MLB the ninth: Kershaw, Soto and a reverence to Robert Redford

ByDavid Mitchell
MLB the ninth: Kershaw, Soto and a reverence to Robert Redford

The Retirement of Clayton Kershaw, the performance of Juan Soto and a tribute to Robert Redford are some of the themes in this edition of the ninth.

Baseball will not be the same without Clayton Kershaw. Above all, in Chavez Ravine. The Claw, Kid K, The Monitaur, Kersh Or simply, Kershaw, announced that the 2025 campaign will be the last one in its fruitful 18 -seasons. This Friday, September 19 will carry out its last opening in regular season with the Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. Although he made it clear that he would love to close his career with another champion ring of the World Series. That is precisely the reason he communicated his decision at this point of the season, thus not becoming a distraction in the persecution of the team to retain the title of MLB. As in five years it is very likely to see how the voters of the Baseball writers Association (BBWAAfor its acronym in English) they choose it in their first presence on the ballot for the Cooperstown Hall of FameI will try to facilitate the person in charge of preparing their plaque, with the help of AM850 Researchthe most relevant data of the phenomenon that debuted in the League with 20 years and will now retire with 37.

2. Building, in advance, Kershaw’s plate in Cooperstown

Kershaw is one Of the 20 pitchers that have reached 3,000 strikeouts. In addition, he is one of the four left -handed ones that have achieved that figure, along with Randy Johnson (4,875), Steve Carlton (4,136) and CC Sabathia (3,093). This season was Kershaw’s decimoctava in MLB, all of them with the Dodgers. His 18 campaigns with Dodgers place him in the same position as Bill Russell and the member of the Hall of Fame, Zack Wheatlike players with more seasons in the franchise. With 222 victories in his career, he occupies the second place in the history of the Dodgers, only behind Don Sutton (233). It is one of the 11 pitchers with three or more Cy Young Awards. He is the only pitcher to lead MLB in effectiveness for four consecutive seasons (2011-2014). It has the second best effectiveness of life in the era of modern baseball among pitches with 1500 or more entries (2.54), only surpassed by Hoyt Wilhelm (2.52). It boasts the highest percentage of victories in history among the pitchers with 300 or more openings (222-96, 69.8% of victories). Has been selected to Star set 11 times. Was MVP of the National League In 2014. It has allowed the lowest PAHO (.590) among the pitchers who debuted in the last 70 years and that have launched at least 2500 tickets, surpassing Nolan Ryan, Pedro Martínez and Bob Gibson. In addition, he was champion of the World Series on two occasions (2020, 2024).

3. Ohtani does not tire of making history

The legacy of Shohei Ohtani in baseball continues. While the Japanese became the first player of the Major Leagues in reaching the 50 home run in consecutive seasons since Alex Rodríguez He succeeded in 2001 and 2002, he also just opened a new club, because with the five strikeouts he gave in five hermetic work rolls on Tuesday, he is the first player in the history of MLB to reach at least 50 home runs and proper at least 50 strikeouts in the same season. Last year, Ohtani crossed the threshold of the 50 home runs as part of the first 50-50 season in the largest, as he had 54 homers and 59 robberies, so he is accustomed to founding select clubs. Ohtani now has 105 home runs in its first two seasons with Dodgers, a figure that means the third best brand between players in its first two seasons with a franchise: Babe Ruth He hit 113 with Yankees in 1920-21 and Álex Rodríguez gave 109 with the Rangers between 2001 and 2002. He now adds 662 strikeouts in six seasons in the majors; In 2022, his best year until now as a pitcher, he had a 15-9 mark with 2.33 of effectiveness and a high amount of stuck with 219. -Vania Ravelo

4. Five years later … Cubs returns to October baseball

They succeeded! The wait was long, but the Chicago Cubs have a safe ticket to the major league postseason for the first time since 2020, that season we remember, above all, because it was cut by the Covid-19 Pandemia. They did it after winning last Wednesday 8-4 on the Pirates. Ian Happ was the man to Chicago’s attack with a two -run homer in the first entrance and three produced in total during the game. Chicago is the third team in the National League after the Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers to ensure a place in the postseason, the final sprint for the last available positions seems like a reserved prognosis, so they do not lose sight of their favorites. For now, with 88 victories on the calendar, the Cubs are also one step away from overcoming the 90 hits barrier for the first time since 2018, when they lost in the Commodines Round. That was also the last time they reached the postseason in a complete campaign of 162 games. His last triumph in postseason was in 2017, when they reached the National League Championship Series (SCLN) But they lost in five games against the current champion, Los Angeles Dodgers. – Vania Ravelo

