Clayton and Ellen Kershaw are Living in the Clouds

Tomorrow I will dedicate a post to Dodger love, but Ken Gurnick’s retelling of Clayton and Ellen Kershaw’s engagement story is definitely a perfect example of true romance this Valentine’s Day.

The young couple just celebrated the birth of their first child last month, daughter Cali Ann Kershaw. Dodger fans often wondered (well I did anyway) when the Kershaws were going to start their family, and apparently it took some time for Clayton to pop the question as well.

Clayton & Ellen in Africa. Photo Courtesy of Africa Arise

The high school sweethearts married in December of 2010 after seven years of dating. Kersh took Ellen to Six Flags where they rode in a limo to a gourmet dinner by Wolfgang Puck. Clayton asked Ellen to be his wife later that night. The engagement story and Clayton’s planned evening reflects the fun-loving couple they seem to be. A night filled with rollercoaster rides and romance led to their engagement and future wedding.

The Kershaw know how to have fun, but they are also very active in their charitable work with Kershaw’s Challenge. Perhaps it took so long for them to start their family, because Clayton was not only busy with his Cy Young and M.V.P. Award winning pitching, but Ellen and Clayton were pouring their hearts into their work in Zambia. They both have so much love for children all over the globe, and their newborn daughter is surely going to have a wonderful set of parents.

Clayton and Ellen are the quintessential baseball couple. Ellen has been at Clayton’s side the entirety of his career from high school, and she continues to provide him support now while he continues his career as perhaps the greatest pitcher of our generation. The old saying that “behind every great man there’s a great woman” couldn’t be more true for Clayton and Ellen.

Watching Ellen watch Clayton pitch his first career no-hitter this last June was one of the most emotional Dodger baseball moments I have seen. She was there during the nail biter innings hanging on to every pitch. When Clayton got that final out-a Corey Dickerson strikeout-Ellen’s reaction was very touching. Clayton held Ellen in his arms after the no-hitter, and their love for each other could be felt by all Dodger fans.

Ellen was interviewed after the game, and she said that she felt like “we’re going to be living in the clouds for awhile.”

Even if you aren’t a Kleenex using weepy softy during moments like that, you may still be able to appreciate the relationship Ellen and Clayton have. Who is to say that Clayton would have been as successful over his Dodger career if it were not for his wife Ellen? A lot of professional baseball players may tell you that having that supportive family as their home base is an important factor in their achievements.

Clayton now has another person to pitch for. Cali Ann’s first Dodger game will surely be a Kershaw start, and I’m sure as Clayton winds up and makes that first pitch of the game he will be thinking of her in the stands.