By : Mike Rifkin
Wednesday afternoon future Hall Of Famer Clayton Kershaw was pulled from his first start of the season after seven perfect innings and only threw 80 pitches against the Minnesota Twins. There have been 23 perfect games in the history of Major League Baseball with the last one by Felix Hernandez of the Mariners in August of 2012.
Kershaw said after the game “ Those are selfish goals. We’re trying to win. That’s really all we’re here for. I would have loved to have stayed, but bigger things, man, bigger things.” Kershaw also said it was the right decision to pull him. Kershaw isn’t wrong for calling a perfect game a selfish goal, but it would be another feather on his plaque when he goes to Cooperstown after his career. Kershaw did miss last season’s playoffs due to left forearm discomfort.
Now I understand both parts of the argument. On one hand he missed the playoffs with a forearm issue and this is his first start of the season, but on the other hand it is a perfect game, how can you pull a guy from a perfect game? If it was a no hitter fine Kershaw has one of those on his resume, but a perfect game is so rare that you have to let him finish what he started and if he gives up a hit or walk pull him then. The other thing is the game being in Minnesota Dave Roberts pulling him in the dugout prevents the fans from showing their appreciation for what is occurring.
But this just shows how much the game has changed. If we go back even a decade ago Kershaw is still throwing until the perfect game is gone. I understand that the end game is that the Dodgers goal is to win the World Series, but to not let a guy continue with a perfect game seems wrong.
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