He joined a list of first-ballot Hall of Famers and will one day get “the call” of his own. But in the meantime, there is still plenty of work to do and that was evident Thursday.
Kershaw was sharp and kept the D-backs off balance with a steady stream of fastballs and breaking balls all night. He was dominant at times and did not allow a hit for 5 2/3 innings until Christian Walker reached on an infield single. In the end, Kershaw struck out eight and moved into the 39th spot on the all-time strikeouts list with 2,505, according to Elias. He departed the game with a 2-0 lead after six innings on a memorable night in Los Angeles. Kershaw reached the 2,500-strikeout mark in his 353rd career game, behind only Randy Johnson (313), Ryan (338) and Max Scherzer (344). The tall Texan struck out Kole Calhoun swinging and Walker looking in the first inning for the 2,498th and 2,499th strikeouts of his career.
“It's obviously a huge honor and I'm thankful that I've been able to be here long enough to do it,” Kershaw said. “And hopefully, I can keep going.” Kershaw had help. The Dodgers tacked on two runs in the seventh and another run in the eighth to extend the lead. The victory was the club's fifth in a row and 10th in a row at home. The Dodgers have won 18 of their last 21 games.
“We're doing it in all sorts of different ways, which is really cool,” Kershaw said. “I mean you saw last night when we just grinded it out until the very end, getting some big hits. Tonight was kind of the same deal kind. We were just waiting for that breakout there in the later innings, so, it's a lot of guys stepping up.” It's already been quite a year for the veteran left-hander. He is 5-1 with a 1.50 ERA with 41 strikeouts in six starts this season. The win was the 174th of his career and he is closing in on the fourth spot in that category. Only Don Sutton (233), Don Drysdale (209), Dazzy Vance (190) and Brickyard Kennedy (177) have more wins in franchise history. Every MLB franchise has its icons. But these players are the icons of the icons.
Here's the greatest player in franchise history for all 30 MLB teams, as assembled by the MLB.com staff.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
BLUE JAYS: Roberto Alomar
The Hall of Fame second baseman came to the Blue Jays as part of the biggest trade in the franchise's history, when the Blue Jays sent the great Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff to the Padres for Alomar and Joe Carter. Alomar is rivaled by other icons like Roy Halladay and Dave Stieb, but he still holds the title of the greatest Blue Jay in the minds of many fans because his five years cover the club's proudest moments -- including Toronto's back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and '93. In each of Alomar's five years in Toronto, he was named to the AL All-Star team and collected a Gold Glove Award.
ORIOLES: Cal Ripken Jr.
This might be the toughest decision for any franchise. Cal Ripken Jr., one of the greatest shortstops to ever live? Or his idol, Brooks Robinson, another lifelong Oriole and one of the greatest third basemen to ever live? Ripken gets the slight nod because he amassed nearly 20 more Wins Above Replacement ... and because of timing: This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of him becoming baseball's Iron Man. He was the Baltimore-area kid who starred for his hometown team, redefined his position and remains one of the most iconic, beloved, durable and productive players in MLB history.
RAYS: Evan Longoria
Longoria is the best player in Rays franchise history, and it's not particularly close. The three-time All-Star leads the organization in at-bats (5,450), home runs (261), runs scored (780), RBIs (892), games played (1,435), doubles (339), walks (569), sacrifice flies (76), extra-base hits (618) and total bases (2,630). If that's not enough, Longoria also ranks second in slugging percentage (.483) and hits (1,471). The moment Longoria announces his retirement, his No. 3 jersey will be hanging from the rafters at Tropicana Field.
RED SOX: Ted Williams
The Splendid Splinter was an iconic hitting machine who played his entire career for the Red Sox and put up spectacular numbers (.344/.482/.634, 521 homers, 1,839 RBIs) that would have been even better had he not missed three full seasons and large chunks of two others serving his country as a fighter pilot. Williams is still the last player to hit .400 in a season, going 6-for-8 in the final two games to reach .406 in 1941. The final at-bat Williams ever had was also the stuff of legend, as he clocked a home run at Fenway Park. No. 9 had a career WAR of 121.9, the 11th best in history for a position player.
YANKEES: Babe Ruth
The most celebrated character of his time, Ruth is described on his Hall of Fame plaque as the "greatest drawing card in the history of baseball." Fans flocked for glimpses of the Great Bambino, the game's first great slugger, who remains the benchmark by which all other superstars are judged. Ruth changed the game following his acquisition by the Yankees prior to the 1920 season. Converted to a full-time outfielder, Ruth hit 54 homers that season, more than any other AL team. He won 12 home run titles, smacking 60 in 1927, and he walloped 714 career homers -- a record that stood until 1974.
AL CENTRAL
INDIANS: Bob Feller
Though Tris Speaker, Nap Lajoie or Lou Boudreau would all have acceptable arguments to get this title, Feller has quite the convincing case himself. Feller is the Tribe's all-time leader in wins (266), strikeouts (2,581), starts (484), complete games (279) and innings pitched (3,827). He led the AL in wins six times and strikeouts seven times. The righty set club single-season records for strikeouts (348), innings (371 1/3), shutouts (10) and complete games (36) in 1946. Feller pitched a franchise-record three no-hitters and 12 one-hitters and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer by an overwhelming margin in 1962.
ROYALS: George Brett
The franchise's only Hall of Famer, Brett has the Royals' club career mark in virtually every offensive category -- from hits (3,154) to doubles (665) to triples (137) to home runs (317). Brett played his entire 21-year career with Kansas City, winning one Most Valuable Player Award and one Gold Glove Award while appearing in 13 All-Star Games.
TIGERS: Ty Cobb
The plaque positioned outside the administrative entrance at Comerica Park calls Cobb the "Greatest Tiger of All / A Genius in Spikes." Nearly a century after Cobb's playing days, and 57 years after the plaque debuted at Tiger Stadium, the case still holds. Though Cobb played most of his career in a far different game during the Deadball Era, his numbers have stood the test of time, from a .366 batting average to 4,189 career hits. Cobb's 149.3 fWAR ranks fourth all time behind Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds and Willie Mays.
TWINS: Kirby Puckett
Harmon Killebrew was the epitome of every value the Twins stand for and the franchise's home run king, but Puckett was the emotional leader, fan favorite and Hall of Famer who led the Twins to the only two World Series championships in club history in 1987 and '91. During a 12-year career -- all with the Twins -- Puckett was a 10-time All-Star and clubbed 2,304 hits, including 207 homers, to go with a batting title, six Gold Glove Awards in center field and six Silver Slugger Awards.
WHITE SOX: Frank Thomas
Thomas' nickname, the Big Hurt, indicated what he consistently did to the baseball and opposing pitchers trying to retire him. The Hall of Famer and the team's top pick in the 1989 Draft tops the White Sox with 448 home runs and 1,465 RBIs, not to mention his .995 career OPS and 1,327 runs scored. Over 16 seasons playing for the White Sox, Thomas emerged at No. 1 for the franchise in nine separate statistical categories and was top-five in 14. Thomas won two MVP Awards and four Silver Sluggers.