Dodgers again turn their eyes and ears to Clayton Kershaw

This is an old argument, one I’ve almost given up on winning, but here it is again.

The age-old theory goes like this: A leader on a baseball team can’t be a starting pitcher because he plays only once every five games.

I’ve responded with some things that sound similar to ‘hooey,’ but it’s mostly been to no avail. The traditional thinking is a leader has to be on the field every day. Has to be able to instruct, prod, motivate while playing.

That’s the best-case scenario, but it is not the only one. Particularly when a team has “the man” who is a regular position player.

The biggest leader on the Dodgers is Clayton Kershaw.

Now there are players on the Dodgers who are quiet leaders, who lead more by example, who step up when pushed.

But the guy who is completely respected in the clubhouse and the dugout, not just for what he accomplishes on the field, but how he prepares and competes and wants to drain every bit of effort out of every pitch, is Kershaw. Remember those old commercials that always ended with, “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen”? That’s Kershaw with teammates.

So Thursday there was this confrontation with Manager Don Mattingly about being removed in the fifth inning. A highly animated Kershaw was giving it to Mattingly, who calmly nodded and held firm.

“I know he never wants to come out,” Mattingly said. “It’s always a fight to stay in. He’s emotional. It’s part of his game, part of what he does to get ready to pitch. It’s over for me, I’m sure it’s over for him.

“I don’t get offended by what went on today at all.”

The players rallied behind him, not just in the game – they scored six times in the fifth to win 6-3 – but in the postgame clubhouse.

Outfielder Chris Heisey, who hit the game-winning grand slam, was within earshot of the confrontation and a very interested party.

“I was intent on listening to what he had to say,” said Heisey. “He’s the best pitcher in baseball and I love the fact that he didn’t want to come out of the game.

“But I also respect the coaches to make the decision to get him out of there. We were down 3-0, you get to save his arm a little bit. But you can’t ever argue with the competitive spirit he has.”

Now my colleague Bill Plaschke was disappointed Kershaw would not discuss the incident after the game, implying great leaders don’t leave their teammates in their wake to clean up after them.

And, sure, the emotional Kershaw would have been better served by addressing the issue personally, trying to make clear it was a heat of the moment situation and all was good.

But I don’t think there was any uncertainty or messy controversy to clean up. Everyone respected Kershaw for his fire and Mattingly for his cool. And of course the Dodgers rallied. In the end, everybody wins.

Kershaw’s closest friend on the team, A.J. Ellis, admired Kershaw’s competitive spirit, Mattingly’s decision to conserve him for the postseason and how the team responded.

Ellis said he was sitting on the bench with Scott Van Slyke and Heisey after the blowup, the Dodgers then trailing 3-0, when they had a thought.

“Hey, wouldn’t it be fun right now if we found a way to get Clayton a win out the door? On a day he was frustrated and wasn’t able to pitch as long as he’s capable, figure out a way to get in front and hold onto the lead. Let him go from being really pouty and upset to having to celebrate a win today. So we showed him.

“But that’s what a team does. A team picks each other up. And (he’s) a guy who tends to pick us up every fifth day, so it was our turn to take care of Clayton tonight.”

Players respond to leaders, and the Dodgers clearly do. And not just every fifth day.