FanPost

A Time To Win

Very recently a brief recording of Clayton Kershaw doing some dry throwing alone in the bullpen at Fenway was shared on TBLA.

At the conclusion of the 2007 Season I decided to get a Mini-Plan for seats at Dodger Stadium for the 2008 Season. So on a beautiful sunny morning sometime before Spring Training I went for my appointment at Dodger Stadium to select the seat that I preferred.

After checking in, a sales rep introduced herself to me and guided me to various available locations. There were just a few other customers in the Stadium and it was otherwise quiet and empty.

We began our search in the Loge section and next went downstairs in the elevator to the Field Level. We started walking toward the Dodgers bullpen and I heard something that at first sounded like a hammering, like a workman working, as the sound echoed throughout the vast, empty concourse above the seating.

As we continued toward the bullpen area I identified the source of the sounds. A young man was standing on the warning track just outside the the old gate that allowed access to the field from the seats, the one nearest the foul pole. This was prior to the re-modeling that later added the additional seats on the field.

On Dodger Thoughts we had discussed the Minor League phenomenon of Clayton Kershaw many times. Kershaw was so good that he had become almost mythical to us and one of the posters gave Kershaw a new name that stuck, we simply referred to Kershaw as The Minotaur.

Clayton Kershaw was standing on the warning track with his back to us all alone, bouncing a baseball on the warning track in a slow steady rhythm, just staring out at the empty stadium, kinda transfixed.

When we got to the aisle where Kershaw was standing directly below us, I stopped walking to observe him. After a minute the sales rep asked if we could please move on and I reluctantly acceded to her request.

As I took in this scene I wondered if Kershaw was visualizing future success he might enjoy playing on this field ...

Yes, the time is now.

This is a fan-written post that is in no way affiliated with or related to any of the authors or editors of True Blue LA. The opinions reflected in this post do not necessarily reflect those of True Blue LA, its authors or editors.