Some just don’t get it and probably never will. Unfortunately, this includes a number of national sportswriters who, quite frankly, don’t have a clue as to what makes 34-year-old Dodgers ace and future Hall of Fame left-hander Clayton Kershaw tick.

When it was announced this past week that it would be 27-year-old right-hander Walker Buehler who would be the Dodgers Opening Day starter on April 8 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field instead of Kershaw, who has had that honor for nine of his (now) 15 Major League seasons, a good number of these clueless sportswriters actually thought – and wrote – that the 36-year-old Dallas, TX native and Dodgers first-round draft pick in 2006 out of Highland Park High School in University Park, TX was angry – or at the very least, upset – with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman for denying him his 10th career Opening Day start.

Clueless indeed.

Anyone who has spent any time around Kershaw (or did any research on him) knows that he is not angry with Roberts or Friedman, but is instead excited for and proud of his (very) close friend for having this prestigious honor bestowed on him.

“He deserves it. You pitch well the season before, you deserve it,” Kershaw said. “He’s done that a couple years now. I don’t know if happy is the right word, but I’m proud of him. I think he’s done a lot of great things taking the ball every fifth day the way he has. He’s kind of been the guy for us. It’s been fun to watch. I think more than anything, we just trust him on the mound. That’s big. I think when your team has trust in you, it’s a good feeling. We’re excited to have him out there.”

As Dodgers fans know, Kershaw has had some serious shoulder and elbow issues over the past couple of seasons, and it was initially thought that he might not be 100 percent healthy come Opening Day. But if his four-inning Spring Training start on Monday afternoon against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is any indication, there is zero doubt that not only is Kershaw healthy, he absolutely will be ready on Opening Day and will most likely follow Buehler in the Dodgers 2022 starting rotation.

“I think overall the fastball command was a lot better today,” Kershaw said of his four innings of work on Monday, during which he faced the minimum of 12 batters, allowing only one base hit, which was quickly erased on a double play. “If I can get ahead of hitters, it’s a good thing. For the most part, another good step forward.”

Sounds more like confidence than contempt to me.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *