MLB Legend CLAYTON KERSAW joins Josh Donaldson and Russ for an INCREDIBLE Interview

In this episode of the Get It Done League, 3x Cy Young winner and World Series Champion Clayton Kershaw joins Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin. The boys talk pitching, locker room stories, and world series victories with the FUTURE HALL OF FAMER.

GET IT DONE LEAGUE is a weekly baseball show hosted by former MLB All-Stars Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin, alongside veteran broadcaster Arash Madani. Inspired by Donaldson’s iconic “get it done” moment, the show reflects the mindset of elite players; direct, unfiltered and a commitment to give it their all, every single time.

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

I remember you could swing the bat a little bit when you were playing. Did you hit any homers when you were playing? Uh I was yeah, I saw you hit. Who was it off of? I know you know. George Contents.

SPEAKER_02 0:13

Oh, George. Poor George.

SPEAKER_05 0:16

George gets mentioned so much. I say his name so much. Unbelievable.

SPEAKER_04 0:23

Oh, he loves the he gave you what was it? Was it a slider heater? What pitch was it?

SPEAKER_07 0:29

No, first pitch heater.

SPEAKER_04 0:30

Ask me what inning it was. What what inning was it? It was vape.

SPEAKER_03 0:39

This isn't the tri league.

SPEAKER_05 0:46

Very appreciative of Russell Martin down the army.

SPEAKER_03 0:51

No, this is the get it done league.

SPEAKER_06 0:55

It is the get-it done league as the countdown continues towards the trade deadline. You already know who that is. It's the MVP, it's Josh Donaldson. Locked in in studio, Russ Martin with the Mark Lumber logo behind. We're giving away a Mark Lumber signed bat by Russell Martin, by the way. I'm your host, Arash Madani. Fellas, great to great to see you. We have an amazing guest coming up, Clayton Kershaw joining the show in just a few minutes' time. Shout out to Russ for making that one happen. You guys were together when you were young pups, and you were together when uh when it was towards the twilight of the career. Um before we get into kind of everything going on with the Jays and whatnot, uh Russ, what tell us a little bit about Clayton Kershaw, the teammate, Clayton Kershaw, the dude.

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Well, he's he's a great guy. You know, that's that's a lot of people that you know only know him as a professional athlete. He's you know, he's he's a stellar human being, always has been. I think he's got like five kids. So, you know, he's he's probably he might he might be grinding more as a retiree than than he was while he was playing. Um, but we all know he's a phenomenal pitcher, generational pitcher, um, one of the best that the game has ever seen. Um and yeah, man, I caught him when he was uh I caught his first start um in LA and then linked linked back up with him back in uh in 2019, and that was my last season there. And um, you know, just I mean, what a career, what a career, just dominant, you know, from from almost start to to finish. And uh when I f when I was catching him early on, he was pretty much just fastball curveball. And then he developed a little cutter, cutter slider, right, and uh you know, had the occasional changeup to to go with with the rest of his pitches, but um he was electric early on. Electric. He had you know, yeah, it was like it was a 96, but it was like a 96 that just kind of jumped out of his hand, and then he had that curveball that just you know snapped off the table.

SPEAKER_04 3:11

Um and I'd be like, I mean, like what an organization to be into, the Dodgers, like the next Sandy Koufax, like you're in that same and Sandy's like present with the the ball club all the time. Uh yeah, I kind of want to pick his mind, I want to pick his mind a little bit about that. Like, how often was Sandy kind of giving him some tips throughout that, uh throughout his career?

SPEAKER_06 3:37

I remember in 19 coming to find Russ in the Dodgers clubhouse, and I looked to my right and I had to do a double take. There's Koufax and Kershaw just kind of chilling in there in the clubhouse. I'm like, wow, wow, that's real right there. Like Russ, that was a real thing.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

Yeah, I mean, early on they were comparing him. He hadn't even thrown a game in the big leagues, and and they were like, he's the next KOFAX. I'm like, guys, because I'm just calling me you're good. I mean, it means you're good, but like, man, like put more pressure on the kid. You know what I mean? What are we doing? Exactly. But then you know he, you know, you look back now and you're like, Yeah, I guess, I guess they were right. Yeah, I would say so. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 4:21

Uh let's take a couple of minutes before Clayton comes in. Let's just talk about this. Because look, the Jays are they're the Jays are in sell mode. The season went off the rails. You thought maybe there's a flicker coming out of the all-star break that something could happen. It didn't. You guys have been in clubhouses when a team adds. We've talked a lot about 15 and 16. We haven't talked about what happens when it all comes apart. And in the week or two before the deadline, when everyone's kind of looking over their shoulder and wondering what's gonna happen now. JD, what what's that vibe like individually and for the collective when that's just the inevitability of what's ahead?

SPEAKER_04 5:08

I remember in 18, whenever you know, that was kind of like the end of our run in Toronto, right?

SPEAKER_06 5:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 5:16

And I wasn't I wasn't present with the team because uh a lot of people at the time didn't know this, but while I was rehabbing, I tore my calf, my left calf, like 20% off the tendon and could barely run. And I ended up seeing a specialist who was able to kind of get me back after I couldn't run for like two months. It was like it was pretty crazy like what had happened. His name's Dr. Sandel. I gotta give him a shout-out because I wouldn't have probably ended up having the rest of the career that I had if it wasn't for him. Um but the vibes for me, like being away from the team, were already tough enough. And then the possibility of like being traded at that time. And I remember there was a big story that had come out because I had Moose, because at this point in time, I didn't think I was gonna get back on the field. I had Moose send my stuff to Tampa because I'm like, I think I'm done for the year.

SPEAKER_06 6:16

Moose is the equipment guy for the Blue Jays.

