CLAYTON KERSHAW PICKED me up at my hotel at 6:30 a.m., exactly on time, which is less about making a good impression and more about the rigor with which he orders his life. He's never late. A few minutes ago, he'd slipped out of a quiet house, leaving behind his wife, Ellen, and their three children, all safe and asleep in the dark. His oldest is about to start school. His youngest, Cooper, turned 2 months old today. His next baseball season begins in 14 days.
"It really does go by fast," he said.
He turned southwest on Thunderbird Trail, passing huge estates hidden by gates and elaborate shrubbery.