Editorials

Dodgers: On Dave Roberts; A Wonderful Man, and a Decision Making Liability

The Dodgers’ trip east to Philadelphia and New York was nothing short of a mission accomplished given the circumstances. They entered the trip trailing the Giants by 4 games in the NL West, tasked with the difficult assignment of keeping pace while San Francisco hosted the Diamondbacks and Rockies all week at Oracle Park. In a Dodgers’ season that has felt like a letdown more often than not despite one of the best records in baseball, it was a sight for sore eyes to watch them eke out two extra inning wins en route to a weekend sweep in New York.

Friday, of course, never needed to be so difficult – with 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th inning, the Dodgers were cruising with a 4-0 lead and had Brusdar Graterol mowing down hitters on the mound. He’d allow a double into right field after two dominant strikeouts, and had only thrown 9 pitches (7 for strikes). For whatever reason, perhaps because Dave Roberts was bored and wanted to stretch his legs with a walk to the mound, he would abruptly pull Graterol from the game in favor of rookie Justin Bruihl, a lefty with 3.2 innings of Major League experience.

Bruihl looked the part, allowing a single to Dominic Smith (whose splits Dave Roberts evidently didn’t care to look at – he’s hit .340 against left-handed pitching this season!!!!!!!!), a walk, a wild pitch, an intentional walk, and finally 2-run single to Jeff McNeil before being removed, the score now 4-3. Roberts all but tattled on himself postgame for not doing his homework, citing Smith’s left handedness as the reason for the gratuitous pitching change. A puzzling passed ball by Will Smith would follow, allowing the boisterous Pete Alonso to score from third and tie the game before Blake Treinen escaped the jam.

The pitching change to Bruihl was stunning only to those who haven’t watched the Dodgers under Roberts throughout his tenure. Even earlier that game, Matt Beaty would pinch hit in a moment he wasn’t supposed to, as Roberts’ aim had been instead to let Urias bat for himself once more.

It’s a level of miscommunication completely unacceptable at the big league level, and yet seemingly a constant in Dave Roberts’ clubhouse (see: Rich Hill, World Series Game 4, 2018). This season, the lack of attention to detail seems to permeate downward from the manager’s office onto the playing field, rearing its head in the form of pitcher/catcher cross-ups, shoddy infield defense, and a general lack of communication all over the diamond. Despite it all, the Dodgers’ collective talent has carried them to a 72-46 record and a 57% chance to surpass the Giants in the division, per FanGraphs.

Over the years, the examples of Roberts’ inability to make intelligent decisions in the heat of the moment have been countless, and are still burned into Dodger fans’ collective memories. These examples haven’t been limited to the postseason, despite those being the gaffees we remember most.

Costly Regular Season Moments

One particularly fun night came on June 10, 2019, when Roberts would turn to Joe Kelly with a 3-3 tie to start the 8th inning in Anaheim, despite Kelly’s 7.59 ERA to that point in the season. He would leave Kelly in the game to throw 31 pitches, allowing 2 runs while walking 3 batters en route to a 5-3 loss. It wasn’t as if the Dodgers were short on bullpen arms, either – Walker Buehler had pitched 7 innings the day before. After the game, Roberts said he went to Kelly because the team “was going to need him” – perhaps it’s just me, but I’d argue bringing a struggling reliever into high leverage and leaving them out there long enough to blow the game does a less than stellar job of building their confidence.

In 2018, the Dodgers famously had to play a 163rd game against Colorado in order to secure a 6th-straight division title in another season they were heavily favored. Would they have had to waste Buehler in that game if Dave Roberts brought a warm and ready Rich Hill (who continued to pitch in the bullpen postgame, needing to get work in) into pitch the 16th inning on July 14 in Philadelphia, instead of purposely tossing the game into the loss column by pitching Kiké Hernandez?

The regular season moments fade from our memories with time, but from time to time they matter, too.

Doc in the Postseason

Dave Roberts’ postseason gaffes are much more famous, and likely closer to the top of your mind. In Game 7 of the 2017’s Fall Classic, Roberts left Yu Darvish in the game to allow 5 runs over 2 innings despite almost immediate indications that he didn’t have good command of his pitches and with Clayton Kershaw available out of the bullpen to provide length as necessary (he would later throw 4 scoreless innings to keep the Astros at 5 runs).

In the aforementioned Game 4 of the 2018 World Series against the Red Sox, Roberts threw away a 4-0 lead and took the air out of a shaking Dodger Stadium by pulling Rich Hill with plenty in the tank via miscommunication, eventually turning to Ryan Madson. Madson, who had no business being in such a tight spot after he had allowed all 4 runners he’d inherited to score during World Series Games 1 and 2, would predictably fall apart.

