Clayton Kershaw blasts DH rule: ‘Baseball’s a two-sided game.’

Clayton Kershaw

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is a .153 hitter in 577 career plate appearances. (Keith Birmingham/Staff photographer)

Count Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw among the fans of National League baseball.

Speaking at a team function at Los Angeles City Hall on Friday, Kershaw said he’s pleased with commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision to table discussion of bringing the designated hitter rule to the NL.

“It’s just a better game. It really is,” Kershaw said. “Baseball’s a two-sided game. You’ve got to play offense, you’ve got to play defense. I know there’s a lot of great hitters that DH, I’m not trying to take anything away from them, but they all started somewhere. They all played first base, all played a position. They all still could do it if they had to. That’s the truer fun of baseball.

“Selfishly, I love taking batting practice. Hitting in the game is fun, too. I would miss that part of it for sure.”

Here’s video of Kershaw speaking today about losing pitcher Zack Greinke to the Arizona Diamondbacks and his off-season training:

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About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.