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Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw announced in September that he would retire after this season.
Kershaw, 37, recorded a career ERA of 2.53 over 18 seasons, which is the lowest of any MLB pitcher in the live ball era (since 1920) with at least 1,000 innings.
Tom “Flash” Gordon, a former MLB star, told Fox News Digital that Kershaw should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw waves his cap as he leaves during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners. The match took place in Seattle, Washington on September 28, 2025. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
“I’ll tell you this, if he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, then you know, I haven’t played 21 years in the league, and you and I are not talking today. And I know that’s what we’re doing right now,” Gordon told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
Gordon watched Kershaw a lot because his son, Dee Strange-Gordon, played with the Dodgers for four seasons.
“I watched Clayton a lot because, you know, of course Dee was there, but just the way the man went about it, the way the man got to the mound after taking care of things before throwing to me,” Gordon said.
“He’s an elite athlete, but he exemplified it by the way he took the ball, the way he put the Dodgers in the playoffs and he put them on his back for years.”
Kershaw joined the illustrious 3,000 strikeout club earlier this season and is one of 11 pitchers to win the Cy Young Award three times. He led the National League in ERA five times.
Gordon said Kershaw elevated his teammates with his performance.
“I’ve always learned, and I’ve learned this from being around Roger Clemens and (Bret) Saberhagen as pitchers, that when you have a guy like that, you do everything else. You can learn to play, pitch, become a better player because that guy will basically guarantee that the bullpen won’t be extended,” Gordon said.
EX-MLB STAR TOM GORDON TALKS ABOUT BECOMING THE SUBJECT OF STEPHEN KING’S NOVEL
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw waves as he leaves during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners. The match took place in Seattle, Washington on September 28, 2025. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
“That’s how Pedro Martinez was, that’s how I view Kershaw. Pedro Martinez caliber, Roger Clemens caliber, Bret Saberhagen caliber, even better.”
Kershaw won the World Series with the Dodgers in 2020 and 2024, and Gordon wants the left-handed pitcher to finish his career as a champion.
“If they play well enough to do well enough, that way he can win another world playoff championship. I mean, that would be, that would be amazing, that would be icing on the cake,” Gordon said.
The Dodgers lead 2-0 over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS, and Kershaw has yet to pitch this postseason. He is available out of the bullpen.
Kershaw appeared in 23 games this season and was 11-2 with a 3.36 ERA.
Game 3 of the NLDS is Wednesday at 9:08 p.m. ET.
Gordon’s son, Dee-Strange Gordon, played 11 seasons in the majors. He made two All-Star teams during his career and had a career batting average of .286, while playing solid defense at shortstop and second base.
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Former Boston Red Sox right-handed pitcher Tom “Flash” Gordon is honored on the field during a pregame ceremony before a Triple-A Minor League baseball game between the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and the Worcester Red Sox at Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts on May 18, 2023. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Tom Gordon is now heavily involved with Perfect Game, the largest and most comprehensive scouting organization in the world. He has a podcast, “Innings of Life,” which will debut shortly.
Gordon has traveled the country in a camper van built with a custom podcast studio, where he interviews current and former baseball players, managers and executives.
Gordon played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball, was a three-time All-Star, and recorded 54 consecutive saves, which set an MLB record at the time.
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