Clayton Kershaw Wiki, Career, and Biography Facts
Clayton Kershaw Wiki, Career, and Biography Facts: Clayton Kershaw is an American professional baseball pitcher who has won three Cy Young Awards. He is a left-handed pitcher for the ‘Los Angeles Dodgers,’ and he has a dominant arm in Major League Baseball (MLB).
At the age of 17, he made his professional debut with the Junior National Team of ‘USA Baseball,’ and he went on to play for a number of teams in the Pan American Championship.
In the 2006 ‘MLB Draft,’ the ‘LA Dodgers’ selected him seventh. His entry into the major leagues in 2008 made him one of the highest-paid athletes in baseball. The first pitcher in ‘MLB history to hold the top spot in earned run average (ERA) four years in a row. With Kershaw’s selection to the ‘All-Star Game’ every year from 2011 to 2017, there was no end in sight. This year’s National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award has been given to him. Additionally, he has won four Warren Spahn Awards and three Triple Crowns as well as three Cy Young Awards.
Ellen Melson, Kershaw’s wife, is a well-known humanitarian, and the duo has a lot of work to do together. Many charitable organisations rely on their support to raise money. Award-winning humanitarian activity has also earned him recognition.
Childhood & Early Life:
Chris Kershaw, a Grammy-winning artist, was born in Dallas, Texas, on March 19, 1988, to Marianne (née Tombaugh) and Christopher George Kershaw. When his parents split when he was 10, he was raised by his mother.
For his high school baseball club and youth sports league, Kershaw attended “Highland Park High School.” He took the mound for the ‘USA Baseball junior national team’ in the ‘Pan American Championship.
When he was in high school, his abilities were recognized, and he was dubbed one of the country’s top baseball prospects. As a result of his baseball abilities, he was named ‘Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2006.
Career:
The ‘LA Dodgers’ selected Kershaw in the seventh round of the 2006 ‘MLB Draft.’ Texas A&M University had offered him an athletic scholarship, but he chose to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers instead. At the time, a total of $2.3 million was given to him as a signing bonus.
The ‘Gulf Coast League’ (GLC), the Dodgers’ rookie-level minor-league affiliate, was where Kershaw made his professional debut. In 2007, he was promoted to the ‘Great Lakes Loons,’ the ‘LA Dodgers’ Class-A affiliate. All-Star Future Games and ‘Midwest League All-Star Game’ were also named after him.
Double-A Jacksonville Suns signed him in August 2007 and promoted him to the “Southern League” in August of that year. He was one of the finest prospects on the ‘Dodgers,’ with a 1–2 record and a 3.65 ERA.
On May 25, 2008, Kershaw made his ‘MLB debut for the ‘Dodgers,’ facing the ‘St. Louis Cardinals.’ He went on to win the game. He held the record for the league’s youngest player for a full season. Against the ‘Washington Nationals,’ he earned his first big league win on July 27, 2008.
His regular-season ERA was 2.79, and he struck out 185 batters. In the 2009 ‘National League Division Series (NLDS)’, Kershaw made his postseason playoff debut against the St Louis Cardinals. It wasn’t his best year, but he still ended it with a 13–10 record and a 2.91 earned run average. A full-game shutout versus San Francisco at the end of the season earned him the honor of being named the team’s Opening Day starter for the 2011 season.
As the ‘Opening Day Starter’ for the 2011 season (the first of his record eight consecutive ‘Opening Day’ starts from 2011 to 2018), Kershaw had a career year filled with many highlights. Until Jeff Weaver (in 2005), he was the only starting pitcher for the Dodgers to record two consecutive complete-game victories.
After winning NL Player of the Week honors from June 20 to 26 and NL Pitcher of the Month honors in July 2011, he continued his winning ways in August. At the 2011 ‘MLB All-Star Game,’ he became the first player in his career to be named an ‘All-Star Selection.’ With 21 victories, a 2.28 ERA, and 248 strikeouts, he was the best pitcher in the league this year.
In 2011, he was chosen to play in the ‘MLB All-Star Game.’ He came in second place for the ‘Cy Young Award,’ given to the best new artist. He had the best ERA in the league (2.53). His second Cy Young Award and Warren Spahn Award came his way in the 2013 season. A seven-year, $215 million contract extension with the ‘Dodgers’ was also signed by Kershaw.