Poor behavior by parents, coaches teaches kids the wrong lesson
And wow, did it resonate. That’s how it goes when you hit a nerve. The sideline behavior described in the story is alarming, and not simply because it indicts those responsible for an unforgivable lack of decorum and manners, but because of the detrimental effect it is having on a growing sport, driving current officials […]
And wow, did it resonate. That’s how it goes when you hit a nerve. The sideline behavior described in the story is alarming, and not simply because it indicts those responsible for an unforgivable lack of decorum and manners, but because of the detrimental effect it is having on a growing sport, driving current officials away or deterring potential new ones from starting out.
Alarming, but sadly, not surprising. These roots were planted by overzealous parents or overly competitive coaches at the youth sports level. Incidents such as the ones officials described in the story are the natural byproduct of years of sideline outbursts allowed to proceed without repercussion. And that is sad.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Putting our kids in youth sports should never be about victory at all costs. It should be a learning experience, one that works on so many levels. It starts with teaching kids the basics of a sport — cradling a stick, kicking a soccer ball, swinging a bat — just as you would teach a child to read, or to dance, or how to ride a bike. From there, as they learn the satisfaction of mastering a new skill, they figure out how to work together, to be teammates sharing a ball and a common goal. They form bonds of friendship, of camaraderie, of solidarity.
They laugh, they cry, they celebrate, they agonize. They go out for ice cream, or share pizza, and eventually, as they get older and the stakes get higher, they advance to competitive levels commensurate with their skill.
They don’t need parents or coaches berating them for losing a Saturday morning recreation league contest by a lopsided score or on a last-second goal. They don’t need car-ride lectures about what they did wrong or need to do better. They don’t need parental dreams of elusive college scholarships turning every game into a business proposition. They don’t need to learn curse words and insults while playing a game, or see parents turning referees into scapegoats. They need to see respect among adults, and support for the kids on the fields. They need to see priorities being put in proper order.
When referee Melissa Levine said in Hass’s story that she was screamed at and called insane by an angry high school lacrosse coach only to have the coach later admit the outburst was merely a ploy to motivate his team, I couldn’t help but share her disgust. How is this appropriate behavior at a high school sports event?
“It made me feel like I’m not a human being,” Levine said. “I’m a cone. I’m just a piece of sports equipment that he can kick around and treat however he wanted. To me, it’s pretty despicable.”
The deleterious effects are not limited to a shrinking referee applicant pool. What sort of example are coaches such as that setting for the young players in their charge? The impact can be real and lasting, with these supposed adults creating a new generation of entitled, mean-spirited, overly harsh critics simply by the way they are acting. A 2024 paper by Frontiers Research Foundation titled, “Monkey see, monkey do: Exploring parent-athlete behaviours from youth athletes’ perspective” reached the obvious conclusion: “The more youth perceived positive (or negative) parent behaviours, the more they reported engaging in comparable behaviours themselves towards their teammates and opponents.”
I reached out to Levine since the Globe article’s publication, curious about the impact of going public with her experience. She shared how almost immediately, amid calls of support, agreement or gratitude, she got proof there is much work to be done.
“It came out on Tuesday, I get to my game that night, a varsity game, and I had to throw a parent out of the game,” she said. “I was like, ‘Did this lady not get the message?’
“She said something to an official in particular, and I went to the AD and said, ‘Hey, I’m hearing it, I don’t want to hear it, I need you to deal with this.’ He didn’t deal with it. Then my partner, she called a timeout, was about to give a yellow card, and this lady goes bananas, screaming like a lunatic, ‘That should be a yellow card!’ We were doing the exact thing she was yelling about but didn’t even realize it.”
There’s a lesson in there, though it requires a willingness to look in a mirror. “If I could, I would want them to know that acting like that only embarrasses themselves,” Levine said. “It doesn’t teach anyone anything. It doesn’t change the game. All it does is influence the players out on the field and not in a good way.”