SPEAKER_04 6:19

Yeah, he was he was our he was our club house guy, and um so they said that that ended up becoming like a big story, like I'd given up on the team or whatever, like that. And I was like, no, like I don't think I'm gonna be able to return and be healthy, and I'm sitting here trying and done even to do it, and then getting traded, you know, it's it's tough, especially when it's a place that you want to be, you've had success in, and a lot of these guys that if the Jays decide to move on, like after this run that they had last year, the bonds that they created with these guys, it's like Russ and I right now, like we have bonds from those teams strictly alone that'll never like those aren't ever ending.

SPEAKER_06 7:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:01

And it's tough, it's tough to walk away from. I gotta tell you, like it was it was a sad day when you know Ross had called called me and told me I was gonna go to the Indians. Like, I was not happy about it at all. Um, and that's tough going into that situation where you're going into a playoff team and you don't feel great about leaving your own team.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

Yeah, I I remember we we had a meeting, uh a players-only meeting, and I remember it was like, guys, if we don't turn it around, they're gonna blow this team up. And you know, we were tight as a team, you know, like the the guys really liked each other, we had a good clubhouse, you know, we we you know we we had that we had we had chemistry, even though we weren't playing well, we knew that we had something special. And I remember I remember us just having that meeting and like, hey guys, if if we don't turn it around, like guys are gonna get traded, you know. And and I remember uh I think Tulo was speaking up. Like we had a bunch of guys who were just like, you guys don't understand, like if it's a business, like if you don't play the way that you're expected to play, next thing you know, you'll be in a different clubhouse, and and sure enough, it happened.

SPEAKER_06 8:18

And once the first one happens, it almost feels like it's a domino effect. You almost know that okay, what are we doing? The deadline's approaching. I remember that year it started with JD. The next thing you know, Granderson's out the door, and you know, one after another, it just kind of happens. I'm right. I I've wondered, guys, because you can never get a straight answer from dudes in the immediate aftermath of what happens. But you know, in those days was July 30th, July 31st. Now it's the first week of August. The next day and the day after, when you come back into the clubhouse and you look around, you're like, Whoa. Like it's you know, Russ, you came back and you know, the band is gone. What are those last two months like when you have to air quote be a pro, but you realize exactly what's happening here?

SPEAKER_01 9:11

Well, it's simple. It's you go from being uh, you know, a contending type team that's that's playing to win, and then you go into like uh more of like a let's let the young kids play, see what they got, we're gonna see, you know, develop, give a chance to the younger kids to to prove themselves. And it's just a completely different feel. Um so it's you know, I in my career it's it's not something that's happened too too too often to me. I feel I feel like it's only a couple seasons where I was healthy, where um I wasn't in like playoff mode mentality. Um and and you become more of like a a mentor to the young kids, which you know, it's it's fine. It's you know, it's you're giving back to the kids and you're trying to teach them the ropes and and and how to do things right and how to be successful at the big league level, but it's not as a competitor, it's not what you're looking for. You know, you you want to be playing meaningful baseball all the way through.

SPEAKER_04 10:11

Yeah, and I got I gotta uh to like jump on board with that. One time where I was healthy, like obviously 18 when I was hurt and I was trying to come back. But when I was with the twins, my second year or yeah, my second year with them, uh, we traded Nelson Cruz, who was like a huge piece. And I don't I think we might have traded one other piece. And for me, like as a veteran guy that was under contract, there is that like you have rookies coming up now, you have to try to like show these guys the ropes of like, hey, this is what's expected of you, this is how we're gonna go about this. It's almost a showcase for those guys to say, Hey, are you ready or not to make this jump to get to the next level, which is the big leagues? And then you also have the guy in the room that's like looking over his shoulder saying it's survival mode, right? Right? Like, I gotta survive because if I don't produce in this next month or two, this might be my only chance to really solidify myself going into this next season. Or as the old adage in baseball says, is you're not just playing for your team, but you're playing for 29 other teams too. Like you don't know what's gonna happen, you don't know what your future is gonna hold. And um so it almost becomes you know, Russ and I have talked about this a little bit in some other podcasts. Like when you're on losing teams like that and you're out of it, for myself, my goal was to always win. But now you're out of it, and now winning's kind of I don't want to say irrelevant, but it kind of is irrelevant at that time. Now it's about growing and it's about developing at the major league level and and almost playing for yourself for some guys to say, like, hey, this this is my chance to make it as a major leaguer.

SPEAKER_06 12:05

Well, one dude who was never traded, who was never thought to be traded, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, a three-time World Series champion, and twice a teammate of Russell Martins. He's the epitome of Get It Done League. Clayton Kershaw is our guest on the show now. Well, he's the man who needs no real introduction, other than he was twice a teammate of Russell Martin's, and Josh Donaldson refused to have our first guest be anybody other than somebody he had at least one home run off of. So Clayton Kershaw, welcome to get it done, Lee. I know you know what I have to deal with with Russ, but you have no idea about the other guy. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:53

Hey, I I plead the fifth in that.

SPEAKER_08 12:56

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_07 12:59

That's the first. Did you did you get me? When did you get me?

SPEAKER_04 13:06

Oh, I got I got you uh, you don't remember that one? Oh Oakland or Toronto? No, it was when I was with the Atlanta Yankees.

SPEAKER_05 13:16

I don't remember that. Okay, all right. Too many teams, dude. Too many teams.

SPEAKER_04 13:23

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't as good as you to where a team wanted me the whole time. Uh so yeah, I bounced around.

SPEAKER_07 13:31

Yeah, that's I just remember I remember at least when he was at his peak, I didn't give up one. So, like when he was at Homer every day, I didn't give up one. So I felt good about that.

SPEAKER_04 13:46

Well, that well that's well that's what I that's what I was gonna say. I I I didn't really want to get into it this quick, but since we're going there, I was gonna say if you face the guy ten times, Kirsch, and you punched him out three times, you're like, man, I own this guy, right? No, I I punch him out 30% of the time.

