LOS ANGELES >> The perks are new.
In April, Clay Helton served as the grand marshal for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
A week later, he tossed the ceremonial first pitch at a Dodgers game. No, he won’t replace injured Clayton Kershaw in the rotation for the next four to six weeks.
“I’m a slow righty,” Helton said. “They don’t want me out there.”
Helton has emerged as a popular local sports figure in the wake of guiding USC to its first Rose Bowl victory since the Pete Carroll era, capping his first full season as the Trojans’ head coach.