Tara Sullivan is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at tara.sullivan@globe.com. Follow her @Globe_Tara.
Family of Dylan Taylor files lawsuit against GreenWaste Recovery
Dylan Taylor, former paraeducator at La Entrada Middle School and Menlo Park youth athletics coach. Courtesy Mary Alexander and Associates. Two months after a collision with a GreenWaste Recovery truck killed Dylan Taylor, a beloved Menlo Park and Atherton youth athletics coach and paraeducator, his family has filed a lawsuit against the waste management company […]
Dylan Taylor, former paraeducator at La Entrada Middle School and Menlo Park youth athletics coach. Courtesy Mary Alexander and Associates.
Two months after a collision with a GreenWaste Recovery truck killed Dylan Taylor, a beloved Menlo Park and Atherton youth athletics coach and paraeducator, his family has filed a lawsuit against the waste management company and its driver.
“What happened nine weeks ago has torn our family apart,” said Michael Taylor, Dylan’s father.
The Taylor family alleges the accident happened due to GreenWaste’s negligence and the driver’s failure to make a safe turn.The lawsuit was filed by San Francisco-based attorney Mary Alexander in San Mateo County Superior Court on July 8.
The complaint details the occurrence of the GreenWaste driver colliding with Taylor, who was riding his bicycle, as the truck turned right onto Prior Lane in Atherton. The complaint alleges that when the truck turned in front of Taylor, it caused him to collide with the passenger door, throwing him to the ground, leading the garbage truck to run over him. This caused significant internal injuries leading to his death, according to the complaint.
According to the lawsuit, the family believes that the driver failed to give Taylor the right of way, take steps to avoid the collision and to stop the truck after the initial collision.
The complaint states that the California Highway Patrol’s investigation found that the driver was “at fault for the collision and was in violation of California Vehicle Code section 22107 — Unsafe Turning Movement.”
After the accident, the Atherton Police Department also began an investigation on the incident and found no indication of alcohol or drugs as contributing factors to the collision. The full report has since been forwarded to the San Mateo Count District Attorney’s Office for review, said Atherton Police Department Commander Dan Larsen.
“What we hope will come out of this lawsuit is that trucks like this that are supposed to be serving the community are also protecting the community from drivers that are inattentive,” said Alexander.
The lawsuit alleges that the driver was unfit and incompetent to operate a Freightliner garbage truck. This type of truck generally weighs over 40,000 pounds and can weigh approximately 25 tons when fully loaded, according to the suit.
“We are looking to hold GreenWaste accountable and responsible for what happened,” said Michael Taylor. “We consider that their driver was negligent and the company was negligent for hiring him.”
While the police report is being reviewed by the district attorney, Alexander explained that the Taylors felt it was best to move ahead with a lawsuit while “it was all fresh.” Although the family is still grieving their son’s death, they want to make sure there is accountability for his death, she added.
During a press conference announcing the lawsuit, Taylor’s mother, Kristy, recalled the worst day of her and her husband’s life.
“The grief is still all encompassing and overwhelming and we will never be the same,” she said in her public statement. “The pain of losing him is unbearable and we miss him more than words can say. Nothing can bring him back, but GreenWaste needs to be held accountable.”
Michael Taylor told this news organization that with this lawsuit, he hopes that GreenWaste will accept liability for the accident and change necessary procedures and protocols to prevent something like this from happening again.
Alexander hopes that the company will increase training and education for its truck drivers as well as implement a stronger screening process when hiring candidates. She believes that is necessary for all waste management companies, not only GreenWaste.
GreenWaste declined to comment on the lawsuit due to pending litigation. The company shared the following statement: “The safety and well-being of the communities we serve is central to GreenWaste’s mission. We are deeply saddened by this accident and offer our condolences to all those affected.”
The community continues to keep Taylor’s legacy alive through sports, scholarships and conversation. In May, a local family helped start the Dylan Taylor Fund at the Reikes Center in Menlo Park to raise money for a scholarship that will support youth programs. The local Ultimate Frisbee League that he created also renamed itself the Dylan Taylor Ultimate Frisbee League, according to his parents.