SPEAKER_07 14:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:08

And then when you go and look at the other numbers, I think it's like four. I mean, not that I was counting, but I think it was four for ten with a with a homer and a double like 1200 OPS. I was like, oh, okay, so there is two sides of it. I'll give him his, I'm in his book for striking out, but the bigger, you know, the more important book is the home run book. And I was able to get a legend like Clayton Kershaw in there. And you know, that honestly, that was my first home run in at Dodger Stadium. So that kind of it marked a couple of lists off for me personally, but we're not here to talk about me.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

This is great. Yeah, why are why why why are we roasting my guests, dude? What are we doing here? Great. Thank you. I mean, can we talk about the three side young's in the three world series a little bit? Well, what just what happened in that game? We we had to have won, right?

SPEAKER_04 15:12

Uh I mean, it's debatable. I can't, I don't I don't even remember that. It's uh it's all debatable, but like I said, uh, you are definitely going down as a legend in Major League Baseball, one of the best left-handed pitchers of all time. And truly, it's um, you know, for myself, you broke into the big leagues a lot earlier than I did, watching you and seeing you evolve throughout your career. Uh, and we were talking about this a little bit before you came on. It's like you were getting compared to Sandy Kopetz before you even made it to the major leagues. And to be in that organization and to have that guy kind of at your whim whenever you needed him to be, like, how important was that for you?

SPEAKER_07 15:59

Yeah, Sandy's the man. Um, Russ knows, just when he comes around, like he's not like the typical like old guy, you know, he just like he just wants to help, he just wants to talk, he just wants to like be a reference point, be somebody you can help like uh talk about the game with. And um, you know, he's just he's just such a nice guy, and he just is genuinely cares about your well-being and wants you to do well. And so, you know, obviously the comparisons were starting early, and obviously I hated that, but he didn't care, you know, and so I think that was pretty cool too that he just wanted to help. He didn't, you know, he doesn't, he's not trying to mark his territory or anything like that, you know. He just was he was there, just wanted to be wanted to be a sounding board for me and uh to this day, you know, still get to talk to him on the phone, still get to see him, and um just like an amazing mentor for me and just a great friend, honestly. He's pretty awesome.

SPEAKER_04 16:52

Where where did where did you develop uh your unique delivery? Like, because I always like I said, man, that's like uh that doesn't just like I don't feel like nobody's teaching you how to do that delivery. Like, how did you come into that?

SPEAKER_07 17:07

Yeah, you know what happened actually was that I never had a pitching lesson growing up or anything like that. And then uh in between my junior and senior year high school, I started working with a guy uh who's pretty well known now, named Skip Johnson, who's the head coach at Oklahoma. They just won a national championship. Um, but at the time, he was the head coach at a junior college nearby Dallas where I grew up. And um he knew our summer coach real well. And I was like, Yeah, I love pitching lessons. I just I can't afford pitching lessons. Like all, you know, how much I can't do this. And uh Skip was like, Don't worry about it. He just started helping me and it was so awesome. And what he told me was my hands and my leg is on a string. So my hands go up, my leg goes up, and uh with hands go down, leg go down. And ever since then, that's just kind of how I pitched. I just kind of took it to heart and um it kind of worked out.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Yeah, I want to go I want to go into a story where I remember it might have been Kirsch's first outing in big league camp. And I forget who we were facing, but a lefty came up. I think it might have been Sean Casey or something. And you know, Kersh is amped up, and and uh I think he throws a couple heaters and and like they kind of jump, they they jump out of his hand. He, you know, he's throwing probably like upper 90s, and um, and then he throws the first curveball and it just snaps off the table. And Sean Casey turns around and he's like, he's like, what the hell was that? You know, who is this kid? I'm like, that's that's Clayton Kershaw right there, man. Like he's like, he's like, oh my god. And if you know Sean Casey, like he's super talkative. Like he'll talk your ear off. And it was just, I mean, I started laughing so hard, man. And then you know, you just see the young puppy up there. I figured how old, like, how old were you? 18, 19?

SPEAKER_07 18:55

Uh yeah, yeah. That was uh I talked to uh yeah, I talked to Case about that. He was the hitting coach uh for the WBC, you know. So I got to talk to him about it. And he like he said, he's so funny, just the way he tells stories, dude. You just want to listen to him. And I mean, half the stuff he said was exaggerated, but that one curveball, I got him to buckle a little bit. It was a little bit it was great. But you remember you remember Vero Beach? Like it's so bright, you can't see at all. It's a day game and it's hot. And you know, I probably was pitching in the eighth innings my first big league game. Everybody's tired, ready to go home. And um, it was just it was a great first story for me for Big League Camp.

SPEAKER_01 19:33

Yeah, it was fun. I I think he went back to the clubhouse because he needed to change his pants afterwards.

SPEAKER_06 19:40

Yeah, it's interesting you bring up Vero Beach. I remember watching an interview with Matt Ryan a few years ago, um, not long after he retired, the former Falcons quarterback. And somebody asked him how much have things changed. And Matt's point was, man, when I first got to the NFL, I walked in the locker room, everyone's playing cards, everyone's playing domino, is it social? He's like, I just I just walked into the locker room today. It was like quiet. Everyone just on their phones, kind of doing their own thing. Well, what did you see in the evolution, obviously, from Florida to Arizona, from when it comes to the facility and just how the dynamic of everything changed from the time you got into the big leagues uh to the time you hung them up?

SPEAKER_07 20:22

Yeah, I mean, I came in in a lot of different areas, you know. So when I first got called up, it was kind of like, I mean, Russ, you remember it was like young guys versus old guys a little bit. Totally. I was like in a whole different I wasn't part of either of those. I was just kind of there, you know. And then uh um, you know, slowly it was started to be like Russ's time and Matt Kemp and Dre and these guys. And um, you know, they had they had a lot of fun. It was fun to see. Like they were they're hanging out together, um, they're getting to do stuff after the games together and things like that. And then um, you know, it kind of became like once those guys left, it kind of became our time. And um, you know, we got we got to hang out. We got to go to the hotel lobby and have a couple beers after the game. We got to talk, we got to play poker, all this stuff. And there is still some of that, which I am thankful for. But like you said, there's a lot of phone time now. You know, there's a lot of screens, there's a lot of stuff going on, and um, that's just kind of the culture. You know what's funny? I just take my kids to see Toy Story 5. Have you guys seen that yet? I haven't seen it.