In 2019, Roberts didn’t wait for the World Series to showcase his ineptitude. In a winner-take-all game 5 of the NLDS against the eventual World Series Champion Nationals, Roberts turned to Clayton Kershaw in relief of Walker Buehler with a 3-1 lead. Inexplicably, a tired Kershaw on three days’ rest remained in the game after allowing a home run by Anthony Rendon to face the moment’s Hottest Hitter on the Planet in Juan Soto. Soto would homer as well, tying the game. Later that same night, Roberts would also ignore warning signs of Joe Kelly’s demise in the 10th inning – despite having Kenley Jansen ready in the bullpen, Roberts would allow Kelly to face a seventh batter after allowing two walks and a ground rule double to load the bases. Even after the grand slam that followed from Kendrick, Roberts waited until Kelly allowed a single to Yan Gomes before eventually bringing Jansen in to mop up a 7-3 deficit that would end the Dodgers’ season with a whimper.

Related: Dave Roberts Talks Sticking With Kershaw and First Round Exit vs. Nationals in 2019 NLDS

Even 2020, a season that would see the Dodgers triumphantly end decades of waiting with a World Series Championship, was a postseason run marred by questionable decisions along the way. When Tony Gonsolin began to look gassed in the 5th inning of NLCS Game 2 against the Braves, Roberts turned to Pedro Baez with 1 out and 2 runners on. While Baez’s time with the Dodgers certainly had its bright spots along with its blemishes, Pedro Baez hadn’t entered a high leverage situation for the Dodgers in a long time and had only entered with runners on base twice all season. By that time, it was a well known fact that Baez struggled when he didn’t have a clean slate to work with.

What was most astounding that night was what seemed like apathy from Roberts as the Dodgers’ deficit widened. He would leave Baez in the game even after allowing a walk, an RBI single, and another walk that brought home a run to make it 5-0. If that wasn’t enough to pull Baez from the game, the signal from Roberts essentially became “Eh, Atlanta’s got this one. Let’s save some bullets for Game 3.” When the Dodgers came roaring back but eventually lost 8-7, it was obvious that Roberts’ quickness to waive the white flag cost the team an opportunity to tie the series 1-1.

The Dodgers did of course come back to win the series, a testament to the absurd collection of talent put together by Andrew Friedman’s front office heading into the shortened season.

I could sit here, comb through the last several years, and recount events like these for hours on end. Truthfully, none of this is to say that Dave Roberts doesn’t provide any value as a manager. By all accounts, Doc is a wonderful human being who handles the various personalities in the clubhouse at an elite level — something not to be taken for granted. He’s a great representative of the organization and the culture it wants to promote, and that’s important.

Luckily for Roberts, history by and large ignores the process in favor of the results that follow – and given the Dodgers’ level of talent, positive results are virtually inevitable in the long run. But upon closer examination, there’s plenty of evidence that meat has been left on the bone during Roberts’ tenure, as every team he’s coached has been laced with world-class talent. That talent and the commitment to winning from the front office were there long before Roberts’ arrival, and once again has the Dodgers equipped with everything they need for a deep run in 2021.

The “long run” success is what leads to 8 straight NL West titles under both Don Mattingly and Dave Roberts. When the sample size tightens in October, though, the game changes. The Dodgers have until then to learn how to consistently produce results in the short run, with or without Dave Roberts doing his homework on opposing players’ splits. Otherwise, it’ll be another roll of the dice – can talent win out twice in a row, or will we all be left pulling our hair out as Edwin Uceta enters a high-leverage situation in a Wild Card game that should have been avoided altogether? Only time will tell.

NEXT: Dodgers Defensive Miscues Continue to be Something to Keep an Eye On

94 Comments

  1. This is such a beautiful article it is suitable for framing with enough room to fit the article that announces Davey Dingbats firing..!!!!

  2. TBH, Roberts has been great for the majority of the time as manager for the Dodgers. I would say that this year is his worst year as manager because of his stupid decisions that have cost us big time. When we get a new manager, they should consider Mike Sciosa IMO.

  3. I am sorry, but this manager has made more screw up than I can count. Who exactly do the Los Angeles Dodgers play for? Who supports the Payroll. If you said the fans your right. We just don’t like someone for the fun of it. We really don’t want to hear how nice he is to the players. We demand a World Series class team it’s that simple. At all costs as the Dodgers front office knows. We need manager who is baseball smart and we are not asking for PHD. although that would be nice. His huge staff is out of control and he needs to step up or it will be his ass on the line. Starting with his line up to defense. I hear the fans.