Juniata County Youth Fair preps for event kick off | News, Sports, Jobs
PORT ROYAL– The annual Juniata County Youth Fair begins on Monday, July 21, at the Juniata County Fairgrounds in Port Royal. The event features fair foods, rides and games, but the Youth Fair is unique for its 4-H showings that take place during fair hours. Along with the loads of fun that come with playing […]
PORT ROYAL– The annual Juniata County Youth Fair begins on Monday, July 21, at the Juniata County Fairgrounds in Port Royal.
The event features fair foods, rides and games, but the Youth Fair is unique for its 4-H showings that take place during fair hours.
Along with the loads of fun that come with playing fair games and riding fun rides, the Youth Fair offers a learning experience. The showings highlight goats, horses, rabbits, cows and sheep.
The theme this year is ‘Stars Stripes and Fair Nights,’ and the 4-H and FFA members will begin their exhibit on Monday, July 21.
The 4-H shows will run Monday through Thursday.
The pre show fun kicks off Monday at 9 a.m. with a rabbit show and a dairy market feeder show at 1 p.m.
The opening ceremony is set to begin at 5 p.m. at the livestock barn, with a dairy show to follow. To conclude Monday night, an ice cream social will take place immediately following the dairy show.
Visitors continue to see the animals that the 4-H members work so hard to raise and train, with a goat show on Tuesday at 9 a.m. A sheep show is to follow, set to begin at 1 p.m.
Wednesday is jam packed, starting again at 9 a.m. with a poultry show, followed by a beef show which is scheduled for noon. A silent auction will occur from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., which will include a baking contest, decorated cakes, butter, and club baskets. This event will be held in the commercial building. Check out the swine show at 5 p.m., and stick around for the “Ag Olympics,” sponsored this year by the Juniata FFA.
To wrap up a jam-packed week, there will be a supreme showmanship contest beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Immediately following the showmanship contest, an animal costume contest will begin.
Beginning at 4:30 p.m., there will be a buyer registration to prepare for the livestock sale, which is set to begin at 6 p.m..
The events will take place at the Juniata County fair grounds, located at 308 West Eighth St., Port Royal, 17082.
4-H and FFA members work year round, raising, training, and preparing their livestock for events like the Juniata County Youth Fair, so stop in Monday, July 21, through Thursday, July 24, to see how their hard work and dedication has paid off.
Emily Shoop, of Juniata County Penn State Extension, explained, “We had a really good turn out last year, with people coming in to see their friends and family. It looks like rain this year so it would be a good place to camp out and skip the rain.”
Shoop also explained that the Youth Fair benefits the children in many ways.
She explained what she is most excited for this year.
“It’s always nice to see the kids showing off all of their hard work and progress and what they have learned. We just love to see what all they have learned throughout the meal. I’m also excited for the livestock sale. We have a simulated live market and we sell until all the animals are gone. This year we have more sheep and more goats than last year which is exciting. That’s on Thursday, the check in starts at 4:30 and then we just go until all of the animals are sold,” Shoop said.
The order of the livestock sale is as follows: dairy market feeders, market lambs, market rabbits (pen of two rabbits, then single fryers), market poultry (pen of two broilers, then single market turkeys), market steers, market swine, and finally, market goats. The sale kicks off at 6 p.m.
Shoop added, “I think they (attendees) also like to buy when they can because they know that all the money made is donated back to the kids, so it all goes back into their learning and growth.”
Youth began Saturday, July 12, with a horse and pony show at the Mifflin County Youth Park, and Sunday, July 20, will be spent setting up, decorating, and doing weigh-ins to prepare for opening night on Monday.
