Second- guesses on Kershaw don’t fly
Closing thoughts on the World Series:
They must be joking. Or perhaps they boarded a time machine, back to the glory days of World Series pitchers. In any case, is there an argument more ludicrous than the one circulating around Los Angeles, that the Dodgers should have started Clayton Kershaw in Game 7 on two days’ rest?
Long ago, this was a vibrant discussion around World Series time. Pitchers normally worked on three days’ rest, and it was hardly a crime to alter a team’s rotation. To cite three examples: Lew Burdette ( 1957 Braves against the Yankees), Mickey Lolich ( 1968 Tigers against the Cardinals) and Sandy Koufax ( 1965 Dodgers against the Twins) started and won Game 7 on two days’ rest. Help from the bullpen? Not a chance. They all went the distance.
In the days and hours leading up to Dodgers- Houston Game 7, there was no mention of Kershaw perhaps getting the start. Manager Dave Roberts spent the entire season babying his starters, making sure they got plenty of rest, and while some found the strategy appalling, it was an essential component of the team’s success.
Kershaw bombed in his Game 5 start, failing to hold a 4- 0 lead, and the idea for Game 7 was to use him in relief. The team’s analytical approach completely ruled out anything more radical. And please: The Dodgers lost because Houston was the better team, drilling clutch hits right to the end, and the L. A. hitters were completely shut down Wednesday night. So it goes. No second- guessing.
No problem here calling Kershaw the finest pitcher of his generation, but for those who prefer “all time,” sorry, that’s Koufax. Especially considering his 0.95 ERA in 57 World Series innings. He opened the 1963 Series with a 15- strikeout win at Yankee Stadium, then closed it with a 2- 1 victory at Dodger Stadium. In that 1965 game at Minnesota, he pitched a threehit shutout throwing almost exclusively fastballs, because “I just didn’t have the curveball that day.”
The Dodgers’ rotation as they look ahead to next year: Kershaw should be fine. Rich Hill is getting very tired of being removed from effective games early. And Yu Darvish, who took two crushing World Series losses, is about to enter free agency. Where does it go from here?