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Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw Explains Why He Took Exception to Profar’s Bush League Swing

The Dodgers and Padres series is just as it was advertised this offseason. Both teams are very good, the pitching is elite, and the tension is as high as it has ever been. That showed up early with the benches clearing on Friday night’s game. 

But on Saturday night, we got a little more action between the two teams. And surprisingly, Clayton Kershaw was right in the middle of it. With the Dodgers southpaw on the mound, the Padres’ Jurickson Profar took an emergency swing at a pitch he had no chance of hitting. 



So rather than attempting to fight it off, he just hit the glove of Austin Barnes. Catcher’s interference was called and Profar was awarded first base as a result. The Dodgers ace spoke about it with media after the game, and he was not happy. 

That’s a little scary. Barnes could have been seriously injured on that play. He basically swung straight down and backwards…that was not a big-league swing right there. I asked the umpire if I could hit the catcher’s glove every time, I got a much better chance of doing that than hitting the ball. 

The rule does leave a little bit of grey area and doesn’t have a great definition. Especially when a guy clearly reaches his bat back to make contact with the catcher, who wasn’t reaching out for the ball at all. The Dodgers were very unhappy with the call, and rightfully so. 

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There are a lot of reasons to hate what Profar did, but the potential for injury is certainly at the top of the list. If the Dodgers catcher took a full backwards swing from Jurickson, there is a good chance that it would’ve caused serious damage. 

You gotta wear this one Jurickson. Bush league. 

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17 Comments

  1. Every pitcher in NL should take swings like that every at bat. Except maybe Baumgarner, he can actually hit.

    1. And the cubs got to him in the 1st inning after calling him bush leage. I loved it! You guys take exception to everything but you do the same and it’s OK. Hypocrites!

  2. The Padres are worse than Bush league, an appropriate term, and that loser who hit Barnes is guilty of criminal assault, except on the baseball field.

  3. Bush league…done and over with. MLB now must move QUICKLY to rectify this COWARDLY act and put in place umpire latitude to eject the player award the pitcher with an out, and MLB put the coward on 10 games suspension without pay.

  4. They all following Machado’s lead. Totally classless. Other MLB players have spoken out on his dirty play throughout his carreer. Check it out on youtube.

  5. Come on dodger fans, your better than that.. now you finally have some competition and now you panic and cry… Ive always hated dodger fans because you think your better than everyone else.. This year your going to have to work at it, get used to it this padre team and we padres fans arent going anywhere…

  6. As usual, Dodgers fans as well as the Yankee fans are the biggest winers. Every year they try to buy a championship with a small success rate and when not successful, the crying begins. They should study Economics and maybe beat a trash can lid. Its a lot cheaper

  7. What a freakin bias commentary Profar had two strikes on him was trying to foul it off. IIn no way trying to hit the glove. Glove shouldn’t of been that close to batter.

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