Clayton Kershaw Talks Returning To Houston After Astros Cheating Scandal: 'I Don't Like Coming Here'

The Los Angeles Dodgers are back in Houston to play the Astros for the first time with a full stadium since 2017. The same 2017 season where the Astros infamously used an elaborate sign stealing system to gain an advantage over opposing teams.

The Astros' cheating claimed many victims, but maybe no individual player has more of a legitimate complaint than Clayton Kershaw. In 2017, Kershaw was at the height of his powers. He was coming off a 2016 where he put up an absurd 1.69 ERA. His ERA in 2017 "jumped" to 2.31, and his strikeout to walk rate remained among the best in baseball.

And in Game 1 of the 2017 World Series, he pitched like it. Kershaw went seven innings against the Astros, allowing just three hits and one run along with 11 strikeouts. Then the series moved back to Houston, where the Astros were able to use their sign stealing/trash can system. In Game 5, the Dodgers jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Houston suddenly jumped on Kershaw, who eventually allowed six runs in 4.2 innings with just two strikeouts. 

It's good to know what's coming.

With the Dodgers back in Houston, Kershaw spoke to the media after Friday night's loss and said he doesn't like going to Minute Maid Park. In fact, he said he doesn't like it – a few times.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 07: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 07, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Clayton Kershaw Talks Houston Astros After 2017 Cheating Scandal

"I don’t like coming here," Kershaw said about the Astros home stadium. He then repeated that sentence four times when asked whether time had helped heal the wounds from that series. 

"I don’t like coming here," he said, then mentioned that the Astros organization still proudly displays a ceremonial 2017 ring they won by cheating. 

"I don’t like rolling up and seeing the 2017 ring in front of their stadium."

"I probably don’t do a good job of dealing with things that affect me, in general, long term," Kershaw said. "So I think re-living some of this stuff – some people will say it’s healthy. It doesn’t help me. It doesn’t make me feel good to talk about it. It’s not like it’s life-altering – like something terrible with your family. I don’t want to put it in a category like that.

"As far as careers go, jobs go – this is a place I just don’t like."

It's hard to blame him.

Yes, the 2017 World Series was seven years ago, and yes, the 2020 Dodgers team, including Kershaw, won a championship. But it's hard to move past the fact that the postseason narratives around Kershaw and the Dodgers as an organization were heavily influenced by a series in which the opposing team was cheating.

Game 5 featured multiple spectacular comebacks from the Astros offense, all undoubtedly helped along by knowing the pitches coming ahead of time. And because MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred made the indefensible decision to allow the players involved to get away with it without punishment, while also only giving out a slap in the wrist to the organization, they still celebrate it.

Pace of play is important, competitive fairness isn't. 

Given the Astros remarkable 2024 turnaround and the Dodgers division lead, there's a distinct possibility these two teams matchup again in the World Series. Maybe this time the Astros won't be cheating.