The fascinating thing about this book is how I was more interested in Clayton Kershaw’s story than the man himself.
I suppose both are intertwined. But I think Kershaw has a fascinating story, rising from the challenges of his youth to becoming the consensus best pitcher of his generation. The man himself? Eh. Stays private, sometimes shows a funny side, family man, Christian of the Baptist/Evangelical/non-liturgical variety. Seems like a decent guy, certainly not an intriguing one.
Andy McCullough seems to know this without saying it out loud because while this is an in-depth bio of Kershaw’s baseball career, it’s also an examination of how the sport has changed since he came into the League over 15 years ago. The biggest change is to Kershaw’s position: starters are expected to do less and aren’t as prized as they once were. Most players coming up are examining their delivery process and going through a different sort of mechanical rebuild than Kershaw. The game has changed and Kershaw has been dragged slowly into it.
But this is very much a love of the game book. For those who truly love baseball, and I am one even if I don’t embrace it like I used to, it’s an absolute must read, a tour-de-force examination of the sport for better and worse through the lens of one of its best players. It’s not gossipy about the Dodgers and it’s not titillating regarding Kershaw’s personal life. It’s a well-written look at the man and the sport, the kind of book that is rarely written anymore. I loved it.