Dodgers legend left-handed pitcher Kershaw retires again after completing his journey with the U.S. team in the Classic.

Clayton Kershaw has once again hung up his spikes.

In the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal held today at Houston's Minute Maid Park, the U.S. team defeated Canada 5-3, marking Kershaw's final game as an active player. Before the semifinal against the Dominican Republic, Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitcher Jeff Hoffman will replace him on the roster. The U.S. team no longer needed that low-pressure "emergency backup" role, which temporarily convinced this Dodgers legend and future Hall of Famer to make a brief comeback.

Although Kershaw did not appear in any official U.S. team games except for a warm-up match against the Colorado Rockies, he stated that this experience was as fulfilling as he imagined.

“I’m absolutely glad I did it,” Kershaw said today, “Being with this group was a fun way to end my career. I got to know some players who will be the future faces of this sport, and I observed them closely. It was a blessing.”

Kershaw is about to join NBC Sports’ pre-game reporting team. He blessed the Dodgers and MLB with his talent over 18 seasons, winning one MVP award, three Cy Young Awards, leading the league in ERA five times, and being selected to the All-Star team 11 times. He bid farewell in the most perfect way—as a World Series champion.

His last appearance on the pitcher’s mound was significant. In that epic 18-inning game at Dodger Stadium, he secured a crucial out in relief, helping the team win Game 3 against the Blue Jays.

“Indescribable,” Kershaw said about that ending, “Even if I lived a hundred million years, I never imagined such a perfect ending. Baseball isn’t easy; we went through many ups and downs. But being able to leave like that, winning that game, winning the World Series, and running on that field with my teammates for the last time—you really can’t script it better. I’m just incredibly grateful for that time and how it happened.”

Although the World Baseball Classic is not the World Series, Kershaw noted that it can evoke similar emotions.

“Those who participated before told me it really feels like playoff atmosphere, the intensity is real,” Kershaw said, “You can see it from the players who signed up. They’re not just playing for fun. They want to win. That intensity and atmosphere are fantastic. I put it in a different basket than the World Series because it is indeed different. But the intensity, atmosphere, and desire to win—all those elements are there.”

Kershaw will cheer for his teammates in Miami. He plans to return to Dallas after the quarterfinals, then fly to Miami with his family during his children’s spring break.

For Kershaw, who will turn 38 next week, the transition from player to fan will essentially happen overnight.

“The sport has successors, you know?” he said, “These players are special, very special players, and also excellent people.”