Los Angeles Dodgers icon and future Cooperstown recruit Clayton Kershaw made his final appearance at Dodger Stadium as a member of the team.
Kershaw, widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers of his generation, spoke to Dodgers fans who filled the stadium to celebrate the team’s back-to-back World Series titles, as well as to bid farewell to the franchise legend.
Kershaw, an 11-time All-Star, 3-time Cy Young winner, and now a 3-time Champion, announced in September that the 2025 MLB season would be his last.
What a fairytale ending.
In classic Kirsch fashion, his comments were succinct, matter-of-fact but coherent.
Here’s what Clayton Kershaw said in his final appearance as a player for the Los Angeles Dodgers:
“I told Freddie I was going to try not to cry today. But I don’t know if that’s going to work! I’m going to try not to make it weird.”
Thank you. Thank you for 18 years. Thank you for coming and watching us play for the past 18 years. Thank you for being here for me and my family and supporting us, and thank you for everything you have done for us. Thank you, my colleagues. You guys are the best in the world. You guys are the best team in the world, and you’ve been the best team in the world, the best team in the world for as long as I can remember.
Last year, I said I was a lifelong dodger. Today, that’s true. Today I can say that I am a champion for life. This will never go away.
So thank you for this moment. Thank you to my teammates for this moment. Thank you to this organization for this moment, here, that I will remember for the rest of my life. Thank you to these five people here (addressing his family). We love you so much. I am very grateful to you all.
I know we’ll get another one next year. And I will watch like all of you.”
The Dodgers celebrated back-to-back World Series championships on Monday, following a thrilling 7-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Dodgers are the first team to repeat as World Series champions in 25 years, after the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000. The Dodgers will try to match that streak in 2026.