The five best quotes from Yu Darvish’s recent L.A. Times interview, in handy meme form

Yu Darvish has every right to be bitter, but he’s not.

The former Dodgers pitcher holds no grudges against the Houston Astros, who may (or may not) have been cheating during his disastrous outings during Games 3 and 7 of the 2017 World Series. Darvish told Times columnist Dylan Hernández this week that he should have pitched better during that series, regardless of any possible shenanigans on the other side.

He also holds no grudges toward the fans who booed him two years ago when he returned to Dodger Stadium as a member of the Chicago Cubs. Darvish told Hernández the fans have every right to express themselves in such a manner and encouraged them to do it again — “as loud as they can” — if they feel the need Friday night, when he takes the mound for the San Diego Padres.

Instead of harping on the negative, Darvish said, he likes to think back on the empathy he was shown by his former Dodgers teammates.

Here are some of Darvish’s most memorable quotes (translated from Japanese) from that interview, with context from Hernández’s column.

(Tannen Maury / EPA)

[Darvish] was booed two years ago when he returned to Chavez Ravine with the Chicago Cubs. Of course, that was before it was revealed the Houston Astros were stealing signs throughout the 2017 season, including during the World Series in which Darvish was crushed in his Game 3 and 7 losses for the Dodgers.

When the Astros scandal broke in late 2019, Darvish received a flood of apologies on social media from the same Dodgers fans who had maligned him after his October nightmare. As much as he told them to not be sorry, they still seem to regret how they directed their anger at him.

“I really don’t want anyone to feel guilty,” Darvish said in Japanese. “The fans really wanted the team to win and cheered hard every day. If something like that happens at the end, it’s common sense they’d want to criticize the player, especially if he was acquired in a trade to help the team win.”

(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)

“I’m on the Padres now,” he said. “We’re challengers to the Dodgers. So it’s not as if I’m going to be hurt just because I’m booed. I also think booing is one of the things fans look forward to doing at the stadium. So please write that if they want to do it, I would like for them to not be overly considerate of my feelings and enjoy booing as loud as they can.”

(Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)

Instead of dwelling on how the Astros might have wronged him, Darvish wanted to talk about the empathy shown to him by his then-Dodgers teammates. He spoke with admiration about how such players as Clayton Kershaw and Justin Turner helped him recover from the devastation of failing on the sport’s greatest stage.

He recalled how in the team meeting immediately after the Game 7 loss, Turner walked over and put his arm around him, remaining by his side as manager Dave Roberts addressed the team.

“I thought, ‘This person’s really a leader,’” Darvish said. “I thought I was really fortunate to play on a team with such a kind person.”

(Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press)

Darvish was particularly touched by how Kershaw asked him to be his throwing partner the following winter. They both make their off-season homes in the Dallas area.

Think of how much Kershaw wanted to win a World Series ring, Darvish said, and consider the generosity of spirit he demonstrated by setting aside his disappointment and reaching out to a player who might have cost him a championship.

“I do think I’ve become emotionally stronger since then, but not because I was strong,” Darvish said. “The strength that [Kershaw] had to do that has, in a way, become my strength, my support.”

(Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)

Darvish thought back to that off-season when he pitched against Kershaw at Petco Park last week. In particular, he recalled how Kershaw vouched for the quality of his pitches and implored him to be more confident at a time when he was overwhelmed with self-doubt. ...

“I think I was able to be on that stage last week because Kershaw and other people on the Dodgers extended a helping hand to me when I was at rock bottom,” Darvish said. “When I played catch with him after the 2017 season, I wasn’t the kind of pitcher who could consider himself to be at his level. Our status was completely different, our substance as pitchers was completely different, right?

“But in the four years since, I was able to pitch against Kershaw as someone in a similar position, a position of being called an ace for a rival team, in a game to which everyone was looking forward. I really couldn’t believe I had come that far and I felt nothing but gratitude toward Kershaw.”