Kershaw might be the biggest choker in the history of baseball

[Duren, Duren]

To be fair, it really was just one bad pitch.

His strikeout to end the inning before was clinical. Three precise pitches. Gone.. 

The first homer was a decent pitch. Slider low and inside. Maybe it hung a bit too much, but give the batter credit for turning on it, going low and timing it perfectly. Many hitters wouldn't have done much damage with the same pitch.

The second homer was the big mistake. Much too fat, not a lot of velocity, and facing a very good hitter. You wonder if he was shaken by the previous homerun and wanted to sneak a strike by Soto or it was simply a bad pitch. But with all his experience I expected him to be more careful facing the tying run against a power hitter. Nibble at the corners, hope Soto was over eager.  Even a walk would have been non critical. 

Tough for his lifetime reputation. But that's the way things play out. Enough sample size as noted here that the discrepancy between playoffs and regular season can't be attributed to just bad breaks.

Perhaps managerial use may be a factor too. Some pitchers are just not good at dealing with a different rhythm and routine. Especially with 5 game series, when all pitching roles are somewhat chaotic. 

 

[Angel Dog and Beer]

 

 

[beatlesrule]

12 hours ago, ScottT said:

It's crazy how much blame pitchers and managers get

Cody Bellinger was 4 for 19 with 2 runs and 0 rbi.

I'm sure I could go on. Look up past years.  I'm sure I'll find that Robert's and Kershaw get more than their fair share of the blame.  

 

 

12 hours ago, PattyD22 said:

Exactly.  Several Dodgers didn’t show up in the series.  Another:

AJ Pollock.  0-13 with 11 K’s.  Now that’s some sucktitude right there

Despite those stats, the Dodgers still would have won if Dave Roberts wasn't such a moron. Put in Maeda to start the 8th and Jansen for the ninth, instead of your two worst pitchers. Dave Roberts 100% lost this game.

[Lou]

3 hours ago, True Grich said:

The Nationals were just the better team.  Let's give credit, where credit is due.

Baseball is a humbling game.

I'd still take Kershaw on my team any day.

me, too

April thru September

[T.G.]

We all make fun of Kershaw and take some delight in his failures as a Dodger.  Myself included.

That being said, I respect him as a human being and as a man.  He owned last night and his entire post-season career.  He holds himself accountable and that's a rare thing this day and age. I don't necessarily feel sorry for him because it's hard to feel sorry for anyone making $32 million a year.  I just respect him.  He's not arrogant.  He's charitable.  He's humble.  He's all the things we like to see in someone who has influence.  Yes,  he's been unsuccessful in the postseason, but he's definitely winning in life.  Like I said earlier - baseball is a humbling game.  In some ways, he's an even bigger "role model" in defeat than he could ever be as a champion.

[Lou]

1 minute ago, True Grich said:

We all make fun of Kershaw and take some delight in his failures as a Dodger.  Myself included.

That being said, I respect him as a human being and as a man.  He owned last night and his entire post-season career.  He holds himself accountable and that's a rare thing this day and age. I don't necessarily feel sorry for him because it's hard to feel sorry for anyone making $32 million a year.  I just respect him.  He's not arrogant.  He's charitable.  He's humble.  He's all the things we like to see in someone who has influence.  Yes,  he's been unsuccessful in the postseason, but he's definitely winning in life.  Like I said earlier - baseball is a humbling game.  In some ways, he's an even bigger "role model" in defeat than he could ever be as a champion.

but he choked.

haha 

[T.G.]

3 minutes ago, Lou said:

but he choked.

haha 

He failed.  There's a difference.  Chokers don't embrace the opportunity. He just got beat.  It wasn't nerves or the things that we associate with "choking" - he just failed and the Nats took advantage. 

[Lou]

Just now, True Grich said:

He failed.  There's a difference.  Chokers don't embrace the opportunity. He just got beat.  It wasn't nerves or the things that we associate with "choking" - he just failed and the Nats took advantage. 

when it occurs over and over and over again, it's the definition of choking

[Mark68]

15 hours ago, ScottT said:

It's crazy how much blame pitchers and managers get

Cody Bellinger was 4 for 19 with 2 runs and 0 rbi.

I'm sure I could go on. Look up past years.  I'm sure I'll find that Robert's and Kershaw get more than their fair share of the blame.  

 

Robert's what?

[ten ocho recon scout]

2 hours ago, True Grich said:

We all make fun of Kershaw and take some delight in his failures as a Dodger.  Myself included.

That being said, I respect him as a human being and as a man.  He owned last night and his entire post-season career.  He holds himself accountable and that's a rare thing this day and age. I don't necessarily feel sorry for him because it's hard to feel sorry for anyone making $32 million a year.  I just respect him.  He's not arrogant.  He's charitable.  He's humble.  He's all the things we like to see in someone who has influence.  Yes,  he's been unsuccessful in the postseason, but he's definitely winning in life.  Like I said earlier - baseball is a humbling game.  In some ways, he's an even bigger "role model" in defeat than he could ever be as a champion.

I i actually had lunch once with him and his wife. Super random.

