LOS ANGELES — When the Dodgers removed the Trevor Bauer bobblehead night from their promotional schedule, they faced this dilemma: Bobblehead nights are quite popular, as reflected in ticket prices for those games. How could the Dodgers satisfy fans who had paid premium prices for a giveaway item that no longer would be given away?
The answer: an exclusive Clayton Kershaw product.
The Dodgers’ promotional schedule now shows a “Kershaw World Champion T-shirt” as the giveaway item Aug. 19, the date originally reserved for the Bauer bobblehead.
Los Angeles celebrated with Kershaw, who raised his arms and smiled broadly when the Dodgers won the World Series last year. For too long, he had been the greatest pitcher of his generation, yet without the validation of October.
“I probably would never have admitted all of this two years ago or whenever before when we lost,” Kershaw told The Los Angeles Times’ Jorge Castillo. “But now that we won, there’s some truth to it. There’s some truth to that burden.”
The Dodgers canceled the Bauer bobblehead night and removed his merchandise from their team store amid investigations by the Pasadena Police Department and Major League Baseball of allegations of felony sexual assault.
Bauer is on paid administrative leave from the Dodgers, a status most recently extended through July 27. MLB first put him on leave July 2.
He has not pitched for the Dodgers since June 28. The woman making the allegations obtained a temporary restraining order against Bauer the following day, and a court hearing to determine whether to keep the order in force is set for July 23.
