Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Stan Kasten Critical of Fans Who Are Critical of Dave Roberts

After the Dodgers’ shocking NLDS loss to the Padres, there was (once again) a vocal segment of L.A. fans calling for manager Dave Roberts to be fired. The specific Game 4 offenses cited in those calls were generally pulling Tyler Anderson after five innings instead of letting him go one more and accidentally letting Yency Almonte throw a pitch to Jake Cronenworth before bringing in Alex Vesia, who eventually allowed the go-ahead hit.

In Bill Plaschke’s interview with Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten for the Los Angeles Times, we learn that Kasten doesn’t agree with those fans.



“Everyone who is a sports fans think they could a) run a bar and b) be a manager, and it’s just not true,” he said. “It’s hard, man, it is hard. Every time they don’t win, they think of something we could have done better, and they may be right at various times … [but] we’re talking about the [manager] that maybe right now has the greatest lifetime record ever?”

He continued by complimenting Roberts’ other duties such as clubhouse management and serving as a calm and charismatic public face of the team.

“By the way, this is a much harder job than Xs and O’s. … There’s so much more to it, and Dave manages all of those things as well as anyone you’ve ever seen,” Kasten said.

Kasten’s comments might not sit well with the Fire Roberts crowd, but he’s absolutely right. The 2022 Dodgers lost the NLDS mainly because they failed to hit with runners in scoring position, not because of any decision Roberts made. There’s never one single reason for a failure like that, but if we’re apportioning blame, surely the 20 straight times L.A. hitters failed to drive in a runner deserves quite a bit more blame than a questionable (not wrong, questionable) pitching decision.

Roberts’ record stands for itself. And yes, that includes his postseason record, where his .556 winning percentage is right in the same neighborhood as Earl Weaver, Connie Mack, Tony LaRussa, and Terry Francona (and quite a bit better than Mike Scioscia, Dusty Baker, Buck Showalter, Joe Maddon, and a lot of other well-respected managers).

It’s easy to blame the manager. Like most easy answers, it’s not correct.

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Jeff Snider

Jeff was born into a Dodgers family in Southern California and is now raising a Dodgers family of his own in Utah. During his previous career as an executive at a technology company, he began writing about baseball in his spare time. After leaving corporate America in 2014, he started doing it professionally. Jeff wrote and edited for Baseball Essential for years before joining Dodgers Nation. He's also the co-host of the Locked On Dodgers podcast, a daily podcast that brings the smart fan's perspective on our Boys in Blue. Jeff has a degree in English from Brigham Young University. Favorite Player: Clayton Kershaw Favorite Moment: Kirk Gibson's homer will always have a place, but Kershaw's homer on Opening Day 2013 might be the winner.

20 Comments

  1. i agree with stan kastan, but my opinion on it? the dodgers are not built for the playoffs. regular season yes. we need carlos correa and that japanese star pitcher and sprinkle in the next 2 top prospects. opps, i forgot? we need a closer, a bonofied!

  2. The article is true. Why do we assign different playoff expectations to different hitters? Every major League batter should be good at making players around him, better and getting their team in the playoffs and a world series ring, without cheating. It shouldn’t matter his skin color. And pay should be commensurate with his ability to do all that. We have yet to have a high paid player worthy of his contract and a player worthy of unheard of figures who has such contract.

  3. Does Kasten also consider losing to the Padres, who the Dodgers dominated during the regular season, in their first series of the postseason a success? The Dodgers failed. All of them. Including Roberts.

    1. Dodgers are chokers analytics don’t work in the playoffs..Dave Roberts & Friedman are losers..Elmar J. Fudd can do a better job .. Elmar J Fudd. will not use analytics in the playoffs…no brainer..No world series..inn 10 years..That covid year 30 games doesn’t count..give me a break!!!!..Next year will be the same..Trust me!!

  4. Let’s talk about Kastens record with the Braves and Dodgers now. Let’s see, about 20 division titles, 2 World Series wins and 6 losses. He definitely knows how to GET to the playoff’s. Dodgers could of had Bob Melvin, Dusty Baker,now Bochy. This team will never win another World Series with Roberts as a manager. The should have been dynasty is over.