Summer is a big season for live music. Whether its local bands booking small venues and events or superstars who …
Teens cited for running away from home
MIFFLINTOWN — On Wednesday, June 25, Pennsylvania State Police at …
Free backpacks available to students
BURNHAM — Free backpacks will be available for students in need at 1 p.m. …
The Sentinel offers nonprofit and other community organizations an opportunity to promote upcoming events for free …
PORT ROYAL— The annual Juniata County Youth Fair begins on Monday, July 21, at the Juniata County Fairgrounds in …
Nike expands partnership with Special Olympics globally
Nike and Special Olympics have announced a new three-year global partnership aimed at expanding access to youth sports and improving training for Unified Sports coaches. Unified Sports, a Special Olympics program, places athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same teams. The initiative builds on Nike’s more than 20 years of support for Special […]
Nike and Special Olympics have announced a new three-year global partnership aimed at expanding access to youth sports and improving training for Unified Sports coaches. Unified Sports, a Special Olympics program, places athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same teams.
The initiative builds on Nike’s more than 20 years of support for Special Olympics Oregon and will focus on Oregon, Berlin, Johannesburg and Tokyo.
“For Oregon as our backyard, that was really not a big shift,” said Vanessa Garcia-Brito, chief impact officer at Nike. “It was a natural ‘What are we going to do next?’ We also know that the Unified coaching experience is a really powerful one. And so thinking about, ‘How do we take what we’ve learned here in Oregon and take that to the world?’”
The announcement came during Special Olympics’ Global Week of Inclusion, celebrating 57 years of the organization. The partnership will update coaching materials, train more volunteer coaches and increase opportunities for girls and young women in sport.
“With the four locations, we are going to be proactively helping to recruit 600 new Unified coaches,” Garcia-Brito said. “We will be reaching 118,000 Special Olympic Unified Sport coaches, which is important, but more important is that they will be reaching 176,000 athletes.”
With guidance from coaches in Oregon, the updated training materials will build on local experience to train new coaches around the world.
“Coaching and supporting players in Unified Basketball games has been one of the most rewarding parts of my role,” Jamaal Goodlow, Unified Basketball Coach of Parkrose High School, said in a news release. “As a properly trained Unified coach, I know how essential it is to foster inclusion, teamwork, and mutual respect on and off the field.”
Oregon-based Nike employees are among the first to volunteer under the new initiative, beginning with the Special Olympics Oregon Summer Games that took place July 12-13.
“We have a shared vision,” Garcia-Brito said. “We believe that sport is for all, and that it can be really transformational for not just young people, frankly, but all stages of every individual’s life.”
— Chiara Profenna covers religion, faith and cultural connections. Reach her at 503-221-4327; cprofenna@oregonian.com or @chiaraprofenna.
The Oregonian/OregonLive receives support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to bring readers stories on religion, faith and cultural connections in Oregon. The Oregonian/OregonLive is solely responsible for all content.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Shawano Baseball Community Remembers Bill Krenger’s Lasting Legacy
SHAWANO, WI – The Shawano baseball community is mourning the loss of a beloved coach, mentor, and lifelong supporter of youth athletics. Bill Krenger, a dedicated figure in local sports for decades, passed away this past week, leaving behind a legacy that extends far beyond the diamond. Krenger’s passion for baseball and his commitment […]
SHAWANO, WI – The Shawano baseball community is mourning the loss of a beloved coach, mentor, and lifelong supporter of youth athletics. Bill Krenger, a dedicated figure in local sports for decades, passed away this past week, leaving behind a legacy that extends far beyond the diamond.
Krenger’s passion for baseball and his commitment to mentoring young athletes were evident throughout his life. He was instrumental in launching the Shawano Lobos in 1986, a program that continues to serve as a foundation for youth baseball in the area.
“He’s one of the gentlemen who helped start the Shawano Lobos back in 1986,” said Shawano Hawks head baseball coach Dustin Beyer. “He’s done so much for this community as far as athletics in general. It’s unbelievable.”
Krenger’s dedication didn’t stop at baseball. Known throughout Shawano as an advocate for youth sports and character development, he poured his energy into helping young athletes grow on and off the field.
