Day later, Clayton Kershaw still thinking (a lot) about chance at baseball immortality

LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw woke up Thursday morning before the Los Angeles Dodgers’ sold-out home opener at Dodger Stadium, and will be perfectly honest with you.

He thought about it.

Maybe, he thought about it a lot.

The future Hall of Famer had a chance for baseball immortality Wednesday, and he and manager Dave Roberts passed, deciding not to push his season debut in Minnesota even if it meant walking away from the chance to become the 24th pitcher in baseball history to throw a perfect game.

If it was a no-hitter, no big deal. There are plenty of those - 314 to be exact - including one by him.

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But a perfect game?

There hasn’t been one thrown since Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez in 2012.

Kershaw refuses to second-guess himself, and Roberts has no regrets, but Kershaw would be lying to you if he didn’t at least wonder if he should have stayed in the game.

“The only thing I feel bad for,’’ Kershaw said, “is if I was a fan, I would want to see somebody finish the game. …If I was bringing my son to the game and there was a perfect game going on? That’s why you come to the games, to see something special. So, from a fan’s perspective, I get it. I do feel bad for that. It’s tough to swallow.

“I wish I could have done it.

“But [Wednesday] wasn’t the day.”

Kershaw, who had retired all 21 batters he faced, with 13 strikeouts, was at 80 pitches when the seventh inning ended. He had not thrown past five innings and 75 pitches all spring. He missed the final six weeks of last season with a tender shoulder and elbow. He didn’t even pick up a baseball until January.

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Everything in the world told him that he was done for the day against the Minnesota Twins, and it made no sense to risk injury for personal glory, not with a chance to win perhaps one last World Series.

“Honestly, the way my season ended last year, not being able to be a part of October,’’ Kershaw said, “that’s why I’m here. That’s why I came back, to be ready for that. Every decision that we make is geared toward that month of the season.’’

So would he have definitely risked serious injury by pitching a perfect game, throwing at least 110 pitches?

“I could have thrown nine innings and been fine for the rest of the season,” Kershaw said. “I could have thrown two innings, and be hurt the next day. Nobody knows.

“But in the moment, it felt like that was the right call for my personal health, the best interests of the team, and me being ready in October.

“It all seemed like the right call at the time.”

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Roberts knew it was the right move, and said he couldn’t have lived with himself if Kershaw wound up with arm problems by letting him try for the first perfect game by a Dodger since Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax in 1965.

Roberts knows the decision left fans infuriated, and he became the butt of jokes.

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Roberts, who also pulled Rich Hill with a perfect game in 2016 after six innings, albeit he had blister problems at the time.

“I’m not on social media,’’ Roberts said, “but I can only imagine what was out there.’’

Oh, no you don’t.

“People,’’ Kershaw said smiling, “had a lot of opinions.’’

Everyone from Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson to Little League coaches to keyboard warriors were blasting Roberts.

“It comes from fans who are emotional and passionate, which I respect,’’ Roberts said. “I love that they're talking about baseball, the best game ever invented.

“My only ask is just understand that you know when you do my job, you have to answer to consequences. But fans are going to be fans, and they have every right to voice their opinions.’’

Roberts can’t come out and publicly say that Kershaw wanted to come out of the game when the seventh inning ended, knowing that 80 pitches were more than enough. He didn’t want to talk about Kershaw’s past injuries. And he certainly didn’t want to unveil any secrets in the decision to remove Hill.

“Look,’’ Roberts said quietly on the field before Thursday's game, “I’m not the Grim Reaper.’’

Just don’t try convincing passionate baseball fans otherwise, with Dodger fans mixing in boos with cheers during Roberts’ pregame introduction while Kershaw was greeted with a thunderous ovation at the Dodgers' home opener.

“Fans want to see great moments,’’ Roberts said. “Clayton wants to see great moments. But I can’t manage the ballclub and players with a fan cap on."

If Kershaw was 24 and not 34, it would have been different, Roberts says. If this was his second or third start of the season, he might have let him go. If he hadn’t gone since 2015 without making 30 starts or pitching 200 innings, he would have sat back and cheered for history.

“We all want the great players do great things,’’ Roberts said. “But there's a cost to everything and I wasn't willing, and Clayton wasn’t willing, to take on that cost.’’

But, man, oh, man, it sure would have been sweet checking off that perfect game on a resume that includes three Cy Young Awards.

“It’s a special thing,” Kershaw said. “I don’t take that for granted. I understand the history of the game. I understand what it means in the game of baseball.

“The individual stuff is not why I continue to play the game. I want to win. That supersedes anything individual for me right now.

“Hopefully, when we’re winning the World Series in October, it’ll mean something.”

If not, well, we’ll all be left to wonder, “What if?’’ on that chilly 38-degree afternoon in Minneapolis when Kershaw was so close to perfection.

Follow Bob Nightengale on Twitter @Bnightengale.