Two scalpers paced the sidewalk trying to sell minor league baseball tickets. A sign on every will call window at LoanMart Field, tucked inside a row of mountains in Rancho Cucamonga, read “SOLD OUT.” Inside the small stadium, fans raised their iPhones and pushed toward the first row along the left-field line.
And there sat Clayton Kershaw, head bowed and staring at the outfield grass as excitement swirled around him. He barely flinched for a few minutes, taking a moment to himself before a much-anticipated rehab start with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Dodgers’ Class-A affiliate on Saturday night.