Remember Vicente Padilla? He pitched for the Dodgers for three seasons from 2009 through 2011. In fact, the Chinandega, Nicaragua native with a seemingly perpetual scowl on his face was the Opening Day starter for the Dodgers in 2010 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

Come Opening Day 2019 that will have been nine years ago. It was also the last time that a Dodgers pitcher not named Clayton Kershaw started for the Dodgers on Opening Day. In other words, the (now) 30-year-old Dallas, Texas native and three-time NL Cy Young award winner has made eight consecutive Opening Day starts for the Dodgers over his 11 major league seasons. (Note: Dodgers Hall of Famers Don Drysdale and Don Sutton each made seven Opening Day starts. Sandy Koufax made one).

On Friday morning during his daily media scrum, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked by longtime Dodgers beat writer Ken Gurnick if he has an Opening Day starter for March 28, 2019 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. It was not only a rhetorical question but one asked completely tongue in cheek.

“We do have an Opening Day starter,” Roberts answered with a sheepish grin.

“Well go ahead and announce it,” Gurnick retorted, with an equally sheepish grin.

“I’m going to wait a couple days,” Roberts replied, maintaining his grin. “But I think we’re thinking the same thing … we should be thinking the same thing. I think its gotta make sense, Kenny. It’s not official yet but I think we know.”

If you can find someone – anyone – foolish enough to bet you that it will not be Clayton Kershaw on the mound in front of a sold out Dodger Stadium on March 28, 2019, bet the farm … and the horses, and the tractor, and the wagon, etc., etc., etc., because it absolutely positively will be Clayton Kershaw.

Play Ball!

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