A funeral service for Bill Krenger will be held Friday, July 18 at 1 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Shawano.
The community remembers him not only for his deep love of the game but for his unwavering commitment to shaping young lives and strengthening the fabric of Shawano athletics.
Men’s Basketball
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Tyshawn Taylor, center, stands with Jamari Traylor, left, and Jordan Henriquez-Roberts and addresses campers at JHX Hoops and Purple Reign’s summer skills camp at the Swinney Center on UMKC’s campus on Tuesday, July 15, […]
Tyshawn Taylor, center, stands with Jamari Traylor, left, and Jordan Henriquez-Roberts and addresses campers at JHX Hoops and Purple Reign’s summer skills camp at the Swinney Center on UMKC’s campus on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.
Kansas City, Mo. — A group of Kansas and Kansas State men’s basketball alumni passed on some of their hard-earned knowledge to a handful of young players as part of a skills camp on Tuesday morning.
As part of the first day of the camp, held in conjunction by The Basketball Tournament teams JHX Hoops and Purple Reign, former Jayhawk standout Tyshawn Taylor, JHX’s general manager, did his best to instill some core values in the gathered Kansas City-area kids at the Swinney Center.
“I’m in my coaching era, I guess, so I do this every day,” he told the Journal-World afterward. “And I think the main thing is to have positive attitudes and high energy, and if you’re going to compete in any sport or anything that you do in your life, to have those two attributes about you, and you’ll go a long way.”
The day was instructive not only for the children in attendance, however, but at least one of the former players.
Billy Preston, once a highly touted prospect from Los Angeles who went straight into his professional basketball career (after infamously never playing a game at KU), has started to think about what the future might hold for him in the world of coaching and training.
“It’s kind of recent,” he said. “I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do after I stopped hooping or what lane I wanted to get into, but I figure I put a lot into this game and (with) the knowledge that I gained from it, why not pass it on down to the younger generation to possibly help them with their careers?”
When he works with kids, Preston wants to stress to them that “it’ll definitely get harder as time goes on, as the competition gets tougher” and share key pieces of knowledge like the importance of being physical at a young age.
“Little things like that, that’ll just help them if they understand it now, it’ll go a long way for them … by the time they’re juniors or seniors in high school, they really got a pro game,” he said.
In the meantime, Preston can cultivate his own coaching knowledge at events like Tuesday’s, at which Cliff Alexander, Jamari Traylor and Kevin Young also helped out, along with a few Purple Reign team members and coaches.
“Just seeing Tyshawn and a couple other older dudes from K-State and Kansas, like KY, just work the kids out, I get to learn a little bit from them and just add to my experience a little bit,” he said. “But overall it was good. It was a good day.”
The group may not have been large in overall numbers, Taylor said, but it had plenty of energy. The original idea to hold a youth camp prior to TBT came about following the success of last year’s scrimmage at Johnson County Community College.
“We just thought that we could get the kids involved in it, so we thought about having a camp and we tried to make it work,” Taylor said. “Like I said, it wasn’t a big turnout, but I think as we continue to build it, it will be better.”
The camp continues on Wednesday at 10 a.m., and this year’s edition of the scrimmage follows on Thursday night, this time also at the Swinney Center, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.
It’ll be an opportunity for fan interaction, but also the first chance for Taylor and head coach Sherron Collins to see their players in “kind of like a real, live setting,” Taylor said.
In terms of former KU players, the team, which has seen its roster undergo a slew of recent changes, currently includes Alexander, Preston, Taylor (as a possible player in addition to his role as GM), Traylor and Young, along with Nick Timberlake and Lagerald Vick. Zeke Mayo is set to join JHX Hoops after he concludes his stint with the Washington Wizards in the NBA Summer League (he did not play in their first two games).
Washburn guard Jacob Hanna is also featured on the roster, as are new additions Kelvin Amayo (Iona) and Marcus Bell (Stanislaus State).