SPEAKER_04 21:18

I took my kids, I took my kids too to go see it.

SPEAKER_07 21:22

I mean, that's the theme, right? It's like it's hard to make friends, it's hard to socialize because everybody's on their screens, you know? And so it's not that much different in a baseball locker room either. So you gotta get people out of your comfort zone, you gotta get people out of your hotel rooms. And um, thankfully the Dodgers do a good job with it. They got a good group. And um, I mean, the Dodgers are old, right? Good teams are usually old. So they got a lot of guys that know how it runs and know how it works. And um, it's it's a great group to be a part of. It's fun. Were you even old enough to drink when you got called up? Uh no, I was I was 20. Yeah, I was 20 years. Yeah, you weren't easy by that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Rusty, so Russ was so mad at me that whole first year. Russ was so mad at me because I couldn't throw any strikes. He's back there and just like stop walking people. And I hear Andre, I hear Ether in right field just like mother F in me from right field, just so mad. Just throw the ball down the middle. Get me out of here. I'm like, Dre, I'm trying. I'm trying. It's hard.

SPEAKER_04 22:21

You know, it's just uh and Russ, when he got pissed, he would throw some rocket launchers right back at you, wouldn't he? Yeah, he's got a good arm. Good arm.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

I was terrible early on. I was so bad. I I thought like the only way to get somebody to get back in the game was to like yell at him. I thought that would work. Yeah. I gained a little experience later on and kind of softened up a little bit.

SPEAKER_04 22:49

But then you tell me and I started yelling back at you.

SPEAKER_06 22:54

Yeah. What to let's hear about the uh the yelling version of Russell Martin here, Clayton. No, I mean it wasn't that.

SPEAKER_07 23:03

He just he just cared. You know, he wanted to win. And so I think uh like like you said, like sometimes a pat on the butt might have been nicer, but I think at the end of the day, like I mean, some you know, I think the point got across. And I love like, yeah, you know, I kind of I responded to that well. Like I know I wasn't doing what I wanted to do either, so it was good. My my best story of that is I had made it through seven innings for the first time, and this guy got inducted to the Hall of Fame this weekend, and Jeff Kent's at second base, and I go out for the eighth inning and I walk the first guy on four pitches in the eighth inning. Obviously, a huge no-no, you can't do that. That's just like that's like you just can't do that if you want to stay in the game. And so Joe Torrey comes to take me out, and everybody's coming around. Like, I think Russ even gave me a butt tap at that point, like, good job. And uh Jeff comes over and I'm like, oh man, like he never talked to me or anything. And I was like, this guy's gonna actually say like good job or something, you know, and he said, Well, that's what you get when you walk the leadoff fair and just walk off. I'm like, yeah, you're right.

SPEAKER_08 24:02

Thanks, Jeff. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_07 24:03

Yeah, you know, it's like that's great.

SPEAKER_08 24:05

Yeah, perfect.

SPEAKER_04 24:07

Yeah, I was gonna, I was gonna ask you, like, we all have like a time like where it's like a welcome to big, like you're in the show, like you have that moment. Was that your moment where you felt like welcome to the big leagues or like where you started to arrive? Or where what was the time when like maybe it didn't go your way, and you're like, shit, I'm at the major league level. This is different. Like, did you go through that? Because you're you're so great, you know. All of us all just remember all of the great things you've done in the game. Like, what was that time if you can go back and and say, like, either like I feel like I've arrived, or or you can answer both ways. Like, I feel like I've arrived. I've I have kind of like the idea of what I need to do now. Or the other one is like, shit, this is the major leagues. I I don't know if I'm ready. Like, do you have that any of those moments?

SPEAKER_07 24:58

Yeah, I've got a bunch. My first year, you know, I was bad. Like, I got sent down um for a few weeks in the in the middle of July. And um, I I honestly I really never figured it out my first year. And then going into 2009, my second year, my first month and a half was really bad again. And um, I I'll never forget this conversation. It it basically saved my career to this point. And uh Joe Torrey had called me to the office. And Joe was great, you know, like good game, bad game. He just was always like, he was the same, you know, and and Donnie was like that too. And Doc's like they're all just like kind of the same, which was really good for me. Like, not too high, not too low. Um, but I got called in the office and he brought Donnie Mattingley, who was our hitting coach at the time, and was like, all right, Kirsch, I want you to hear this. Donnie, how would you face Kirsch if you're an opposing team? And he's like, Well, he has two pitches and he throws his curveball for a strike less than half the time. So we're just gonna hit the heater. And Joe was like, You hear that? You got to learn a third pitch if you can't land that curveball. And that day I started throwing a slider in the bullpen with Honey. You know, Honey showed me a grip, started throwing it, and uh brought it into the game the next start. And so that's that's kind of what got me on a roll from there. And um, but yeah, if I didn't have that conversation, didn't learn a third pitch like that, it could have been a very different ball game for sure.

SPEAKER_06 26:17

Yeah, honey being Rick Honey cut the Dodgers former pitching coach. So that that's so interesting, Clayton. Like the aha moment can come at any time for a player, you know, be it a conversation, be it a moment in a game. What what do you think it was about that moment that you're like, uh-huh, yeah, I get it. This this is a necessity here.

SPEAKER_07 26:39

Well, he basically said learn a third pitch or you're gonna be sent down. It's like, oh, okay, yeah. I'm gonna work on it. Understood. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:47

What's wild, what's what what's wild about that is that that ended up being probably your most effective pitch. Yeah. You know, like especially towards the end. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 26:59

Especially towards the end. Like, I feel like you relied kind of on that cutter, like slider for uh combo.