5. Soto produces, no matter what your team …

It wasn’t a homeror an exterbing, or at least one high sacrifice, but a rola to the painting what the Dominican Juan Soto took Thursday has compiled a record that only a player had achieved since the races produced were made official in 1920. We are talking about 105 years since then, and the player with the best contract in the story already asserted his first year with the New York Mets. With a second -base rola, he produced his campaign career and with that he joined Joe Carter As the only ones to do so in three years in a row with different teams, according to AM850 Research. Soto towed 109 races with the San Diego parents in 162 games played in 2023, matched the same 109 promoted with the New York Yankees in 157 games in 2024 and now in his game 151 with METS he reached 100 in 2025. Carter did it from 1989 to 1991, playing 162 games in each of the seasons. He added 105 with Cleveland Indians at that time in 1989-today Guardians-115 with parents in 1990 and 108 with Toronto Blue Jays in 1991. Rubén Castro

6. A minute of applause for Roy Hobbs, ‘The Natural’

The seventh is very sad. This Tuesday the iconic died Robert Redfordone of Hollywood’s most recognized actors, thanks to a prolific career in which he gave life to endearing characters. Why do we want to make a small tribute in these lines? Well, the legendary Californian actor left an indelible brand in sports cinema with his interpretation of Roy Hobbs in ‘The Natural’a film that has become a baseball classic. The film shows the value of perseverance, after a veteran player, whose career was truncated prematurely because of the bullet that an unknown woman proposed, overlaps the adversity to return and succeed in the diamonds. Redford’s interpretation is impeccable and thanks to her, the film became one of the favorites among sports fans, so much so, that in 2020 The Athletic included it at the 30th site within its top 100 of sports films, tied with ‘Karate Kid’another boxing success of the time. Robert Redford had a genuine connection with sport and its ability to transmit the essence in the personality of a player on the big screen is undeniable. With his performance in this film, he consolidated himself as a versatile artist and gave the pattern to more companies betting on the baseball genre. ‘The Natural’ premiered in 1984was Directed by Barry Levinson and is based on the homonymous novel of Bernard Malamud. Redford, who died at age 89, shared credits with Robert Duvall, Kim Basinger and Glenn Close. -Vania Ravelo

7. Rizzo, never go

Anthony Rizzodeja Very good stories of his 14 years in the big leagues. And although he had solid numbers, particularly in his years of stardom with the Cubs, his greatest legacy is the elegance with which he played baseball and the class he showed on and off the ground. Rizzo was the first base that received the final out in the victory of the Chicago Cubs in 2016, with which they broke the streak of 108 years without winning the World Series. It was also the player whom we heard with an arbitrator with whom he had discussed a day before. And the one who was present to support his upper school in Parkland when his students were victims of a massacre. Now, days after announcing his retirement, he leaves another great moment. Instead of looking for a luxury seat in Wrigley Field, to which he has deserved right, he went to witness the game with the bums bleachers of the right garden of the right garden Wrigley Field. And almost catch the first homer in the race of the rookie Moisés Ballesteros. This video is not to get lost. -Hiram Martínez

8. Without wanting Grisham makes history with Yankees

Within the “First Bates Salad” presented by the manager Aaron Boone in the season, last Wednesday, Trent Grisham went to the New York Yankees record book by hitting pair of home run against the Minnesota Twins. Grisham, in his game 81 as the first bat in the year, equaled the brand of more games with multijonrones as the first bat of the team, reaching with four Bobby Bonds in 1975 and the Dominican Alfonso Soriano in 2002, according to AM850 Research. The “Bigoton” central gardener of the Yankees hit homers in the third and fourth entry against Taj Bradley to get the feat. With nine games ahead, the helmsman Boone has the floor to place Grisham as first in the order to seek to establish a new brand. Grisham, who in 2024 only had a game as first at the line up, has five multijonron games in the campaign and curiously his first was like ninth hit on April 5. The four as the first bat were May 12, August 20 and 24 and September 17. Rubén Castro

9. An almost painful play

Who believes that Playing baseball is easy. I invite you to check this play. It does not usually happen frequently, but every time it happens, someone is sore.

David Mitchell
David Mitchell

As a passionate sports journalist with over a decade of experience, I strive to uncover the heart and soul behind every game. Supported by a dedicated team of fellow enthusiasts and storytellers, I am committed to delivering insightful and engaging content that connects fans worldwide. Together, we celebrate the victories, challenges, and unifying spirit of sports through every article we craft.