Renowned sportswriter Jonah Keri asked Twitter to find old video of Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully calling what appears to be the first spring training appearance for Clayton Kershaw during his rookie season of 2008. The first broadcast appearance, anyway. Well, the minions found it. And it's as awesome as you probably remember.
The Stew's Kevin Kaduk actually did a post on this pitch and call — when Scully named it "Public Enemy No. 1" back in March of '08 — but the post's link to the video has died. So let's reminisce with Vin, Kershaw and Sean Casey, shall we?
"Ohhh, what a curve ball! Holy mackerel! He just broke off Public Enemy No. 1. Look at this thing! It's up there, it's right there and Casey is history."
I think that's why Sean Casey retired — that pitch. It's funny, but the curveball for which Kershaw became famous doesn't get thrown that much. In his second season, Kershaw started switching to a slider, which he throws about 22 percent of the time now, or twice as often as a curve. Kershaw's curve sort-of performs the function of a change-up, even if the pitch's action is different. Kershaw really stopped throwing the curve in 2010 and 2011 (his Cy Young season), but he's back over 11 percent the past two seasons. He just can't quit Ol' Brokeback!
You know what else isn't there anymore? Dodgertown in Vero Beach. The team moved its spring headquarters to Arizona after the '08 Grapefruit League season ended.
As usual, Vin Scully is about the only constant. This video is what the Hall of Fame looks and sounds like, by the way.
Baseball is back! Interact with @AnswerDave, @MikeOz, @Townie813 and @bigleaguestew on Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page!
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