Thirty-two-year-old Dodgers future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw made his Spring Training 2021 debut on Friday afternoon against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium. He did not allow a run and allowed only one hit to the seven batters he faced while striking out two and walking none in his two innings of work. He did so on 22 pitches. The Royals undoubtedly thought they could get to the Dallas, TX native and eight-time All-Star, five-time ERA title winner, three-time NL Cy Young Award winner, former NL MVP, former MLB Player of the Year, and former Triple Crown winner.

Not on my watch.

Thirty-six-year-old Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, appearing in only his third game of the Spring, had a very sharp grounder hit to him in the bottom of the second inning by Royals first baseman Hunter Dozier on which the Long Beach, CA native, former All-Star, and 2017 NLCS co-MVP made a spectacular play. Dozier undoubtedly thought that he easily had a base hit.

Not on my watch.

In the top of the fifth inning, 30-year-old Dodgers utility infielder/outfielder Chris Taylor, playing center field on this day, absolutely crushed a Jackson Kowar first-pitch hanging slider with two outs and the bases loaded for a monster 444-foot grand slam home run. It was the Virginia Beach, VA native and the other half of that 2017 NLCS co-MVP’s first home run of the Spring. Kowar undoubtedly thought he could get Taylor out to preserve his team’s 3-1 lead over the Dodgers.

Not on my watch.

Although one can certainly argue that Spring Training games are ‘meaningless’ games, and in the grand scheme of things, they indeed are. But don’t think for one second that Messrs Kershaw, Turner, and Taylor took – and will continue to take – them very seriously. And also do not think for one second that all three of them were not thinking…

Not on my watch.

Play Ball!

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