  4. Dalton Brown has written what a majority of Dodger fans know.
    Dave is probably a nice guy.
    But he is not a good manager.
    I don’t want to exaggerate and say he makes managerial mistakes in every game, (although a case can be made that he does)
    but at least once week, and that is being extremely kind and generous.
    The Dodgers lose games becasue of his ineptitude. That is the bottom line.
    Without a doubt the 5 games we trail the Giants can be traced to stupid decisions.
    The talent management puts in the dugout would make any manager look good.
    The reality is just about every team we play has a better manager that Dave.
    I don’t think I am going out on a limb here to say the overwhelming majority of fans would be ecstatic if he was replaced as manager and given a job like team counselor.

    1. I have said for a long time that I or any Dodger fan could manage that team with the talent that they have during the regular season. It’s when you get into the playoffs that it gets tricky. The little mistakes get a lot bigger when you are playing good teams. Lasorda managed a lot by his gut feelings, and was right a good amount of the time, this is something that is completely foreign to his thinking, or his gut is always wrong!

  5. Dalton is 100 percent correct. Yes, Mr. Roberts is a nice man and great for the players. I’ve been watching this guy make so many mistakes in judgement especially personnel judgement I go to best all pissed off and wake up the same all because of Roberts. I’m sure the Dodger nation are getting wise to the many mistakes he makes, but you really hit the nail on the head. I seriously doubt that they are going to let him go in the near future as most fans don’t see what we are talking about with this guy and management likes him. :Let’s see how this year ends.

  6. Wow! I had to double check that I was on Dodgersnation. Don’t think I’ve read anything like this article on this website before. The thing that has always bothered me the most is that it never seems the bullpen is ready in critical situations when the ‘game plan’ goes bad. It’s like Roberts is so focused on the plan he can’t adjust and improvise in a timely manner.

    1. So true. These “so-called Dodger fans” are as fickle as they come. They’re most likely the same “Dodger fans” who complain about Andrew Friedman. What do they have to say about AF now? These guys probably want a return of McCourt. I guess a World Series win counts for nothing.

      1. Oh Tony, Tony, Tony… the World Series counts but when it is despite the manager, therein lies the problem. Last season with not a full schedule, bullpen couldn’t be burned out, with a different lineup every night, putting Square pegs in round holes, relying on a substandard Jansen as closer the thing that saved us from watching more idiotic decisions was the DH. Otherwise, we’d’ve been subject to another failure. Without that little book he clings to, he has no clue how to do anything. World Series win is great but scratch the surface. Was Dopey Davey Dingbat instrumental in that title or, with that team as stacked as it was, could you manage it..?? Scratching the surface, will lead you to the answer.

  7. Roberts is the worst strategy manager in baseball. If it wasn’t for the talent in the clubhouse he would have been gone his first season. He manages the Dodgers like a beer league softball team. Basically everyone plays, and everyone loves their teammates. How can he have 1 championship with this quality talent? He’s nothing less than awful.

  8. I read a post by a Giant fan who said that he felt they would be up by 8 or 9 games this year if they had a manager who didn’t make so many mistakes.

    1. exactly! so may dumb fans – a lot of them here, constantly complaining about doc and Kenley, Kenley and doc, back and forth, all bleating the same nonsense. laughable and sad at the same time. They learned nothing from last year’s World Series Champs. and of course will act so surprised when the Dodgers win it all again this fall. SMH!

  9. What an amazing article, thank you!

    Many ex-players make great managers, many do not. Roberts, to me, falls into the later.

    His starting lineups each night, make no sense. His in game maneuvers, often make no sense.

    Roberts has been given an All Star ROSTER, with a few bench holes filled in by questionable waiver pickups. It seems as if every night, his lineup ALWAYS includes a few members from the waiver wire….

    EVERY GAME, we see a few guys who should be in the minors, starting for a player who needs a ‘spa day’. At one point of these final 44 games does Roberts realize we need to field our best players, day in, day out? I am willing to bet that Roberts will not start the ‘full 8’ until it is do or die time, rather than try and catch and overtake the SFG’s right now.

    Fred Claire was a sports writer who became the Dodgers GM, his time, so-so. Roberts was a midlevel player during his playing time, who became the Dodgers manager, his time, not so good. Roberts, and the Dodgers, would be better served by placing him in the PR Department/Community Relations division. A MLB QUALITY manager, he is not.

    Here is hoping the Front Office sends a message to Roberts, ‘play all the All-Stars we have NOW’, time is not on our side.

    ‘Managerial Malpractice’ in full view for all Dodger fans to witness.