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Kevin Young works with campers at JHX Hoops and Purple Reign’s summer skills camp at the Swinney Center on UMKC’s campus on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Kevin Young is pictured at JHX Hoops and Purple Reign’s summer skills camp at the Swinney Center on UMKC’s campus on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Tyshawn Taylor leads a drill at JHX Hoops and Purple Reign’s summer skills camp at the Swinney Center on UMKC’s campus on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Jamari Traylor works with campers at JHX Hoops and Purple Reign’s summer skills camp at the Swinney Center on UMKC’s campus on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Jamari Traylor is pictured at JHX Hoops and Purple Reign’s summer skills camp at the Swinney Center on UMKC’s campus on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Billy Preston works with campers at JHX Hoops and Purple Reign’s summer skills camp at the Swinney Center on UMKC’s campus on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Billy Preston is pictured at JHX Hoops and Purple Reign’s summer skills camp at the Swinney Center on UMKC’s campus on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Tyshawn Taylor dribbles between campers at JHX Hoops and Purple Reign’s summer skills camp at the Swinney Center on UMKC’s campus on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Tyshawn Taylor works with campers at JHX Hoops and Purple Reign’s summer skills camp at the Swinney Center on UMKC’s campus on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.
PREV POST
Listen: Rock Chalk Sports Talk on KU football, baseball and more
NEXT POST
123269KU alumni share some knowledge at youth camp
Written By Henry Greenstein
Henry is the sports editor at the Lawrence Journal-World and KUsports.com, and serves as the KU beat writer while managing day-to-day sports coverage. He previously worked as a sports reporter at The Bakersfield Californian and is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (B.A., Linguistics) and Arizona State University (M.A., Sports Journalism). Though a native of Los Angeles, he has frequently been told he does not give off “California vibes,” whatever that means.
In an All-Star Game ruled by youth, Clayton Kershaw receives touching tribute
ATLANTA — The faces of MLB’s next generation stepped onto the mound to begin the 2025 All-Star Game, but by the end of the night, everyone was paying homage to the generation before. Clayton Kershaw, in his 11th All-Star Game appearance, took over for Pittsburgh Pirates flamethrower Paul Skenes in the second inning Tuesday night […]
ATLANTA — The faces of MLB’s next generation stepped onto the mound to begin the 2025 All-Star Game, but by the end of the night, everyone was paying homage to the generation before.
Clayton Kershaw, in his 11th All-Star Game appearance, took over for Pittsburgh Pirates flamethrower Paul Skenes in the second inning Tuesday night at Truist Park. The National League beat the American League in a swing-off after the ninth inning ended in a 6-6 tie. Despite all the last-minute chaos, what could be the final All-Star Game for a living legend still came up in news conferences from players across the league.
“He’s probably one of the Mount Rushmore guys in Dodger history,” New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said.
Kershaw, who recently became the fourth left-handed pitcher to amass 3,000 strikeouts, made quick work of Cal Raleigh and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for his first two outs before NL manager Dave Roberts pulled him from the game. Kershaw offered Roberts the ball, but Roberts told him to keep it.
“That’s yours,” Roberts said as Kershaw walked off the mound.
Kershaw — 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 10 starts this season — was at this game because he was a so-called legend pick from the commissioner’s office. It’s a way of honoring players who have helped shape this game in their final years. Before Tuesday, though, Kershaw felt strange about being the recipient of such an honor.
“My initial response was just, you don’t ever want to take somebody’s spot or you don’t ever want to be a sideshow,” Kershaw said. “You just want to be a part of it because you deserve it.”
By the end, Kershaw said he was glad he was there.
He struck out Guerrero, and as he walked back toward the dugout, Kershaw received a standing ovation from the Truist Park crowd. He blew kisses to his family in the stands. Mic’d up on the Fox broadcast, he even showed an ornery side. “Suck it, Big Dumper,” he said, referencing Raleigh, as he high-fived teammates in the dugout.
