“They said I had conflicting answers" - When Clayton Kershaw revealed how he flunked Pirates test before signing for Dodgers

Clayton Kershaw has enjoyed a long and prosperous career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has spent his 16-year career with the club and is preparing for a 17th.

During his time with the team, Kershaw has been an enigma. He has become a 10-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner and a five-time NL ERA leader, to name a few.

However, his time with the Dodgers almost never came to be. The Pittsburgh Pirates were one of the teams interested in Kershaw during the 2006 MLB draft, but they went in another direction.

In an excerpt from "The Last Of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness" by Andy McCullough, Kershaw recalled taking a test for the Pirates ahead of the draft.

"They said I had conflicting answers," Kershaw recalled. "Sorry. What do you want me to do? I'm not going to retake it."

Clayton Kershaw was not interested in taking the test, so he skimmed through the questions and flew through it. His answers did not line up, and the organization questioned him.

He told the Pirates' brass that he would not retake the test and asked what the front office wanted of him. This is when the Dodgers stepped in and engaged with the craft lefty.

Clayton Kershaw was pleased with the Dodgers' recruiting process

Los Angeles Dodgers v Seattle Mariners (Image via Getty)

The Dodgers took a different approach than the Pirates did with Clayton Kershaw. Instead of multiple meetings and a pre-draft test, LA's meeting lasted about five minutes.

The team sent Calvin Jones to meet with Kershaw at his house. He asked Kershaw if he would be fine with the team drafting him with their pick if he was still there. After Jones left, Kershaw was pleased and was ready to be drafted.

"I was like, 'Wow, you guys get it'" said Kershaw.

Kershaw was selected seventh in the 2006 MLB draft and signed the largest signing bonus any Dodger player had signed at the time. It was a star-studded draft that included players like Max Scherzer, Evan Longoria and Tim Lincecum.

The decision to take Kershaw in the first round is one the front office will hang their hats on for decades. While many first-round picks can be unsuccessful, Kershaw will be remembered as one of the greatest left-handed pitchers of our generation.