SPEAKER_01 27:04

Yeah, don't uh he one thing I remember. Yeah, he hates what people call it a cutter, hates it. Oh, sorry, sorry. Was that the four theme? Was that the four theme?

SPEAKER_07 27:15

No, it's a if anybody called a slider a cutter, it's he is like cuts get like cutters are just bad fastballs, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04 27:24

Okay, okay. Um as a as a hitter, it looked like it was kind of cutting a little bit. I don't know, maybe a moment. That's fair, that's fair.

SPEAKER_08 27:35

How long can it take?

SPEAKER_07 27:36

How long did it take you to get that pitch down, Clayton? Well, I mean, I I changed it so much. Like when I first started throwing it, it was like another breaking ball. It was in the lower 80s and had a hump to it, and it was definitely more like a true or slider. And then over time, like I didn't do it on purpose, but I just started throwing harder and harder. But the reason I never liked it to be called a cutter was in my head, I had to think depth more than cut. So I always had to think like get on top of it. And um, and yeah, I just could throw a first strike. Like Chris said, like I threw a first strike anytime, and that just made the difference for me. So I was able to throw both sides of the plate. And uh yeah, I mean, without that, it would have been a much longer game for sure. So it was helpful.

SPEAKER_04 28:17

So uh that's interesting for me to hear you say that because I had definitely noticed over the length of my career that sliders started becoming harder, right? To where like you were saying, like my your slider was maybe what 82 to 85 then, right? Early on, yeah. Early on, and then towards the end. I mean, you were throwing at 87, 88 miles an hour.

unknown 28:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 28:41

Like how how does that is it a grip change? Is it something that you're watching on the cameras, like that's showing you like you're losing? Like fill me in on that because I I never had to learn that as a as a hitter, obviously. And I think it'd be something unique for some younger guys that are watching this show.

SPEAKER_07 29:00

Oh, I'm not gonna have any hard-hitting facts for them because I have no idea. I really don't. Like, I think uh I I never changed the grip, I never really did anything. I think over time, like I really wanted to have three distinct pitches. So I was like, all right, my curveball's this speed, my slider's this speed. I never meant to throw it harder, but I think over time I I just found an ability to do that, and the break became less for sure. But um, like I said, as long as it had enough depth for you know right-handed batters, then I was gonna be okay. And I don't know, dude. I really have no idea. Like I just started throwing it harder and harder, and um I have no idea why, honestly.

SPEAKER_01 29:39

Just the competitive nature of just him competing and wanting to win, he just ended up finding a way for it to be more effective. But talking about Kershaw and and how how competitive he is, people like that don't know him personally won't know that. But it would be like you could be competing against him in anything, and he's gonna give you a run for your money. Especially he's a nasty ping pong player, he'll never admit to it. If you ask him for a like, hey, you want to play a game of ping pong? Are you good? He's like, Ah, I'm okay. And then he just spanks you. Like, he is nasty at ping pong, dude. And I know Josh likes Josh likes to think he's good at ping pong, but like you would get waxed, dude.

SPEAKER_00 30:22

I'm telling you.

SPEAKER_04 30:25

I that's uh you know what? That's what a lot of people I've heard that a lot from people that say, oh yeah, I'll beat you in ping pong, and then you look up and they have like five wilt marks on their chest, and then they're they're they're they're their face is drooping over, their shoulders are hung after it's for the 11th point. But I have heard, I'm not saying I would beat Clayton, but I have heard, I mean, you used to host your own ping pong tournament like during the season. Like I heard that you're really good. So, like, yeah, were you did you did you have the power game or you uh did you like to spin the ball? Like what was what was your what's your game? Defense?

SPEAKER_07 31:04

Yeah, I would say no, not defense, probably spin and forehand, not much of a backhand guy. Um yeah, we did our we did our charity event in LA every year. We did like a doubles ping pong. That was always fun. And the Dodgers have some good ping pong players. Freddie's good, Mookie's good. Um Mookie's good at everything. Yeah, Mookie's good at everything. Belly, Belly's a good ping pong player, Bellinger. Um Austin uh Barnes the Austin Barnes, one of the other catchers, was always good with a scrappy little fella.

SPEAKER_04 31:32

Yeah, so we uh I don't know Austin Barnes at all, but I bet he plays only defense on ping pong. That's all I'm saying.

SPEAKER_07 31:41

Barnes is great, dude. He's great, good player, good player.

SPEAKER_04 31:45

Hey, I don't know if you actually know this, but I actually was before you guys signed Mookie, I was in talks with the Dodgers about signing a deal there. Oh and then like I wanted I I had a couple teams that were in it four years, and then they're like, no, we don't, this guy's too old to go for four years, and they end up scratch for your for your guys' sake, you know, you end up getting Mookie best from the Boston Red Sox and end up winning the World Series. So good for you, but I I kind of wish I was like thinking back on I'm like Dodger Blue, like what one of my favorite stadiums to go to as a visiting player was Dodger Stadium. Like, because that's that sound system there was unbelievable. You start. It's loud.

SPEAKER_01 32:34

I think they they probably they probably asked Kirsch, like, hey, would you want to have Josh as a teammate?

SPEAKER_08 32:40

And he probably said no, that's probably I don't have that kind of bull.

SPEAKER_07 32:48

That wasn't me. That wasn't me.

SPEAKER_04 32:51

Wasn't a denial, but then it's yeah, that's it. It's okay. It's uh it's it's okay, but for Clayton's, you know, but on the right mind at that time.

SPEAKER_01 33:02

Josh, go ahead. From the like when you're competing against him, you hate his guts, and then when he's your teammate, you're like, oh man, why do I love this guy? He's one of those guys. He's definitely one of those guys.

