation here, and the World Series is almost an expectation. Not a lot of teams can say that year in and year out." 

In addition, Kershaw said his wife, Ellen, was on board, and the chance for Charley to be around the Dodger clubhouse was an opportunity he didn't want to miss.

But Kershaw didn't want to return to the Dodgers for nostalgic or sentimental reasons. He still felt he could contribute significantly to a championship run, and he has demonstrated that with his ninth career All-Star nod. 

Kershaw learned he was getting the start when Snitker called Freddie Freeman, who passed the phone to the Dodgers' ace. Kershaw and Freeman have gotten to know each other off the field, in part because their young sons — Charley and Charlie — played baseball together. The kids plan to start another season in Toluca Lake together in two months. 

"I think that's what makes it more fun for us as we get older — our kids having so much fun with it," Freeman said. "The person Clayton is, that's what you see every single day. You see Hall of Famers, you see the way they go about their business, and you have a mindset of how they are, and then they exceed that. His preparation for every single start, it's uncanny. His love for his family — that's what's so special to me." 

Dodgers pitcher Tyler Anderson, who was named to his first All-Star team this year, also lauded Kershaw's preparation, calling it "exactly what you would expect." 

What has come as more of a surprise to some of Kershaw's newer teammates is his personality when he's not starting. As the years have passed, Kershaw has learned to appreciate each day in the clubhouse. 

That includes embracing some goofiness. Trea Turner recalled that when he was traded to the Dodgers, he walked in the locker room and unexpectedly saw Kershaw singing. It reminded him of his former teammate Max Scherzer, who was the last pitcher to start an All-Star Game for the home team when he did so for Washington in 2018. 

"When they're not pitching, they're a normal, nice, funny guy," Turner said. "When they're pitching, they're the ultimate competitor." 

Mookie Betts had seen only the latter version of Kershaw before becoming his teammate, so he wasn't sure what to expect when he joined the Dodgers two years ago. 

"It seems like he's so intense, so I guess I kind of expected an intense personality, but he's not that — not on his [non-]start day at least," Betts said. "On his start day, he does lock in and focus. I think that's why he is who he is. But on his non-pitching days, he's a silly dude, likes to laugh, joke, play, just like every other kid. There's definitely two extremes, but I definitely understand why as well." 

An unrelenting intensity and desire to win fuel one extreme. Looking at every new opportunity through the eyes of Cali, Charley, 2-year-old Cooper and 7-month-old Chance helps fuel the other. 

"Now that it's finally here, and I get to start that game [Tuesday] night, it just means a lot, and it means a lot to my family, and we're excited," Kershaw said. "Charley is excited, my kiddos are excited, and so we're going to have a good time tomorrow, and hopefully, I don't screw it up too bad."

Rowan Kavner covers the Dodgers and NL West for FOX Sports. A proud LSU alumnus, he credits his time as a sportswriter and editor at The Daily Reveille for preparing him for a career covering the NFL, NBA and MLB. Prior to joining FOX, he worked as the Dodgers’ editor of digital and print publications. When not at a stadium or watching sports, Rowan enjoys playing with his dog, hiking, running, golfing and reminiscing about the Mavs’ 2011 championship run. You can find him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.