I only drank Kershaw beer' Legend Declares Retirement, Left 'Warming Up' After Recruiting National University... "WBC 0G shock." Why did you take him

*This content was translated by AI.

The end of the legend that will remain in the history of the U.S. Major League Baseball (ML) is so shabby. Clayton Kershaw (38) left after drinking beer without taking the mound in a national team uniform.

The U.S. beat Canada 5-3 in the second round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas on the 14th (Korea time). At the same time, a semifinal showdown with the Dominican Republic took place. Earlier, Dominica beat South Korea 10-0 and won the cold game in the seventh inning. The two teams will compete for a place in the final on the 16th at Rondipo Park in Maimami.

Kershaw's appearance, which drew the most attention, was not even on this day. Kershaw, who had been watching the game in the dugout for a while, moved to the bullpen for a possible appearance. However, in the bottom of the sixth inning, even with the U.S. leading 5-0, there was no movement to call him, so Kershaw eventually accepted a can of beer. U.S. media outlet Dodgers Nation posted the video and said, "Kershaw brought a beer during the quarterfinals between the U.S. and Canada. Today is the last day Kershaw will be on the roster of the U.S. national team. It's also good to watch the game with cold beer," he said.

Given Kershaw's work ethic (work ethic and attitude) throughout his career, it's an action he wouldn't have done if he wasn't sure he wouldn't take the mound afterwards. After the game, U.S. national baseball team coach Mark de Rosa (51) said, "Jeff Hoffman (Toronto Blue Jays) will join the roster on behalf of Kershaw," and Kershaw ended with a beer reception.

The media interpreted it cheerfully, but SNS and communities such as X (formerly Twitter) also responded bitterly, such as "I want to see Kershaw take the mound at the WBC" and "Why was Kershaw on this team then?" If this is the case, why did they call Kershaw, who announced his retirement.

If he wanted to win the WBC, he should have included the final roster, but he couldn't turn away from Silly instead of romance. Hoffman, who was included in place of Kershaw, is a special closing pitcher who led Toronto to the World Series with 9 wins, 7 losses, 33 saves and an ERA of 4.37 in 71 games last year. Looking at the lineup alone, it was necessary to reinforce the bullpen to face Dominica, the world's strongest.

With this, Kershaw truly left the ground. Kershaw made his big league debut in 2008 and went 223-96 with a 2.53 ERA and 3052 strikeouts in 2855 ⅓ innings in just one Los Angeles Dodgers team. He is a legend who has won a total of three Cy Young Awards, including three MVP and pitcher, won two World Series titles, and is certain to enter the Hall of Fame first turn.

However, DeRosa briefly reversed his retirement and joined the U.S. national team when he reached out to him. It was a surprising decision for the player as well. At the time, Kershaw said, "I thought manager Derosa was offering to join as a coach," adding, "To be honest, I wasn't very interested in throwing the ball again. But I threw the ball 10-12 days ago and it was better than I thought. That's why I decided to participate," he said, expressing his honest feelings.

No fans would have expected much from Kershaw, who has already shown limitations due to frequent injuries. Many interpreted DeRosa's proposal as being considerate of Kershaw, who never wore an American flag on his chest for one reason or another. However, Kershaw never took the mound at the WBC. All he did was take the mound in a practice game against the Colorado Rockies on the 5th and recorded one hit (one homer) and one walk and two runs in ⅔ innings.

It's not that Kershaw didn't have a chance to take the mound against England or Brazil, so Derosa's choice leaves a regret. Japanese media Higashi Spo Webb also said, "The U.S. national team did not use only Kershaw among the 16 pitchers who reached the first round. "Even though it was a fierce game, the legendary left-hander's order did not come," he said. "Kershaw's wish to show his best performance in the WBC did not come true. It's a sad ending for fans who have been waiting for the legendary left-hander's last dance."

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*This content was translated by AI.