Put at par, Basketball, Football, and Baseball are America’s most cherished sports, and if you find yourself at the fore of any of these games, then celebrity-status is inevitable. One of those enjoying that is Clayton Kershaw, a professional baseball pitcher playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Fresh from high school, Kershaw joined the Dodgers during the 2006 draft as one of the most promising prospects of the year. His left-handed starting pitches has given him an advantage in major Baseball leagues since 2008.
What’s more, Kershaw has received three Cy Young Awards and the Most Valuable Player Award for the 2014 National League. Plus, he’s been listed as one of the best pitchers in baseball in the US. Here are a few interesting details you probably didn’t know about Clayton Kershaw.
Clayton Kershaw’s Age and Early Life
Clayton Kershaw was born— Clayton Edward Kershaw— in Dallas, Texas, on March 19, 1988, to parents, Christopher George and Marianne Kershaw. However, a ten-year-old Kershaw watched his parent’s marriage cave-in to divorce. And he had to live with his mother for the most part of his childhood. Growing up, Kershaw attended Highland Park High School and played on the school’s baseball team and also the centre for Detroit Lions quarterback on the varsity football team. Kershaw also played as a pitcher for America’s Baseball’s Junior National Team in the Pan American Championship.
Through much grit and hard work, Kershaw became one of the most promising high school pitchers in 2006, when he struck a 13–0 record with an earned run average (ERA) of 0.77, and logged 139 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched. USA Today named Kershaw as “High School Baseball Player of the Year”, and the Gatorade National Player of the Year for baseball. The twenty-year-old was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2006 draft— he was the seventh overall pick in that year’s draft. Although he had agreed to a scholarship with Texas A&M University, he had to turn it down to sign up with the Dodgers. The agreement had a signing bonus of over $2.3 million. Until 2010, it was the largest bonus to any Dodgers draft pick.
Clayton Kershaw’s Career
Kershaw got his start playing for Gulf Coast League (GCL) Dodgers where he kept the records as one of the best prospects of the GCL. The following year, he was promoted to the Great Lakes Loons. That year, he played in the Midwest League All-Star Game as well as the All-Star Futures Game. Only a few months later, Kershaw got another big move to the Double-A Jacksonville Suns in the Southern League. There, his incredible performance made him one of the top prospects in the Dodgers organization.
In May 2008, Clayton Kershaw debuted with the Dodgers in a match against the St. Louis Cardinals. The talented player was reportedly the youngest in the MLB, a stint he maintained into 2009. In 2009, Kershaw kicked off the season playing against the St. Louis Cardinals in that year’s National League Division Series (NLDS). By the end of the 2010 season, Kershaw’s performance had earned him a spot as the Opening Day starter for the 2011 season. Quite a big deal for a player his age.
In 2011, Clayton Kershaw became the recipient of several awards and recognitions, including the 2011 Players Choice Award for “Most Outstanding National League pitcher.” What’s more? He also became the first Dodger to win the National League’s pitching Triple Crown since 1966; when it was last received by Sandy Koufax. In 2017, Clayton Kershaw received the Warren Spahn Award as the Best left-handed pitcher in MLB for the fourth time. That same year, he was selected for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It would be the seventh consecutive time since 2011 and the second highest record in the Dodger’s history.
Net Worth
As of 2019, sources reveal Clayton Kershaw’s actual net worth to be $60 million. However, his annual salary has varied over the years, from $390,000 in 2008 to $26 million in 2016. Much of which comes from his baseball career and other endorsement deals. In November 2018, Kershaw signed a three-year $93 million extension with the Dodgers.
His Wife and Children
Clayton Kershaw has been married to his high school sweetheart, Ellen Melson, since December 4, 2010. Ellen attended Texas A&M, the very school whose scholarship offer Kershaw had turned down years earlier, to go play for the LA Dodgers. After dating seven years, they were married in a wedding ceremony held at the Highland Park Presbyterian Church and a grand reception at Royal Oaks Country Club in their home city of Dallas. Together, they have Two children; Cali Ann (b. January 23, 2015) and Charley Clayton (b. November 19, 2016).
Height and Other Facts About Clayton Kershaw
Height and Body Measurement
Now over thirty, Kershaw continues to maintain that sturdy, muscular build. He stands 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters) tall and weighs 228 pounds (100 kg). Despite the weight, this guy throws himself up like a paper. He has brown hair and dark-brown eyes.
Philanthropy
As a devout Christian and a member of the Methodist church, Clayton Kershaw is deeply spiritual. In 2012, Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, built an orphanage home, Hope’s Home, in Zambia’s capital city, Lusaka. In 2013, the couple launched a yearly charity ping pong tournament, “Ping Pong 4 Purpose.” The goal is to raise funds for many humanitarian projects. In January of 2012, they also co-wrote a book, Arise: Live Out Your Faith and Dreams on Whatever Field You Find Yourself. It diaries the couple’s convictions as Christians and humanitarians.