Hes a very polite, down to earth guy. And i know hes involved in good guy stuff off the field. So yeah, I feel for the guy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That said, I absolutely adore giving my dodger fan buddies shit about him. 

[Lou]

4 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

i actually had lunch once with him and his wife. Super random.

There's a Heimlich joke there that I just can't seem to nail. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

Just now, Lou said:

There's a Heimlich joke there that I just can't seem to nail. 

Weve got time. Dont rush it. I have faith.

[Tank]

3 hours ago, Angel Dog and Beer said:

 

 

i hope that was a replica jersey.

[Mark PT]

17 hours ago, Sean-Regan said:

Part of the issue might be usually in those games he’s on short rest, which usually makes your stuff worse (see JV yesterday). I don’t think Kershaw’s issues can be solely attributed to that, though. Worth noting he has had good outings in big playoff games, so it’s hard to say it’s just him being unable to handle the pressure. Hard to argue that it’s just really bizarre sample size luck. But it might be a combination of that and not rested. Corbin had the same issue the other night. 

I think he plays in a weak National League where most teams are pathetic and he gets the benefit of a pitcher every 3rd inning. However, in the playoffs he faces teams elite enough to be there and hitters are better than average. In short, overrated. 

[rottiesworld]

Kerchoke of the Los Angeles Chokers

[Stradling]

5 hours ago, Angel Dog and Beer said:

 

 

This dude is a bitch.  Imagine how this went down.  “Hey babe record this, I am about to show the internet world how big of a douchebag I am”.  And then CaliAngel did just that.  

[Billy_Ball]

[Pancake Bear]

Interesting bit of context we probably don’t consider much if at all:

[Angel Oracle]

Torre, Mattingly, and Roberts...they never learn.

[Erstad Grit]

Thing with Kershaw is the comparisons to Koufax and the huge playoff sample size. It's bizarre. There is no possible conclusion but something mental. 

[Pancake Bear]

51 minutes ago, Erstad Grit said:

Thing with Kershaw is the comparisons to Koufax and the huge playoff sample size. It's bizarre. There is no possible conclusion but something mental. 

He plays a lot on short rest against good opponents.

Bumgarner - who everyone talks up as the most clutch guy ever - almost never pitched on short rest: In particular, it was one crazy relief appearance in the WS where he came in to pitch in the final game on short rest. Sample size issues. 

Kershaw this year in the playoffs, on normal rest: 6ip, 3er. Not great, but against a good team not a disaster either. 

World Series Game 1 last year: 4ip, 5er - although he had pitched an inning in relief a couple of days before. On five days rest, in game 5, he gave up 4 runs in 7ip. Not a great WS for Kersh.

Go back to the NLCS last year: Game 1 was garbage - 3ip, 4er. Game 5, though, he was 7ip with only 1er. He returned in Game 7 to to pitch a scoreless 9th. Game 1 was after a full week of rest - sometimes extra rest may screw with guys' rhythm. I've heard people say that. Still, a mixed bag.

NLDS against Atlanta: He pitched Game 2 only - 8ip, 0er. 

In 2017 WS vs. Houston, Kershaw threw 3 games: 1, 5, and part of 7. Game 1 he pitched a 7 inning, 1er gem. Game 5 he got shelled for 6er in less than 5 innings. But he came back for 4 scoreless innings in Game 7. 

I could go back further, but it seems like the problem is just that Kershaw's stuff gets worse under fatigue. That isn't uncommon, but Kershaw has a crapload of innings in the playoffs against good teams. As many good games as he's had, he's also had some really lousy ones. He pitched four scoreless innings in relief in Game 7, 2017. He closed out the NLCS last year with a scoreless frame. People forget where he's done well because it doesn't fit the narrative. The reality is that his overall numbers, and far too many playoff outings of his career, have been poor.

But the narrative that Kershaw simply pitches lousy in big games is juvenile and wrong. There's more than enough evidence that that isn't the case. 

[eligrba]

Am I to assume that some teams keep playing after the regular season ends?

Weird.

[ten ocho recon scout]

On 10/10/2019 at 1:45 AM, ten ocho recon scout said:

In Bellingers defense, any hitter really, youre facing top tier pitching at this point. Not making excuses for him or anyone else, but its a bit more understandable.

Kershaw though.... its not a small sample size.

Based on the numbers rageous and Lou listed, hes Rocky in the regular season, then goes from rocky 2 to rocky 5 as the games get bigger.

 

On 10/10/2019 at 10:29 AM, Blarg said:

Simplified. 

How about rocky in the regular season, rocky dennis in the post?

I feel like @Tank is the only one who might get that. Hes the only other one on here thats seen all the same forgotten 80s movies that i have.

[eligrba]

4 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

 

How about rocky in the regular season, rocky dennis in the post?

I feel like @Tank is the only one who might get that. Hes the only other one on here thats seen all the same forgotten 80s movies that i have.

[Tank]

47 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

 

How about rocky in the regular season, rocky dennis in the post?

I feel like @Tank is the only one who might get that. Hes the only other one on here thats seen all the same forgotten 80s movies that i have.

Good call.

and yes, I remember a lot of those forgotten classics.