Dodgers: Dave Roberts Speaks on the Difficulties of Managing
Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts talked to Pedro Moura of The Athletic over the All-Star Break. You can read Moura’s piece with the link below:
Dave Roberts has the 4th-best winning percentage of any manager ever, and first place is within reach. I wrote about that, him, and another record of his. https://t.co/H76DyapeLX
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) July 10, 2019
This piece is eye-opening to just how good Dave Roberts has been. For as much as we talk poorly about him, Roberts has in fact, taken the Dodgers to two straight World Series appearances. An argument can be made that Roberts was simply gifted with elite talent, but it takes some semblance of competence on Robert’s part to be able to take a team that far.
A key point that Moura brought to the table is that Dave Roberts has the fourth-highest managerial winning percentage in the history of baseball at .598. That’s just crazy to think about. It is largely a testament to the player performance and the front office, but Roberts still is the man who puts the pieces together.
Roberts had this to say regarding that stat:
It’s just a credit to the entire organization. Whether it’s a starting pitcher or a manager who gets a win for their record, those X amount of wins that I have, it’s an organizational win. That’s the only way I look at it.
Roberts is right. Every component to an MLB organization should take partial ownership for team success. Roberts is just as much a part of the success as the players on the field.
A lot of the team’s success finds its foundation in the fact that Roberts is a ‘player’s manager’. The guys genuinely like him from as far as we can tell. Roberts outlined that important aspect of managing the clubhouse:
Most players don’t like to be criticized. It’s all about the delivery. There’s gotta be trust. When there’s trust, then it’s an easier conversation to have, and it lands.
As much as you may dislike the managerial tactics of Dave Roberts, the player’s do love him and there is evidence found inside the piece from quotes of Ross Stripling and David Freese, two of the most intelligent players in professional baseball.
I don’t believe very many are questioning too much how he is handling the team during the regular season. After all he has gotten Dodgers to 2 straight WS appearances (Back to back NL Pennants). But when it matters the most (WS) that is another story.
any manager could get this team to the playoffs and WS. He just doesn’t have the juice to get it all done
I disagree, Roberts pulled the right strings but the bullpen failed him and Dodgers didn’t hit with runners in scoring position !
I disagree….Roberts is hit and miss when it comes to “pulling strings”……his decision to start Darvish in game 7 of the world series vs. the Astros still sticks with me to this day. Probably always will……..Game 4 winner Alex Wood should have gotten that start after the way Darvish was bombed in game three. Even Kershaw or Maeda would have been stronger choices. Alex Wood was only given one start the entire series and he pitched extremely well. In a game seven situation you have to go with your must win instincts and Darvish was the one guy who had been absolutely crushed in his previous start in that world series. Dave should have known that one. Any good manager would have rolled the dice on Wood in that situation. The Boston world series loss the Dodgers were just out gunned the entire series on all fronts…………..As for the current bullpen & season underway………Dave often pulls his starters too quickly………they are better equipped (skills wise) to pitch out of trouble than the guys we have replacing them in our bullpen………he should stretch his starters out more.