Former MLB starter Clayton Kershaw spoke about the viral WBC moment where center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong appeared to throw him a beer.
In the video, Kershaw gets up from the bench and opens the door to the outfield, where Crow-Armstrong throws his what is obviously a beer can. Kershaw claimed the can was empty, and that he didn’t understand the clip’s popularity.
“That was actually just trash,” Kershaw told Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain. “It was empty. I don’t understand why it went so viral.”
Kershaw shocked baseball when he announced he’d join Team USA for the 2026 WBC just a few months after retiring, but he never entered a competitive game for the USA.
He last pitched in an exhibition game against the Rockies, and didn’t feature in WBC pool play nor in the quarterfinals against Canada — his last game on the roster.
Team USA replaced Kershaw with Minnesota Twins reliever Joe Ryan replacing him. Despite his lack of involvement, Kershaw still showed thanks for his brief stint on the team.
“Well, it’s always been a bucket list thing for me to do this and put Team USA across my chest, be able to represent the country,” Kershaw said.
“You see the group of guys that signed up for it, so I think it’s the same for everybody, just to be able to be in the clubhouse, be able to hang out. Obviously, winning is super important to everybody and the intensity and all that stuff, but for me, just to kind of be a fly on the wall and get to hang out has been, it’s been a blast.”
When Does Team USA Play Next?
Even without Kershaw, Team USA managed to trudge their way through a difficult tournament and will play in the final against Team Venezuela on Tuesday.
Kershaw definitely won’t be featuring for Team USA on Tuesday, but current Dodgers catcher Will Smith is set to start the game, and will look to continue to make a difference as Team USA pursues their second WBC title.
Smith has taken large strides during the tournament, dethroning AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh as the everyday catcher.
The WBC Final begins at 5:00 p.m. PT.
Did you have any thoughts on Clayton Kershaw’s viral clip?
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