  5. D’s Upper Brass should flip the script and have Geren as Manager and Roberts as Bench Coach… Former Catchers tend to have a better handle of knowing when to pull or not pull pitchers at pivotal moments of games.

  6. With the way the Dodgers rosters have been built over the last 10 years, ANY major league manager could have the W-L record as Roberts. That argument is complete BS.

    Where it really matters is the post-season, and Roberts sucks there.

    I wonder just how many championships the Dodgers could have won if they had a better CEO.

  7. Katsen protecting his team’s income is all this story is. Roberts is a good regular season manager, when there will always be another game tomorrow. But the system of managing by numbers that the Dodgers employee terrifically during the regular season doesn’t work in the do or die playoffs.

  8. Kasten is absolutely correct, there’s a lot more to today’s managing than just winning games, and Roberts does well at all of it. Maybe even brilliantly.

    But I still think he handles pitchers and pitching changes terribly and puts them in situations where they don’t belong and can’t be expected to succeed regularly. With the advent of the 3 batter rule it’s not as bad during the regular season, but in postseason I don’t think he does well. It may be that management requires him to do so, but they are people, not widgets and have built careers doing certain things, not others.

    A good manager, in business not just baseball, puts people in a position to succeed, not fail. Roberts or perhaps Dodgers front office doesn’t understand that.

  9. Yes Roberts might have a great winning percentage, that’s because the Dodgers have a good team. I want to see him go to the Cubs, Reds, Pittsburgh to name a few, and serif he wins the division. If he has the same winning percentage. Then I’ll shut my mouth but until then, he’s not a good manager. He can’t handle the pressure when the games really count in the postseason

  10. Lets face it. Bimbo the Chimpanzee could have managed this Dodger team thru the years, to the same record as Roberts. And Bimbo would have done much better in the postseason.

  11. Look kastan Is like Friedman, they don’t believe paying a manager top dollar. Roberts is perfect for there way of thinking he’s cheap and is a yes man. Roberts is there perfect puppet. There have been better options available for years. They could gotten Bob Melvin. Joe Madden, yes madden he took a ok cubs team to World Series and don’t mention the Angels please nobody can win there. Not even Phil Jackson if he was a baseball coach it’s a joke. Even Bud Black has done a decent job in Colorado. Imagine what he could do with this payroll. So my point is Kastan and Friedman talk a good game but u can’t fool everybody.

  12. I would have to disagree with the last two paragraphs of this article. Roberts and his staff failed to adjust and emphasize to modify the hitter’s approach at the plate. Lack of run production was created because of stubbornness by the hitter or the inability to change by the staff’s game coordinator. Also, Roberts was guilty of pulling starters out early, even he has been shutting them down because of the hitter’s 3rd time around. Roberts then uses the same relievers frequently, where the opponents have already seen before. Bob Melvin outcoached him by knowing the tendencies where the Dodgers don’t deviate much, so he changed his game plan. It was especially displayed in game 4, along with other playoff losses.
    Also with his managing style, it made me wonder why some FA veterans were eager to walk away from the Dodgers if not only for the money. Could it be one of the reasons? Kike, Joc, Seager, Ryu, Scherzer, and now T. Turner?
    Kasten is only casting a positive note, so fans continue the cash flow for a strong regular season, and take the chances in the postseason even with an incompetent and economical manager and staff.

  13. Some very good comments here. Kasten and Friedman are in denial because Roberts is their puppet. But Bimbo the Chimp on the field ?? Maybe the FO !

  14. let’s all agree, next season is a hot seat avaluation for dave roberts as manager? if upper management can assemble another A+ roster like bringing in carlos correa at short stop? cause he’s a proven player, leadership in the playoffs, and the production is good. then adding an ace pitcher like the japanese pitcher senga and calling up the dodgers 2 top prospects to sprinkle in the roster… i dont see why the dodgers couldnt get back to the world series and winning!

  15. Oh, hush Kasten, Roberts can speak for himself. Wait. Maybe, maybe not. Roberts is good at one thing, defending the defenceless.

  16. Elmar J Fudd can do a better job coaching & managing the front office..He doesn’t use analytics in the playoffs…

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