Winning the Big One

As a life-long Dodger fan, I was set to devour this book. Clayton Kershaw is one of the greatest pitchers ever to put on the uniform, a sure bet first round hall of famer. His career has been dedicated to one organization, and he and his wife have been pillars of the community. Their charitable work has been inspiring, including the establishment of an orphanage in Zambia. The perfect story!

Well… maybe not perfect.

Clayton has won the Cy Young award as baseball’s best pitcher an incredible three times. He won the National League MVP award in 2014, a rare accomplishment for a pitcher. He has been the dominant stopper of his era… during the regular season. Slowly but surely his reputation began tarnishing during the post-season playoffs. ‘Wonderful, but he can’t win the big one.’ Whether overworked or pitching on short rest, things fell apart and the Dodgers, superior during the season, were unable to grab the World Series trophy behind their ace. The one time they did win, in 2020, has been devalued by many as the Covid series, with an unusual atmosphere adjusted because of the playing restrictions on crowds, teams, and locations.

Sportswriter Andy McCullough does provide glimpses of Kershaw we have not seen before. There is a detailed background of the financial struggles he and his mother endured in his youth, an early factor motivating him to succeed. His intensity, particularly on game day, is well known, and although it is pointed out he was much more easy-going on days he was not starting; a grumpiness and testiness seem to be asserting itself along with struggles to overcome injuries and the aging process. I was surprised to see him say he has no interest in instructing or tutoring the young pitchers coming up… “This might be, like, harsh, but I really don’t have any interest in helping people get better,” he said. “This is probably selfish… but I don’t, like, care.”

Kershaw’s career is winding down (being the old man of 36), but it is not over yet. His last pitched game, in the 2023 National League Division Series, was the worst performance ever, allowing six runs and recording only one out. In the off season he had elbow surgery before signing a $10 million contract for 2024. At the time of this book’s publication, he is still on the injured list, hoping to make another comeback by mid-season. One more chance to grab the brass ring.

“The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness” gives us rare glimpses behind the scenes. We see how Kershaw felt about being robbed by the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal in 2017. A strained relationship with manager Dave Roberts is touched upon and we see a mutual admiration through the years with Sandy Koufax. An enjoyable portrait of a man driven to achieve greatness and unwilling to accept anything less.

Thank you to Hachette Books NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The minute I found out there was a new book coming out about Clayton Kershaw, my favorite Dodgers pitcher and my absolute favorite baseball player, I knew I had to get a copy. If you know me, you know I bleed blue. Kershaw has been the face of the Dodgers franchise for years and deservedly so. Not only is he one of the greatest pitchers of our generation, but he’s also an amazing human being.

As much as I love Kershaw, I really didn’t know too much about his childhood except that he was very close to his mom. This book opened my eyes about his youth and adulthood and the burdens he carried with him. Andy McCullough showed me the real Kersh and all I can say is I adore Kersh even more. I loved hearing teammates and other players’ thoughts on the GOAT. He really sets an example in the world of baseball and the community with all the things he does with his charity, Kershaw’s challenge.

I know the day is nearing when Kersh will retire and I won’t be able to watch him throw another pitch. That will be a sad day for not only me, but for baseball. However, I hope he eventually comes back to be a pitching coach or in some form of capacity with the Dodgers.

Thank you to Hachett for my e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I’m gonna need this one in hardcover for my Kershaw collection.

Thank you to NetGalley for ebook ARC of this book. Anyone who knows me I’m a die hard Dodger fan. Clayton Kershaw is the reason why I fell in love with the Dodgers in the summer of 2009. In 2009, I was sitting on the couch taking care of my Grandpa licking some wounds of my own when my Grandpa asked to watch his Dodgers. I was anti sports at the time but that afternoon I fell in love with baseball and my Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw and I should nothing in common beyond a love of this child’s game as Vin Scully called it. But reading about Kershaw’s burdens made me understand his failures in the postseason. The great burden he carried with him through childhood and adulthood made me understand him. I could relate to the anxiety and the need for routine as I myself have my own routine.

This book will give you the insight into one of the greatest Dodgers pitchers ever to put on Dodger blue.

What a fantastic read!!! Andy McCullough did such an awesome job of capturing Clayton Kershaw’s greatness while still reminding the readers that Clayton is a human just like the rest of us.

This book was an introspective look at the life and baseball career of Clayton Kershaw. From his youth baseball days in high school, to playing for Team USA’s Junior National Team, all the way through his impressive career with the LA Dodgers.

A couple things that I really enjoyed about this book are how it dove into Clayton’s early life as a teenager to see what really motivated him to be wired the way he is. The other thing I enjoyed was the fact that they spoke about his personal life with his family and how his faith played a role in his career.

I think this would be a fantastic book for baseball and non-sports fan alike. It was a quick read that paced really well and didn’t feel drawn out. Special thanks to Hachette Book Group and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest and fair review. I hope to pick up a physical copy of this book on release day May 7th, 2024

First things first I have followed Andy and his work with writing about the dodgers for years. When I heard he would be writing a book about Clayton Kershaw I was beyond excited to read it. To say it exceed my expectations wouldn’t even cover how much I loved it. I came away learning about the player and the man that Clayton is and will always be. A strong, dependable, one of a kind pitcher who is also an amazing husband to Ellen and father to Cali, Charley, Cooper and Chance. If you’re a Dodger fan or a baseball fan in general this book is for you.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a lifelong Dodgers fan, I have followed Clayton Kershaw's career closely. Although I certainly recognize his immense talent, this book really humanized this otherworldly talent. I was struck by how his faith in God and the support of his wife has been able to get him through some heartbreaks which would have taken down most. I was a Clayton Kershaw fan before but now I am a fan of his as a man. This is a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 5-stars.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy of this book - so awesome as a baseball fan!