“That’s one of the best that will ever do it,” Raleigh said. “A ton of respect for him and what he’s done for the game. Just really cool that I got to face him, and definitely something I’ll remember.”
Jason Adam, a reliever on the rival San Diego Padres and admirer of Kershaw’s, replaced the left-hander in the game. He told Kershaw afterward: “That was one of the coolest experiences of my career.”
Ryan O’Hearn watched Kershaw as a fan before he debuted in the majors in 2018. Now O’Hearn was watching from the on-deck circle as Kershaw walked off the field for what could be the last time in this setting.
“What a legend in the game,” the Baltimore Orioles outfielder said. “Obviously, what he’s done is incredible.”
Hours before Kershaw pitched in an All-Star Game for the eighth time in his career, he had talked about the crop of young pitchers who rule today’s game.
Skenes and American League starter Tarik Skubal have become dominant forces. Jacob Misiorowski was among the big subjects of All-Star week. Garrett Crochet and MacKenzie Gore are among other left-handers thriving. Kershaw sees the talent and the game’s evolution.
“I never threw that hard,” he joked.
Kershaw represents a different breed. In an era when pitchers are often injured and their innings protected like never before, Kershaw could be the last pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts anytime soon. He is a three-time Cy Young winner with 216 wins to his name. Nearly all those players Kershaw was talking about have looked up to him since before they were old enough to drive.
“It’s an honor to finally get to meet him,” Misiorowski said. “Maybe it’s his last (All-Star Game), maybe not. I hope not, because I want to be around him a little bit more.”
Earlier this season, Skubal was starstruck when he talked with Kershaw on the field at Dodger Stadium.
“Just talking about process, slider, fastball, game plan, prep, how he’s done it throughout the years — it resonated with me a ton,” Skubal had said. “I’m very appreciative for those 20 minutes. It feels like I got a lifetime of knowledge from him.”
Clayton Kershaw acknowledges the fans after being removed from the All-Star Game on Tuesday. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Here in Atlanta, Skenes said he tried to keep his distance, cognizant of Kershaw’s time in a busy week. But he was with Kershaw and his family in the waiting room for the Red Carpet Show and relished the opportunity.
“He’s such a class act,” Skenes said. “It’s just so impressive, obviously, what he’s done in the game, but the human that he is. Watching him be a dad, it was a cool experience for me.”
Before Tuesday’s All-Star Game, Roberts had Kershaw speak to the NL team in a meeting. Kershaw talked about the honor of the All-Star Game and thanked players for making the effort to be on site. Kershaw is tied with Mike Trout for the most All-Star selections of any active player.
“The All-Star Game, it can be hard at times for players,” Kershaw said. “It’s a lot of travel. It’s a lot of stress, chaos, family, all the stuff, but it’s meaningful. It’s impactful for the game. It’s important for the game. We have the best All-Star Game of any sport. We do have the best product. So to be here, to realize your responsibility in the sport, is important.”
Adam called Kershaw “the best in the game” and showed his appreciation for Kershaw’s doing exactly that, giving up his break to be there. “(To) come here and do this for the game of baseball and be here with us and lead us was really special,” Adam said.
Manny Machado, who was briefly teammates with Kershaw during the 2018 season, spoke of Kershaw’s overall importance, which extends far beyond the rivalry between Machado’s Padres and Kershaw’s Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I think you’re talking about legends of the game,” Machado said of Kershaw’s standing ovation. “I think the game is above competition when you go out there.”
Roberts spent two days observing the way his venerated left-hander handled the gravitas of the All-Star Game. Kershaw trotted around with his family, stayed until the end of the Home Run Derby, reveled in all the pageantry even though he had done it so many times before.
“I loved seeing Clayton just happy,” Roberts said.
Tuesday night, after talking with media members after his outing, Kershaw exited the Truist Park interview room.
That’s when part of a previous generation stopped Kershaw and added another link to the chain that connects players across time.
Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez looked at Kershaw and told him, “I’ll see you in Cooperstown, bro.”
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World
