My memory is somewhat fuzzy, but I don’t remember Dodgers fans being elated when he was hired. I know it came down to Roberts or Kapler. I have questioned many of his decisions, especially when it comes to pitching, but facing facts, his players respect him and the love the fact that he is a communicator. I don’t believe he is the brightest bulb in the chandelier when it comes to strategy, but he does inspire confidence in his players.
He is like Alston as he prefers to chastise bad play behind closed doors. Lasorda would let you have it right in front of everyone. Jim Tracy also had that laid back approach. Last year, Roberts in my mind did his best work as a manager. That team was hamstringed in so many ways. They were literally a patchwork quilt by the time the World Series rolled around. This year’s version is surprising because they have not come close to matching what was expected prior to the season.
We all know about the inconsistency of the offense, the bullpen struggles, and lately the outstanding work by every starter they have been using. Just think how different things would be if Landon Knack was still starting games. The quandary they are going to have to solve, and solve quickly, is the bullpen. We can surmise that Kershaw and Sheehan will most likely work out of the pen in the playoffs, along with it looks like, Sasaki. SO, who is left out?
Back to Doc. Roberts was a .266 career hitter. He had great speed as his 248 stolen bases attest. His seminal moment in his career was his steal of second base in the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees that ignited a Red Sox comeback for the ages. They have never forgotten him in Boston for that. He spent 2002-4 with LA. He was traded to Boston at the deadline for Henri Stanley who never made it to the majors. One thing Doc did really well in LA was steal bases. He had 118 in 302 games. He played more games for the Dodgers than he did any other team. 
Roberts stint with LA was his first real shot at the majors. He had played for the Indians for parts of three seasons playing in just 75 games hitting .242. His tenure with LA was short, but he did have some impact with his speed and defense in center field. Hammy issues cut his second season short playing in just 105 games, but he stole 42 bases becoming the 10th Dodger in their history to record back-to-back 40 steal seasons. His 2004 season totals with LA were also skewed because of his hammy issues. So, after 68 games and 33 steals, he was dealt to the Red Sox. Despite his heroics in the ALCS, he did not play in the 2004 World Series. 
After that season the Sox sent him back to the NL West, trading him to the Padres for Jay Payton, Ramon Vazquez, a minor league pitcher and cash. He played CF and had a .275 BA with 23 steals, but he was caught 12 times for probably his worst year percentage wise. He did hit 8 homers, which was his career high. The following year Doc moved to left as the Padres traded for CF Mike Cameron from the Mets. He posted a career high .293 BA, stole 49 bags, also a career high, drove in 44 runs, a career high and had 13 triples which tied Gwynn’s team record. He hit .438 in the LDS against St. Louis even though the Padres were eliminated.
He signed a 3-year deal with the Giants in 2007. His season was hampered by injuries, and he hit .260 in 114 games. He did steal 31 bases. Roberts never did get started in 2008. Again, hampered by injuries he batted just .224. Prior to the 2009 season, the Giants released him even though they owed him money, about 6.5 million. He retired shortly after and went to work as a studio analyst and color commentator for the NESN network which does Red Sox games.
That lasted a year and he then joined the Padres as a baseball operations special assistant. He worked with players on outfield defense, base running and bunting. In October of 2010 he was hired as the Padres first base coach, replacing Rich Renteria who had been named the bench coach. He replaced him again when Renteria left to manage the Cubs and Roberts became Bud Black’s bench coach. He managed the Padres for one day after Black was fired in 2015 and replaced by Pat Murphy.
Andrew Freidman had taken over as the President of Baseball Operations for the Dodgers in 2014 in November. In his first season in his new job, he kept Don Mattingly on as manager from the previous GM, Ned Colletti. But the writing was pretty clear that he would choose his own man after the 2015 campaign. Donnie Baseball and the Dodgers agreed to dissolve their obligations to each other and the managerial search was on.
Considering how he had conducted team business in 2015, had Joe Maddon been available, he might have gotten the job, but Maddon had joined the Cubs in 2015 and had a 5-year deal. Many thought LA would opt for someone with a lot of experience managing the team, but it was evident by the list of 5 candidates originally thought to be in the running that only one, the recently fired Bud Black, had extensive experience. Other candidates were Kevin Long, Dave Roberts, Gabe Kapler, Ron Roenicke, and Darin Erstad. Eventually it came down to Doc and Kapler.
#30 Dave Roberts Dodgers Manager
Since he took over as manager of the Dodgers, his teams have won the NL West 9 times. He has 4 pennants; 2 World Series wins under his belt. His team has won 943 games as of today and lost 575. That is a .621 winning percentage, the best in Dodger history. Alston’s was .558. Lasorda’s was .526. He has matched Lasorda’s post season success, but he has a way to go to match Alston’s 7 pennants and 4 titles. He is way behind Tommy with just 14 ejections from games to Lasorda’s 48. Alston got the heave-ho 37 times.