SPEAKER_04 33:14

Yeah, you could ask Freddie. Me and him, me, me, me and me and Freddie were teammates, and obviously I'm sure you and Freddie, you're another great guy, great baseball guy. And um, yeah, I mean, you know, we all you all have to learn to mesh. And I always told guys like you gotta give me a year, you know. And then the longer I was in the big leagues, people kind of just knew, like, oh, hey, this is how the guy is, and then you know you develop a reputation, and then once you walk into the clubhouse, then people see like, oh, he's a good time to hang around. It was fine. So I had no problem with that.

SPEAKER_01 33:45

I wanna let's get into Kirsch. The the the World Series, winning your first World World Series. Well, like, tell me about that feeling because I have no idea. Josh has no idea. We don't we don't know what that's like. How was that? I'm a loser.

SPEAKER_07 34:01

No, I mean, I I just uh I mean you know, you know my story, you know how long it took. I mean, I just there's a lot of stuff that went down, and um, a lot of it was stuff I could have done better. Um, obviously, there's some stuff that, you know, 2017 happened with the Astros, which was a bummer. And so there's just a lot of stuff that happened, you know, over the course that and so I think, you know, I didn't really know it, but like after each passing year, you just like you feel like the burden just, you know, becoming more and more and more. Yeah. And so um, by the time we finally won, it just like obviously super happy, a lot of joy, but like I think I just felt like a burden lifted. You know what I mean? Like I just felt I felt a little bit lighter, um, which is good for me. I need to feel lighter. And uh it just was it just was good. It just uh it just felt so good, you know. And um I think every passing year after you win the first one is like you're not competing with the rest of the years. You're just trying to win for that year, and that makes that makes a big difference. Like you're not you're not trying to rectify everything that went wrong. You're just trying to win for that one year. So um to win that first one was amazing. And then last year, you know, obviously I I uh I got to be healthy for the whole year. And, you know, I wasn't starting in the playoffs, but to get to be on the roster, to get the pitch in the postseason, be in the and to be in the pen and all that, like to go out like that was uh uh, you know, it made it all worth it. You know, it just was it just was so special. Right.

SPEAKER_06 35:30

It felt like game six and game seven, Clayton, was like the rever all the things that had happened to the Dodgers all those years, it almost felt like the baseball gods reversed it in those in those last two games. You know?

SPEAKER_07 35:47

Yeah, I mean, we probably didn't deserve to win those games. I mean, like we um there was a lot of stuff that happened, but um, like you said, everything the ball just kind of broke our way those last two games. And um, I mean, you can't take away from what Yamoto did. I think that was just one of the performance, you know, and um you know what Miggy did, Bill Smith. It was just incredible. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 36:12

He he reminded me, you know, of that World Series of Madison Baumgartner, what he did for the Giants, if you remember that, like it was 2012 or something like that, to where he just you know put his shield out there and said, I'm gonna give whatever it takes. And he was better. He was he was the best player on the field at that time.

SPEAKER_01 36:36

I don't even know how you do that. He what do you he throw like seven innings? Was it the night before or like the couple days before or something? No, he threw a complete game. Complete game, and then he came back and threw two of the thirds to win it.

SPEAKER_07 36:50

Yeah, I mean, that's crazy. I said this when Yama came over. I said he he's a little guy, obviously, and he doesn't, you know, doesn't lift weights, doesn't do different things, but he he's very regimented and has his thing. I said, hey, if Yama survives over here for three or four years and really thrives, we're gonna need to look at what he does to stay healthy, you know? Right, right. Um it's getting to that point. I think this is year four, so we might need to take a look and see see what he's doing and maybe try to try to replicate it. Yeah. Well, he's like you, Russ. Like he's doing like handstands and like, you know, all the gymnast stuff that I couldn't even think about doing. And like he does it, you know, it's just uh it's incredible. Like he's just so he's so body strong, you know. He's he just is uh And he's so limber.

SPEAKER_04 37:37

I've seen some of his stuff that he's does. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 37:40

Like what does he do, like the javelin stuff too? Yeah, he's throwing that, and that's a lot harder than that than it looks. So yeah, there's there's a lot of stuff we can learn from for sure. Interesting.

SPEAKER_06 37:50

When did you know Clayton? Like, did you know that he was coming out for game seven?

SPEAKER_07 37:55

No. I I mean, I don't think I think we all were like, he just threw a complete game game six, you know. You know, you you show you show up to the clubhouse game seven, and it's like, what are you gonna do? Put your tennis shoes on? Like everybody's gonna say they can go. And so uh sure enough, Yama did his normal stuff like he was getting ready, and uh he went and warmed up in the pen and said he's good, and then they're like, all right, well, you're in the game. And so he just went in. It was incredible, dude. Incredible.

SPEAKER_04 38:24

Hey, Clayton, I have a question for you. This is like if you could go back to like one specific moment in your career, like when you're on the mound, or you know, a specific moment in time and be like, Man, I want to go back into that moment. Do you have one of those of like a specific bat, a specific game starting, maybe coming out of the pen? I don't know. Like, do you have one of those experiences? Like right now, you still like like if it's good, like I to me I would want it to be good, but what was that like best feeling you ever had on the mound?

SPEAKER_07 39:03

That's a good question. I mean, I think uh uh I had I had a couple. I mean, I think probably uh the first time I pitched in the World Series was game one um against the Astros, and I had a good game and we won, and we were at home. And so just like the first World Series to win that first game, like that that was a really good feeling. And then um, I think the other one was I got to close the game in the playoffs one time against the Nationals in the Division Series, and that was uh Kenley had just gone out there and thrown like 50 pitches and was just exhausted. And uh it was it was such a hard series, and we ended up basically running out of guys, and so I went down there and got to get the last two outs, and that was uh that was an amazing feeling after to get to celebrate with the guys and do that. Um, as a starter, you don't get to be on the mound for the last out very often. So that was uh that was pretty awesome.

SPEAKER_01 39:55

Can I throw a third one out there for you?

SPEAKER_07 39:56

Yeah, what do you got?

