Clayton Kershaw Takes Part in Special First Pitch With Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw made a surprise appearance during the ring ceremony. Kershaw was around during the pregame of the ring ceremony, signalling that he would receive his ring during the ceremony. However, as all the Dodgers got their rings, Kershaw did not emerge with his teammates, leading fans to think he was oddly not going to be part of the ceremony.
The Dodgers did not announce who would make the first pitch before the game, leading fans to speculate it was Kershaw, but after all the players got their rings, it was fellow legend Orel Hershiser who emerged. Mar 27, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers former player Clayton Kershaw (22) and first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) during the World Series ring ceremony before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images However, it was Kershaw who would emerge after Hershiser was called by Joe Davis to the SportsNet LA booth.
He threw the first pitch quickly to Freddie Freeman, and in a matter of moments, Mookie Betts, along with the entire Dodgers team, ran to Kershaw and handed him his ring, the third of his career. The moment capped off a special night for the Dodgers, who celebrated the second of their back-to-back titles, taking the moment to look back on 2025 one more time before the full focus goes to 2026. For Kershaw, he does not need to move on; rather, he gets the chance to soak it all in.
“Anytime you get to celebrate one more time with your teammates, it’s pretty special. I know they’ve got to move on to this season, but I don’t have to,” Kershaw said. “So I’m just going to keep relishing it.
” Clayton Kershaw’s retirement feelings With his playing career over, Kershaw is not straying too far away from the Dodgers. He will be taking on a role within the organization, though being around the team is not giving him the itch to play that most would expect. “I wouldn’t say it’s hard to be here,” Kershaw said.