“You can’t script it, you can’t write it up” - Clayton Kershaw announces emotional retirement after back-to-back World Series titles

On a crisp November night in Toronto, Los Angeles Dodgers legendary pitcher Clayton Kershaw walked away from the mound not just a winner, but a champion for life.

The southpaw, who played 18 seasons with the Dodgers, appeared in 13 postseason runs, winning three World Series titles. The three-time Cy Young winner and the 2014 NL MVP amassed 222 wins, a 2.54 ERA and over 3,000 strikeouts in his 18 seasons.

Kershaw had a perfect ending to his Hall of Fame career. After Yoshinobu Yamamoto induced a double play to win the World Series in Game 7, the southpaw expressed his feelings about the moment he learned they are once again World Series champions.

“It’s not a sad feeling. It really isn’t,” Kershaw said. “I will, forever, for the rest of my life, get to say, we won Game 7 of the World Series the last game I played. You can’t script it, you can’t write it up. “Even if I was not throwing 88, I’d still be done. It’s just the perfect way to end it.”

While he's often hailed as a regular-season ace who couldn't live up to his name when it comes to October, Kershaw had his redemption moment in the 12th inning of World Series Game 3. With bases loaded and the Dodgers holding onto the 5-5 tie, Kershaw induced a groundout of Alejandro Kirk to leave his postseason legacy on a high.

Clayton Kershaw's emotional address to Dodgers on championship parade day

On Monday, it was championship parade day in Chavez Ravine and Clayton Kershaw took the stage at Dodger Stadium to address the fans one final time before he rides off into the sunset.

"Thank you for showing up and watching us play for the last 18 years," Kershaw said in his emotion filled retirement speech. "Thank you for being here for me and my family and supporting us. And thank you to all you guys. Thank you to my teammates. You guys are the best in the world. "You guys are the best team in the world. And you’ve been the best team in the world for as long as I can remember. You know, last year I said I was a Dodger for life. And today, that’s true. And today, I get to say that I’m a champion for life. And that’s never going away. Oh, hey guys. So thank you for this moment. Thank you to my teammates for this moment. Thank you to this organization for this moment right here. I will remember it for the rest of my life.

Clayton Kershaw was up on the stage with his wife, Ellen, and their four children, with another child along the way. He thanked his family for the enormous support they have shown him.

"Thank you to these five right here, who have grown up and been here for it all," Kershaw added. "Hey, we love you so much. I’m so thankful for all of you. And I know they’re going to get one more next year. And I’m going to watch, just like all of you."

Clayton Kershaw will continue to cheer for the Dodgers and was confident that the team has it in them to complete a three peat in 2026.

Edited by Krutik Jain