SPEAKER_01 39:57

The no hitter and the families in the stands, like that. Yeah, that that was that looked pretty cool. Like from a fan perspective, like watching that unfold and kind of seeing like everybody's just kind of like, you know, crossing their fingers, like, is he gonna get it done? That was that was dope, man. That was really cool to watch.

SPEAKER_07 40:15

Yeah, I mean, you guys know, like, no hitter is amazing, and it was such a fun night and got to celebrate with the guys, but like when you accomplish something as a team, like winning or like winning a postseason series or doing something like that, like I mean, that's that's the ultimate. That's why you play the game. Like, that's just yeah, you guys are grinding for seven, eight months. And so to get to like, even if you've never won a world like you both in the postseason, postseason, some big moments, like those are what is so special. You know, like that's that's why you play, and that's what keeps you coming back. That's just it's just amazing. You can't replicate that.

SPEAKER_04 40:50

And that's why it's the get it done league, you know. That's why that's that's why you that's why that's why you play so when that situation arises, you're ready to get the job done. And that's what separates yourself from so many other people because in those big moments you were able to do that and come up for your team and win. And you had such an amazing career. I mean, I really feel I I don't give a lot of credit to pitchers. I really don't, because obviously I had to you know face them a lot. But for you, I will say like it is it is it it was special and uh to go out there and watch you do and it's to do it for as long as you did, and uh the amount of rehabs that you have to go through. I mean, all of us go through it, like we all break down at some point, and for you to just keep going, you to keep going, to keep going, and you had that amazing career, and then at the very end of it, for it to kind of very it's like to get that final closure of what you were saying of winning World Series, you know, that's gotta be an amazing feel feeling, and um couldn't have happened to a better guy from from what I know.

SPEAKER_01 42:07

I mean, you can just you can just tell, you know, you you start you trying to talk about him and he he wants to talk about the team. Those are the kind of teammates you want right there. Exactly.

SPEAKER_06 42:15

All right, it's always been that way. Tell us about you and Russ. What made what made you two click together in the beginning and then at the end?

SPEAKER_07 42:25

I think it was really fun to have Russ come back, you know. I think uh I wasn't at my best when he was at his best, you know, and so um I think and then like towards the end when he came back, I wasn't at my best again. And um to have Russ like come in and catch me like a completely different person. And um, you know, I think uh I just had a ton of fun with Russ that second time through. And like um it it was like we were on the same level a little bit, like kind of kind of both towards the end and um to kind of get to go out that way with him and get to catch. I remember one game uh I threw to you in Miami, Russ. Dude, I was warming up before the game, and I had just got a core zone shot in my neck, and I couldn't feel my tricep or my arm, like I couldn't flex. Wow. And uh I I told you, I was like, hey, I I can only throw like 85. And you're like, we'll figure it out. And sure enough, like we just started calling different stuff, and uh, I threw more change-ups in that game than I've ever thrown in my life, you know, and just like just like stuff like that. So it was just uh it was just uh it was just fun, dude.

SPEAKER_01 43:32

It was really fun to have Russ that second time through. It was really fun. I enjoyed it. I just what a what a completely different just organization from the evolution of the Dodger organization from like then when I left in 2010, they kind of went through a rough patch. And then when I went back in 19, I was so impressed with how just from top to bottom, you know, from the front office all the way down, they were on point, like preparation. You know, the coaching staff, like how they cater to the players, like their preparation, you know, leading up to games. I was like, no I understood, you know, why they were getting to the World Series and why they were be why they were playing so well. It was um, you know, you know, besides having a lot of talent, like you know, a lot of teams have talent, but what are some of those things?

SPEAKER_06 44:22

What are some of the things that kind of sets it apart?

SPEAKER_01 44:25

Um I mean, I think Yeah, go ahead, Russ. No, you you you go ahead. You go ahead.

SPEAKER_04 44:29

Well, I'm using guests. We get to hear him all the time.

SPEAKER_07 44:33

I think like the the continuity. Um, you know, Andrew does a good job. Like, we don't have a lot of turnover. You know, I we get some coaches that get plucked at times, and we have some coaches that move on and go to the high, you know, better positions and things like that. But like front office all the way down to RD, like not a lot of turnover. Um, he kind of keeps the same people around, which is good. Um coaching.

SPEAKER_01 44:57

Andrew Friedman is who we're talking about. Yeah, Friedman.

SPEAKER_07 44:59

Yeah. And then I think the other thing too is like, yes, you can spend money. Um, obviously the Dodgers do that better than anybody. But like you see it with the Mets this year, like you've seen it with a lot of high big, like high payroll teams. Like, that doesn't always translate to wins. And I'm not gonna sit sit here and say that doesn't matter because it does. Um, good players cost money. Like, that's just part of it. But um, it's the kind of people they get. Like, it's the ones that like that just seem to fit, like uh the ones that will do what Yamamoto did in the postseason. It's the ones that like Freddy, who played on an ankle that was absolutely thrashed all of the 2024 postseason. It's like um just just different guys, like Mookie working so hard to become a shortstop when he was a gold glove outfielder, you know. Like he'd be he went from being a gold glove outfielder to like a borderline gold glove shortstop now, you know, and it's like it's it's the soup, and then obviously you talk about Shohei, what he's able to do and the way he goes about it. It's like, yeah, these guys are all superstars, but they're willing to do whatever it takes to help the team, and that's I think that's the separator.

SPEAKER_06 46:08

Well, it's interesting to me that just one sec, Josh, because you Clayton, somebody who doesn't like to talk about yourself. I I get that. I remember when Ross Stripling was here in Toronto and talking to Stripp, and he said the one thing you know, I was asking him about the Dodgers and he said there is such a standard of excellence there that everybody just kind of inherently knows. And he said the starting pitchers run a group chat when he was there. And, you know, you wake up in the morning and Clayton says Uber's leaving the hotel at 12 30. Well, there was no obligation for the everybody in the rotation to leave at 12 30, but there was just an understanding that this is what we're going to do. So, like, where does that all come from from your standpoint? Where where was that standard of excellence for you that you wanted to kind of pass on to the rest of the guys? And where does that come from? And how important was that? And why was it important for you?