Now as fans we can point out specific times when the manager has caused at least in our view the team to lose a vital or clutch game. Decisions made in post-season play can have huge ramifications. No manager is immune to making the wrong choice. 1951- Charlie Dressen decides to put Ralph Branca in to relieve Newcombe with Bobby Thompson coming up in the bottom of the 9th of the third playoff game at the Polo Grounds.
Thompson had homered off of Branca in game one. Dressen was advised by the bullpen coach, Clyde Sukeforth, to bring in Branca because Erskine had bounced a couple of his warmup pitches. Dressen followed that advice and the rest is history. Thompson homered into the short porch in left and Brooklyn went home for the winter. 1962: Alston sends a gassed Ed Roebuck out to pitch the 9th with the Dodgers leading 4-2 in the 3rd game of their tiebreaker series with the Giants.
Don Drysdale had told Alston he should go down to the pen before the inning in case Roebuck got into trouble in the 9th. Duke Snider also pleaded with Alston to let Big D warm up. Alston said no, he needed Drysdale to start the first game of the World Series, totally ignoring the fact that you have to get there first. Koufax had started game one against the Giants and was knocked out early. Sandy was returning from a long stint on the DL and was very rusty.
In the 9th against Roebuck, Alou pinch hit for Don Larsen and singled. Kuenn then hit into a force play. 1 out. McCovey walked pinch hitting for Hiller. Bowman ran for McCovey. Felipe Alou walked, loading the bases. Excuse me, but what the hell was Roebuck doing still being in the game? Mays hit a line drive that Roebuck barely got a hand on and knocked down, for a single scoring Kuenn. Stan Williams finally relieved Roebuck. He gave up a sac-fly to Cepeda tying the game and sending Alou to third. Mays went to second on a wild pitch, so they walked Bailey to reload the bases. Williams walked Davenport scoring a run and an error by second baseman Larry Burright allowed the 6th run to score. LA went down meekly in the bottom of the 9th, and the Dodgers went home for the winter.
Most fans think Lasorda’s biggest blunder came in 1985 in the NLCS when in the top of the 9th inning of game six with his team leading 5-4, he opted to let Tom Niedenfuer pitch to Jack Clark with 2 outs and 2 on instead of walking Clark and letting him face Andy Van Slyke, who was hitting .091 for the series. Clark homered and the Dodgers went home. They might have lost the series anyway, but a win there would have forced game seven.
Doc has made some head scratchers for sure. And they have probably cost the team some wins. Sending Kersh back out in the playoffs in 2019 where he allowed back-to-back game tying homers. Pulling Hill when he was dominating the Red Sox in the World Series in 18. Sending Joe Kelly back out to pitch a second inning in game five of the 2019 LDS. Kelly gave up a game winning grand slam, the pen imploded in 2018 costing LA a win.
But many also think he did his best job in 2024 with a depleted pitching staff, numerous injuries to key players, and so many adjustments to the roster during the season. LA used 40 different players to pitch in 24 and 22 different position players. That folks is a lot of movement. This season LA has used 25 position players, and with Heaney pitching last night, 40 pitchers. Again, a lot of movement. Roberts may not be a popular manager, but he is a winning manager. His record says that loud and clear.
Heaney sent down, Knack activated. Kershaw will not be on the roster for the Wild Card round per Roberts.
Ryan Ward won the MVP award in the PCL. Congratulations.
Go Rams!
Even my hindsight is 20/20. Looking back over the years I feel damn lucky to have been a Dodger fan over the decades.
It’s my opinion Roberts has been a perfect match for what the current ownership is trying to accomplish. Yes, it’s true the Dodgers have the money to pay better talent, but there are other organizations with a lot of money and they haven’t been as successful as the Dodgers have been. The numbers, posted yesterday, are there to prove it.
Completely agree,
Amen.
We have both been Dodger fans a long time, since the coliseum days. We have seen the best they have had to offer back then and they nowhere near won as much as this era has. But I feel blessed I saw Sandy, Big D, Perry, Sherry, Duke, Wills, Willie D, Hodges, Gilliam, and so many more. I also feel blessed I got to see Mookie and Freddie in Dodger gear. Ohtani is one of a kind. Kersh is Kersh. The best of his era.
Sorry to hear that Kershaw won’t be on the first playoff roster. Worst case scenario, today could be his last game.
I would have thought they could have found room for him on the roster for the first series, as a long man if nothing else. They could have limited today’s start to an inning or two, same as they did with Sheehan.
