Former Dodgers Closer Makes His Feelings About All-Star Snub Clear

Ricardo Sandoval | Jul 10, 2024

Jun 2, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The MLB All-Star game is approaching next week in Arlington, Texas, home of the Texas Rangers. Although it's just an exhibition match, it's always great to see the best of the best face off against each other. Fans and players alike typically look forward to the game as a highlight of the baseball calendar.

Like every year, there are deserving players, and at times, there are players who feel like they should've gotten in but didn't. There are a handful of players in that category in 2024, including former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen.

Jansen, now closing for the Boston Red Sox, is having a standout season for the Red Sox, and yet, he was not worthy of a spot on the American League team. Although Jansen failed to make his fifth All-Star game, he wasn't too bummed about it. He told the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast that missing the All-Star Game on July 16 evoked the opposite of hard feelings.

"I'm so happy about that, I ain't gonna lie. When I heard my name wasn't going to the All-Star, I'm like, 'I'm gonna go home baby, I'm gonna go for a week.' ... I'm coming baby. I'm gonna spend a good seven days in L.A," said Jansen.

Jansen has been there and done that when it comes to the All-Star game, and at age 36, he just wants to return to Los Angeles, where he spent the first 12 years of his career. What does he look forward to the most?

"It's the view, man — you watch from East L.A. all the way to downtown … the ocean view, Redondo, Hermosa, Manhattan, all the way to Santa Monica. You see all the way to Malibu. When it's a clear sky it's beautiful," Jansen told host Rob Bradford. "Ain't no place like L.A., man. That's a paradise."

Arguably the greatest Dodgers closer of all-time, Jansen had himself quite a career in Dodger blue. He maintained a low walk rate thanks to his dominant cutter, that is, according to FanGraphs, thrown slightly harder than Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera. His 350 saves are the most in franchise history.

Jansen was an integral part of the Dodgers' success, and his impact on the city and organization was second to none. The Dodgers have even been mentioned as a possibility to acquire the big right-hander in the upcoming MLB trade deal.