When Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was ruled out of the All-Star game, his replacement paid his respect in an epic way. A real class act.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher David Bednar just delivered the feel-good story of the summer. After Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw was ruled out of the All-Star game on July 11, it was announced that Bednar would take Kershaw's spot.
Kershaw landed on the 15-day injured list earlier this week for left shoulder soreness, which meant he would have to sit out of the Midsummer Classic. As sad as it is that Kershaw would miss his 10th All-Star game, he got a heart-warming (or rather, cooling) consolation gift from his replacement when the Dodgers faced the Pirates on Tuesday.
Bednar, who has a sparkling 1.36 ERA and 16 saves this season, thought it would be nice to extend a gesture of gratitude to an esteemed vet like Kershaw. So what does he gift him? A cooler of domestic beer, of course. The most surefire way to bond with a fellow American ballplayer.
Crack open a cold one for that All-Star game.
Along with the cooler, Bednar wrote a note to "Mr. Kershaw" that read: "Pittsburgh's finest beer! Enjoy!"
Clayton Kershaw gets a cooler of beer from David Bednar
Out of all the brands he could have picked, Iron City Beer is indeed one of the finest and crispest lagers brewed domestically. What a class act from Bednar.
While this year's All-Star game won't feature household names like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, it will give other top players a chance to gain nationwide recognition.
Bednar, in his fifth MLB season, has earned his second All-Star nod and will take the field along with Ronald Acuna Jr. (and a ton of other Braves), Julio Rodriguez, and a wide assortment of talent across the AL and NL.
People may not be huge fans of the All-Star game jerseys in 2023, but they will stay for the talent, and Bednar has been patiently waiting for his opportunity to shine. The 28-year-old was humbled by the fact that he didn't initially make this year's All-Star roster, and he knows he's only invited due to a bit of fate and luck. Sometimes that's just how the dice rolls.
Along with celebrating his own good news, Bednar made sure to give the all-time great Kershaw a small thank you gift as a token of his appreciation. Talk about respect.