Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Talks About Championship Or Bust
Once more, the Dodgers will attempt to beat the drum. Without question, when the season started; there was one goal. While we all know the Dodgers aspire to not only return to the World Series a third consecutive time, no one in the organization is happy just to get back there without finishing it off.
On Tuesday at Dodgers Playoff Media Day from Chavez Ravine, manager Dave Roberts spoke about a ‘Championship or Bust’ mentality. Now, this is a Roberts we haven’t quite heard before; and it’s exciting.
Dave Roberts Talks About Falling Short of World Series Championship
“Anything less than a championship would be unsatisfactory!”…… saying it was a failure would be unfair to the people who have worked so hard in this organization – Dave Roberts pic.twitter.com/K8CkOrnUzn
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 2, 2019
First, Roberts commented on what it would feel like if the Dodgers didn’t win the World Series in 2019. In short, he feels it would be unfair to the people who have worked so hard in the organization. Without question, there’s added pressure to win it all this season.
“Anything less than a championship would be unsatisfactory.”
While no surprise to hear a quote like that, it confirms that the end-goal isn’t far from anyone’s mind right now.
"This is our most versatile roster ever" – Dave Roberts.
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 2, 2019
Furthermore, Roberts feels like the Dodgers are as ready to taste champagne from a roster standpoint than ever before. While it’s been said that the 2019 Dodgers have one of the deepest rosters and best benches in the history of the game statistically, its’ good to hear that Roberts feels this way about his players.
“This is our most versatile roster ever.”
Clearly, Roberts feels like he has a lot of weapons at his disposal for usage in October. Moreover, these things open doors for a manager late in a close ballgame. These are the things that show up in a tight 2-1 win when all hope seems lost.
Roberts Talks About Falling Short In Past Years
“There’s nothing worst losing in the post season and not being the last team standing!” – Dave Roberts
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 2, 2019
Unquestionably, the Los Angeles Dodgers and their fan base know what it’s like to come up painfully short. Perhaps the deepest quote in this story is the one in the tweet above. Think about being Dave Roberts – with all the success he has had – and what he says here.
“There’s nothing worse than losing in the postseason and not being the last team standing.”
Indeed, three times under Roberts the Dodgers have shown up with a team that seemed good enough to win it all before falling tragically short. Now, they have won a franchise record 106 regular season games. A possible MVP rests on the roster, as well as multiple Cy Young caliber arms.
Final Thought
Taking Roberts at his word, it seems the Dodgers enter the 2019 postseason on Thursday confident and ready to finish the journey they started out on so long ago.
I do not believe the Dodgers will win a WS as long as they allow Roberts to manage the pitching staff. He has lost at least one game in the last two WS series and with evenly matched teams there isn’t any room for error.
Roberts will not make the tough decision. He cares more about his status of being friends with Jansen etc than wining.,
Hey tmax…I agree with you, and what always gets magnified in the playoffs is his annoying habit of pulling pitchers too early.
Let me add to that with the obsession of lefty/ righty match ups and shuffling players around due to their continued struggles against LHP. Anyone with any sense at all would know that a LHP (Corbin) will start game 1 and that ‘lefty’ lineup with Joc’s 36 HR’s on the bench for Game 1. We all see the potential for Dodgers to come up short not only for what tmaxter points out here but also for the tendency for the pitching staff to serve up the long ball during the PS. Yes, the team I believe allowed the fewest HR’s during the regular season and HR’s are way up everywhere, Dodgers seem to serve them up at the most inopportune times during the PS and WS.
Pulling a pitcher becasue the opposing team has seen the pitcher three times in one game after that pitcher is pitching a great game is the reason we will over-manage ourselves into defeat. Then you bring in a bad pitcher like Madson? Bone head decision like those, lost it in 2017 and 2018. Although, 2018 we refused to get a base hit to save our lives, and went for the fences every time.
Please don’t forget, the only reason the Dodger even made the post season in 2018 was due to Matt Kemp’s first hale of the season.
Mike, the Dodgers got to the 2018 WS in part by getting by 2 inexperienced PS teams basically with Atlanta and the Brewers.
I will give Roberts the benefit of doubt. My only advise is not to over manage during the post season, which he has done the past two. And keep Jansen at no more than 3 outs this time around. I believe the two rookie young power arms in our bullpen, will be the difference to stabilize it. Let’s go Blue!!!!!
I wouldn’t bring Jansen in a game unless I had a three run lead………(Grin!)
If I read correctly Hill being the Game 4 starter and his presence on this NLDS roster takes Gonsolin out of it.
Three run lead not enough. Eight run lead.
I hope all series go the limit. As that is the only way we can watch Dodgers in Los Angeles, it’ll be the most I have seen of the Dodgers on TV, and I live in Lost Angeles. Thanks to KTLA 5, we can see ten games.