Clayton Kershaw shares funny story about Dodgers' Game 7 triumph in World Series

Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers went out on top in 2025, stunning the Toronto Blue Jays in one of the best Game 7's in World Series history.

Though the legendary southpaw didn't get into the contest, he was warming up in the bullpen in the 11th inning when World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto induced the game-ending double play to win it all.

It marked the end of an incredible career for Kershaw, an 11-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner. Though his postseason résumé featured a fair share of disappointing performances, he finished with three rings (all of which came after that controversial 2017 loss).

However, the 37-year-old didn't even realize the Dodgers had won this year. As he prepared to make the final appearance of his career in the 11th inning of Game 7, he didn't even get to see the final out.

Clayton Kershaw was a little late to Dodgers' Game 7 celebration

"I had no idea. It was first and third at the time, and I thought there was nobody out," the future Hall of Famer admitted.

"So, [when Blue Jays catcher Alejandro] Kirk grounds into a double play, I'm thinking, 'All right, two outs that's great, but run scored and games tied and there's a lefty was on deck.' He's about to go to bat and I was like, this is kind of my spot, this is where I come into the game. So, I'm firing bullets down there trying to get loose and [Dodgers bullpen coach [Josh Bard] looks at me and goes, 'What are you doing? We just won the World Series!'"

The mark of a true competitor — grinding even through the final whistle (or out, in this case).

While it would have been an out-of-body experience to see Kershaw get October redemption and close out the World Series, it's probably for the best that Yamamoto got to write his own legacy. Pitching 2 2/3 gutsy innings on zero days of rest is quite the postseason story.

For his part, Kershaw now gets a well-deserved rest from baseball. Heading into retirement — though not before the team tried to recruit him to the front office — No. 22 merely needs to kick his feet up and relax for the next five years before he comes Hall of Fame eligible. At that time, he's got as good a chance as anyone to become the second player ever to be voted in unanimously.

And we're sure we'll get a few more funny stories from the left-hander when he takes the podium at Cooperstown.