There are significantly fewer managers who have led the Dodgers to 1,000 wins than there have been people who walked on the moon.
Wilbert Robinson was at the helm during the Brooklyn days, with the Robins as their mascot. Then came Walter Alston. And of course, Tommy Lasorda.
Most recently, David Ray Roberts achieved this milestone, boasting a record of 1,000 wins and 605 losses after a decisive 9-3 victory over the Athletics in Sacramento on Tuesday.
That’s the complete list.
It seems fair to say that Roberts has secured his spot on the Dodgers’ management team’s version of Mount Rushmore.
As years go by, it’s likely his legacy will only grow, perhaps making him stand out even more in the future.
Looking ahead, many might come to regard Dave Roberts as the greatest manager in Dodgers history.
It’s easy to say he’s had some luck, you know, being in the right place at the right time. That wouldn’t be completely off base.
The role of a manager can differ greatly based on circumstances. Not everyone fit for one team will thrive in another. Conversely, just because a person isn’t the right fit for one situation doesn’t mean they can’t excel in a different one.
Roberts is, without doubt, the best fit for this particular Dodgers team at this point in time.
Out of the 69 managers who have achieved 1,000 wins, Roberts was the first to do so. Notably, only five managers in the history of baseball have a better winning percentage than his .623, and all of those were from the Negro Leagues.
However, in the end, championships will be what sets Roberts apart from legends like Alston and Lasorda.
In the realm of sports, success is often measured by clear metrics. While certain details fade over time, championships remain the benchmark.
Roberts, a three-time World Series champion, currently has one more win than Lasorda and just one less than Alston, who coached for 23 seasons compared to Lasorda’s 21.
If the Dodgers clinch the World Series again this year, it would mark his fourth championship in 11 years.
One wonders how many kids he might have by then—maybe five or six?
Some could argue Alston was more flexible or that Lasorda had a talent for motivation. Those opinions certainly hold some merit.
Yet, Roberts’ success can largely be seen as a product of the immense talent around him. He seems to agree, as he mentioned to his players during a toast after the recent game.
“Thank you so much for making me a great coach,” Roberts acknowledged. “What I always tell coaches is that great players make a great coach or manager.”
Every manager’s job has its unique challenges, and for Roberts, it’s all about maintaining stability. He has managed that remarkably well.
Under his leadership, the Dodgers have reached the postseason every year for a decade, claiming the National League West title nine times. Even in the season they didn’t win the division, they still racked up 106 victories.
This consistency is invaluable.
Managing a roster filled with talent also means managing big egos, and Roberts has delicately navigated that complex landscape year after year.
“Certainly, it’s probably easy to write the lineup,” said Mookie Betts. “But managing all those personalities and injuries, with players moving up and down, can be challenging.”
Roberts has done everything from seamlessly integrating Shohei Ohtani into a star-studded roster to encouraging Betts when self-doubt crept in.
As a tactician, Roberts shows decisiveness. He identifies critical moments and takes action swiftly. Unlike Lasorda, who was known to give starting pitchers more leeway, Roberts knows when to pull them to avoid disaster.
But, of course, his ability to respond with urgency really depends on the situation. For instance, he has a different approach in October compared to the regular season, though sometimes he falls somewhere in between.
His rapport with key players like Betts underscores his value as a leader.
Roberts is not only respected in the clubhouse, but he also has garnered admiration from the media thanks to his candidness.
This weekend, the Dodgers face off in San Diego. With a two-game lead, a win could catapult their division lead over the second-place Padres to ten games. In this crucial moment, Roberts made a bold choice, pulling Emmett Sheehan after just five innings, opting for relief pitchers during the later innings.
Roberts seems well-suited to the current demands of the game. He knows how to manage egos effectively. His decisions are often made with both the regular season and postseason in mind. Once in the playoffs, he exhibits the decisiveness that’s vital today.
Looking back at Roberts’ ten and a half seasons, they can be generally divided into three phases:
1. The early years symbolizing the franchise’s ascent toward becoming a powerhouse in the sport.
2. A mid-career phase where he became the target of frustrations over team shortcomings.
3. The current phase, where he is admired for leading a roster filled with some of baseball’s highest-paid talent.
One can foresee at least one more chapter: life after coaching. During that time, his name will likely be associated with the numerous victories under his watch, as history continues to shape his legacy.