I know they have their reasons but I would really have liked to have seen CK’s last game be a playoff game. That may still happen if they get through the first series and go on to a 5-game playoff for the next round. I really hope so.
Not after going five today would he be able to pitch. Right choice. Load the pen for the series which now will most likely be the Reds. Mets meltdown continues.
What I always shake my head about with supposed “fans” is the ones who say, “Yeah, but with the rosters he’s had my mother could win as many games!” Riiight. If others could have they WOULD have. Dave has done some learning on the job as does EVERY manager. He’s still here, he’s still getting his teams to the post season EVERY year – which almost no fan acknowledges as nearly impossible, and he’s take them to the World Series FOUR times winning two and being absolutely-for-certain. cheated out of another one. Dave will be a Hall of Fame Manager.
Ryder Cup getting really exciting. If only the USA team were wearing the white hats like the good cowboys did in the movies.
Glad to see the USA make it close. It was exciting.
Bums – that was close!! One of my favourite sporting events every time.
What a way for Kersh to go out! Thank you Clayton for all the wonderful moments and memories.Baseball won’t be the same for me without you.
So happy for Kershaw. Class act and great pitcher!! Hope to c him in the playoffs at some point. Hunter Greene and Lodolo will be very tough! The Dodgers will have to be on their game. If the Mets should make it their firepower has to be respected. Looks like Cincy though who also has an excellent manager.
And so will be the two pitchers the Dodgers send out.
And yes, Tito is a fantastic manager.
Kershaw and Knack won’t be on the roster would be my guess.
Rockies finished with a 49-113 record, their third straight year of 100 or more losses. White Sox lost 102 games. Giants finished at .500, but it took a win today to do that. Looks like it will be Dodgers-Reds on ESPN Tuesday. Mets getting shut out in Miami. Michael Taylor has decided to retire.
Reds won the season series 5-1 if I remember correctly. They are a tough team with a great manager.
Dodgers won the season series from the Reds, 5-1. They swept the Reds when they came to Dodger Stadium August 25-27. LA has outscored them 30-15 head-to-head. LA beat both Greene and Lodolo in that series. The only game they lost was on July 30 in Cincy. Martinez started that game against Ohtani. Sheehan took the loss allowing 3 runs in the 8th inning.
Well good. I remembered it incorrectly.
Mets shut out by Marlins, so it will be Dodgers-Reds.
Nice symmetry to Kershaw’s career. He started his regular season career with a strike out. And ended his regular season career with a strikeout.
I liked it that he would not give Freddie the ball when he took him out.
Rams hand Colts first loss, 27-20. AL wild card round features Cleveland Vs Detroit and New York vs Boston. That is epic.
LA over PH; SD over MIL; LA over SD.
SEA over DET; TOR over BOS; SEA over TOR; SEA over LA
Whoa there Beelzebub. LA has to beat Reds first; Padres have to beat the Cubs. Those predictions are way too premature.
Isn’t that why they are called predictions?
Yep…..
That did not take long, Pete Alonso announced he is not going to exercise his player option with the Mets. He will be re-entering free agency. He had his best season for BA and OPS. Slugged 38 homers and played in all 162 games.
LAD final stats. Team BA .255 HR 241 Runs 819 3B 21 2B 255 Ks 1343 BB 578 OPS .768 Pitching: ERA 3.97 W 93 L 69 Ks 1491 BB 561 HR Allowed 175 Earned Runs 632 Runs 682 Individual BA Smith .296 H Ohtani 172 2B Freeman 39 3B Ohtani 9 HR Ohtani 55 RBI Ohtani 102 OPS Ohtani 1.014 BB Ohtani 109 Runs Ohtani 146 Ks Ohtani 187.
Bear, good review of Roberts’ successful Dodger managerial career. I’ve been a critic of his several times in the past. Especially, in the postseason. A question I have always had is how many of the decisions during the regular season and the postseason is he responsible for? How much, if any, of the moves on the field were predetermined by the front office before and during the game? AF says none during the games. OK.
Nonetheless, how can any Dodger fan “hate” Roberts? He is given the players to use, most likely executes the moves made on the field, and communicates BS to the media all dictated by the front office. His strength is communication with the players to keep them focused and engaged. I think his 2024 postseason moves and non moves were his finest to date. Let’s hope that carries on this year as well!
And, as we have been reminded over the years, if the players don’t produce on the field when called upon it doesn’t matter what decisions the front office or Roberts make.
Carry on.
Thanks Ted. All you have to do is read some of the comments by fans on any social media site that deals with the Dodgers and there are always the Negative Nancy’s. I saw Alston and Lasorda make more than a few bad decisions. Never paid much attention to Mattingly or Torre.