As a baseball fan, it’s easy to forget that baseball players are also human beings. This book tells the human story of Clayton Kershaw, one of the greatest pitchers of our generation, described by a former teammate as “as nice a guy as there is, but on that fifth day, (pitching day) he is an animal.”

This comes to no surprise to me because you don’t get as good as someone like Kershaw on accident. What did come to a surprise to me though, was that what drove Kershaw to be routine oriented was anxiety that stemmed from his childhood of his parents struggling with both money and time and him having to be responsible for himself from a young age after his parents divorced. Because things around him were a bit unstable, he was determined to keep what he could under his control, which is something I could relate to on a personal level.

I’ve heard before that a lot of professional athletes are very routine oriented and for Kershaw, it seems like that's true to the extreme. It made me smile to learn that Kershaw was so set in his routine until his children were born and then they became his routine that nothing could distract him from.

Illustrated with stories of how friends, teammates, and even Samuel L Jackson had to alter their own approach for Kershaw, I enjoy the more personal stories shared in this book. Many times, I’ve heard thee saying, “if you don’t come from a good family, make sure a great family comes from you” and it seems like that is exactly what Kershaw succeeded in accomplishing.

I'm a Yankees fan, but a baseball fan first and Clayton Kershaw will always be regarded as one of the best to play both from our generation and overall. It's clear he'll make it to the Hall of Fame, it's clear he'll succeed in anything he wants out of life. From finding love and keeping it since the age of 14, having a gift and love for baseball and being regarded as a loving and dedicated father by his wife, Ellen, Kershaw has everything a person could want out of life.

Go Dodgers! As a long time fan, I LOVED reading about the GOAT of baseball. What a great read about Kershaw and how he got to be the GOAT he is with the Dodgers. If I didn’t love him enough before, I will forever be a fan after this book. 10/10 for any Dodger Fan!

Clayton Kershaw is one of the greatest pitchers of this generation, if not all time. Andy McCullough’s The Last of His Kind takes us through Clayton’s journey from poor kid in Texas to present day. Kershaw is a truly a unique athlete with a number of struggles to overcome in order to make his dreams come true. It’s hard not to take inspiration from reading this book as you watch Kershaw overcome a poor childhood and hear about the amount of work he puts in to be exceptional at his craft.

Andy McCullough did a great job getting a notoriously quiet Kershaw to open up about his life and MLB career. He also did a lot of legwork interviewing over 250 people to get not only Kershaw‘s take on his story, but many others who were involved along the way. I really enjoyed AJ Ellis.’, Kershaw’s longtime catcher, prospective on things that occurred. I also found the section after the 2020 World Series victory one of the best parts of the book. Mr. McCullough went to a number of the people he interviewed and asked them their feelings after watching or learning that Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers had won the World Series after so many failures in the playoffs. You could truly hear the amount of pleasure people had knowing that Kershaw had finally reached the pinnacle of team success.

Before reading this book, I typically cheered against Kershaw and the Dodgers, as they were one of the giants in the game. I can say after reading this book, while I might not always cheer for the Dodgers, I will always be cheering for Kershaw. Whether you a baseball fan or not, This book is worth your time. It tells the story of a person came a number of obstacles to be one of the most successful people of all time at his or her occupation. Thank you to Andy McCullough, NetGalley, and Hachette Books for a free advanced copy for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Books for the advanced digital copy. I'm going to keep this short and simple. This book easily slides into my top 5 baseball books of all-time. What an absolute classic from Andy McCullough. I must admit, I am a huge fan of Andy's work, and this did not disappoint. The book is well written, it flows, and it has tremendous amounts of detail. All the Kershaw stories are fantastic and gives an insight into not only how he operates but how others view him as well. I highly, highly recommend reading this as soon as it is released. 4.7/5.0

This was a great book telling the life of a great person. It was very inspiring and I would highly recommend this book to everyone!

When you hear Kershaw, you hear the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a Dodgers' fan, it warms my heart. As a baseball fan, it always made me wonder if this decision to stay with one team was definite or something battled. This book was the insight I craved, despite not liking the answer too much.

Throughout my journey of reading, Kershaw became less of a baseball legend, and more of a human. This sounds silly out loud, but it's hard to connect the two when you grow up watching 4-6 games a week in a major stadium or in front of a television screen. I appreciate McCullough's dedication to giving us the honest and real version of Kershaw and his accomplishments along with his failures. This is what I held the most nerves over when approved for the copy, but I truly believe that's what sets this book a part from so many others.

Baseball is both beautiful in its triumphs and ugly in its setbacks, but this is what allows fans to hold so much dedication to the sport. Seeing we're not so different from Kershaw in this thought process allowed for even more of a connection than we get from simply watching. McCullough thoroughly portrayed this feeling in an impressive and crucial manner through his writing style and voice. Sometimes it even felt like I was watching the games all over again with my heart beat above 100 and my ears ringing of excitement.

Furthermore, the inclusion of so many other names was riveting and kept the story alive. Of course Clayton Kershaw reigns the purpose of this book, but having quotes from past and present teammates, family members, and fans alike made the writing that much more significant. It was a wonderful sentiment to have background from all perspectives, and I am happy to have this book's details in my arsenal of fun facts.

I will be purchasing a physical copy when released. Hopefully (and with major amounts of luck) to be signed at a spring training event.

A great read if you want the inside scoop into one of the greatest pitchers of this generation. Andy McCullough charts Kershaw’s life from elementary school to the present without sparing any details. You get a behind the scenes look at his upbringing, internal struggles, motivations, family dynamics, teammate and coaches relationship along with his greatest failures and triumphs. If you are a Dodgers fan particularly interested in the last 20 years of the team, you’ll devour this book. But even a casual baseball fan will appreciate what it has to offer.