(Dear Readers: I posted this piece on my Facebook page early last week. It focuses on a baseball player. You may or may not have ever heard of him. You may have no interest in baseball or sports of any kind. But this reflection is about much more than one particular sports figure — it’s about how we tend to judge prominent public figures in any field, and even other people in our own lives. So I hope it has some value for anyone who reads it.)
This past Saturday, we saw Clayton Kershaw have the worst outing of his career. In the first inning in a playoff series-opening game, he got just one out while giving up six runs. To many of us fans, the game – and the Dodgers playoff hopes – seemed already lost, or at least in peril.
It is a well-known and often-cited fact that, over the years, he has had one of the greatest careers for a pitcher in the modern era. It is equally well-known that he’s struggled in the postseason. If the Dodgers lose and Kershaw retires, this may have been his last appearance. Many writers are ready to call this a tragic end to his extraordinary career. In post-game interviews, Kershaw himself was despondent.
But Clayton Kershaw will forever be a hero of mine.
We all hope for a glorious ending to our professional careers and our lives. And what a blessing it is if we can achieve that.
Baseball fans will forever hear about the storybook ending to Ted Williams’ career, one of the greatest hitters of all time. In his last at-bat in his last game for the Boston Red Sox, he hit a home run into the right field bleachers at Fenway. He circled the bases and ran off the field through the dugout to the amazement and adoration of the crowd – as he ignored them.
Ted Williams was an isolated individual obsessed with nothing but succeeding in the sport. He was alienated from his family, uncaring towards his teammates, cold and distant towards the fans.
I’d love to have that kind of finish, but not that kind of life.
By contrast, Clayton Kershaw has never wavered from being a person of integrity, dignity, and class. He’s devoted to his family. He’s always supportive of his teammates a leader for his team. He respects the game, its history, and the mentors he’s had along the way. He and his wife have done extensive charitable work in Los Angeles and in Africa, even though his home is back in Texas.
Maybe yesterday was his last outing and it will always be remembered as the tragic end of an incredible career. But his indelible legacy will include not only his on-field successes but also the way he has conducted himself.
In my professional life, I have had experiences that have both filled my heart and broken it. I would have liked to go out like Ted Williams, but I’d rather live a life like Mr. Kershaw. It is not our last public act that should define us. It’s our life in its entirety.
Clayton Kershaw will always be a hero of mine.
Steve Jacobsen, Ed.D 