SPEAKER_07 47:05

I mean, honestly, I was just trying to be a you know a good guy. Give him a give him a ride. He didn't have to come, but uh you know, I I think uh strip was on an entry-level contract.

SPEAKER_06 47:18

He couldn't give him strip a free Uber, you know.

SPEAKER_07 47:22

I think uh but I learned I learned this a long time ago that um it doesn't have to look the same for everybody. You know, for me, I I was, you know, I did it my way. But like there's also guys that don't that look nothing like the way I do it. They can and they and they succeed and they excel and they're great guys and they're great teammates. So like I think that's another thing the Dodgers do really well is like we don't really care what your process is. We don't really care if you show up at five o'clock. We don't really care if you show up at 12 o'clock, but just do the same process every day to get ready to play and then do your job. And like that's that's that's really all yeah, be like that's that's it. And so I think you know, a lot of these teams that are like, oh man, we can't get these guys to do what we want to do. Well, maybe they don't fit your mold. Just let them be themselves and they'll start playing better. And uh and that's important, and the Dodgers do that really well.

SPEAKER_04 48:18

Yeah, I would say, Clayton, uh, I mean, we mentioned Shohei a little bit, but I remember you could swing the bat a little bit when you were playing. Did you hit any homers when you were playing? Uh I want to say I saw you hit. Uh who was it off of? I know you know. George Contas.

SPEAKER_02 48:36

Oh, George. Poor George.

SPEAKER_05 48:40

George gets mentioned so much. I say his name so much. Unbelievable.

SPEAKER_04 48:47

Oh, he loves the he gave you what was it? Was it a slider heater? What pitch was it?

SPEAKER_07 48:53

No, first pitch heater. Ask me what inning it was.

SPEAKER_04 48:56

What what inning was it? It was babe.

SPEAKER_00 49:01

Oh, yeah, because George, George was a reliever.

SPEAKER_04 49:04

He was a reliever, so he came up and gave up uh he gave up the free pump and just held the deuces up. And did you get the CG that game? I did, I did. It was a good day. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_05 49:18

I was a good day.

SPEAKER_04 49:18

I mean, see, before Shohei, you were dropping nukes and throwing complete game shut out shutouts. So you you were probably the inspiration for Shohei. That's what I'm gonna say.

SPEAKER_07 49:29

Yeah, I asked Doc a few times if I could DH and it didn't uh it didn't get very far. Hey.

SPEAKER_01 49:36

Well, Kirch, man, I I just want to say thank you for taking the time away from your family. And I know you talked about golf a little earlier. We definitely need to get back on the golf course.

SPEAKER_07 49:47

Hey, why why can't I why can't I get me better? I've been playing for like six months straight, and I think join the club. Yeah, Russ is a sick. I've seen Russ play. Russ is a sick, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:00

Russ is Russell's getting better for sure. Getting better, but uh Kirsch saw me play one of my better games. So I'll play, I'll play with I'll play with Kirsch anytime because I that was probably my at that time that we played, it was probably the second best game that I've ever played in my life. So you saw me at my best. That's not what you're getting every time we play. I'm telling you right now. Let's do it. Let's do it. It'll be fine. All right, man.

SPEAKER_04 50:23

Hey Kirsch, thanks for thanks for being here, man. And uh, we appreciate you and telling your story. And like I said, it was uh it was a pleasure getting to watch you play every day and do your thing.

SPEAKER_07 50:33

Appreciate it, guys. Thanks to y'all. All right, there's Clayton. Thanks to you guys.

SPEAKER_06 50:39

See you, buddy. Another episode of the Get It Done League. Well, that was awesome. Awesome of Clayton Kershaw to do it. Um, what a fun conversation. Russ, what a dude, huh? He's a beauty.

SPEAKER_01 50:50

Yeah, I mean, just like for how good he is, you know, at his craft, he's just as good as a teammate. And you you can you got a sense of it just by hearing him talk and tell his stories and stuff. Just a good overall human being. And sneaky funny. He is funny.

SPEAKER_04 51:10

He is he he he he he's a funny guy, and obviously, as I had mentioned earlier, that you know, he is a legend for Major League Baseball. And to say the least, I was a little upset he didn't remember the home run that I hit off of him because I feel like you're like hurt just a little bit there. He's like, Yeah, my feelings were hurt because it was a good one. Like, I mean, it was it was a I mean, we need to uh I thanks for joining the show, but we got a this was an opportunity for us to post one of my highlights here, so I mean, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 51:48

Maybe you know what, maybe he remembered, but he just wanted he didn't want to give that. He didn't want to give that to you.

SPEAKER_04 51:53

That's the sense that I was feeling. I I kind of felt that he just you know, you told me he's he he's he's witty. He just big leagued you.

SPEAKER_01 52:03

Clayton Kershall just big league you. He did. Hey, I mean you know what? I mean he low-key kind of just roasted in the intro, and I was like, okay, maybe it was payback, maybe it was payback for a little roast piece.

SPEAKER_04 52:15

You know what? It's fine, it's fine, it's fine. If there was one person, if there's one person that can big, believe me, I'll let Clayton Kershaw do that this one time. One time.

SPEAKER_06 52:26

Not bad, not the bad, not a bad one ab on the resume. Exactly, exactly. Love it. Our thanks to Clayton Kershaw uh for joining us. Uh one of the real fun uh one of the real fun shows we've had so far, and one of the absolute pros, of course, going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Russ, thanks so much for setting it up with your boy, uh, JD. Thanks for being such a good sport about it. Uh, another episode of Get It Done League. I'm your host, Arash Madani. We'll see you next week. That was awesome.

SPEAKER_02 52:57

Get it done league!