    We can only hope for the best.

    Again, thank you so much for your amazing verbiage/article. Spot on brother!

    1. Dodgers are second highest in the league in injuries. Bullpen has been a merry go round because of it. Seager, Beli, Mookie, have missed significant time. So has Kershaw and May….What about Gonsolin…out. And how about Bauer? And yet we are 29 games over .500! Chew on that for a second. Now the waiting game for Beli and Seager to return to form and they will. Kersh will be back but how strong will he be? Dodgers have been a mash unit since week three and here we are. That said, Dave has to find ways to win ballgames without burning out his starters. Rest is critical in baseball and he’s balancing it pretty good. And granted there are times when you scratch your head with a player entering the game, but I’d say it’s worked out pretty good the last 20 or so.

  10. Great article. One of Roberts’ worst traits is that when he screws up (frequently) he refuses to own his mistake and says that “he would do the same thing again”. To his credit he did manage well in last season’s playoffs. We all know the result of that. Just makes the misses of the last few years that much more painful.

    1. Last year with a DH in the NL, his job was made a lot easier due to the far less in game decisions he had to struggle with all year, along with far less injuries as well.

      1. Much respect to the author for his honest and professional account of facts about Dodgers manager Roberts. There isn’t a coach that has been gifted with so much talent.

        Being Dodgers fans we all know we’re crossing our fingers most games. I like Roberts, but can you imagine what this team’s record would be with a more knowledgeable coach?

        Roberts said a couple of days ago he’s not concerned with the way the team’s been playing defense, what? The entire season we’ve been waiting for the fundamentals of the game to kick in, and it’s mid August and it’s still not happening. That’s on Roberts and his lack of preparedness. His team isn’t ready still and I don’t feel this team will overcome how average they are playing. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m keeping it real just like the author Dalton.

  11. Don’t look now but Roberts has already perhaps opened some eyes when he decides that in tonight’s lineup he is’ resting ‘ JT AND Muncy, ya know Muncy the guy that hits a game winning HR last night. It simply makes this article so to the point and very timely. Lux is playing 3rd, and he has but a few games played at the position in OKC. BUT not a single frame at 3rd in MLB. If this isn’t too much of a puzzle here I don’t know what is.

    1. Anybody take notice to the throws Lux made! Not so good. I agree completely with everything being said here and have posted before that the Dodgers win because of their talent and darn little with what Roberts has done. Have also posted that he needs to be put into another position with the club and a REAL MANAGER hired. Every time he struts out to the mound to make a pitching change I cringe. Personally I think he is arrogant and too block headed to understand he does not have a clue. The comment above about him saying in a post game press conference that he would make the same move again, proves just how out of touch with managerial reality he is.

  12. Whatever the Dodgers are able to accomplish is obviously in spite of Doc! He’s absolutely clueless. Talks a good game. Politics may be a good career choice

  13. With the amount of elite talent on this 26 man roster, this Dodger team also deserve an elite manager to lead them. There is no excuse for not winning a championship for what the FO has constantly provided Roberts to run the ship. It will be a shame if this team can’t win it all, but I guess Dodgernation will be happy because Roberts will be gone. However, if this team win it all again then Roberts will probably be back again. Well, I guess we will have another year of controversial talk about Roberts. Can’t win.

  14. How are we going to score runs with this line up. I am really trying to do the math. Help me

  15. Thank you thank you thank you for posting this. I felt like the only one that has continuously called out roberts horrible decisions since he’s been here. That Darvish game still hurts. If I’m not mistaken Alex Woods was also available and was having a solid year too. Worst part of all this is that they won’t let him go since he’s pretty much a puppet to the front office obsession of stats and analytics.

  16. Great article, and spot-on accurate, but it is about two years too late! How can upper management allow such high-level talent be led by such mediocrity season after season?

  17. Best article I’ve read about Robert’s and his inability to manage a pitching staff. Well done!

  18. Mr Rodriguez, I’ve been saying the same thing as you. I think since this fools hiring we should’ve won more than once. This article was awesome.

    1. The biggest problem with DR is that he doesn’t learn from his mistakes. In fact he seems to thumb his nose at the world, and make the same bad decisions, as with Jansen, over, and over, and over again. You would hope that anyone would get better at any job over time. But I actually think DR is getting worse over time. On an almost daily basis you can see something wrong with the lineup before the game even starts. Like an anemic Bellinger in the cleanup spot. Or a power surging Muncy out of the lineup, at the same time as JT, leaving a hole in the middle of the order. Earlier in the year Beaty had a real hot streak going, and DR benched him. Pollack is batting 310 right now, and lucky if even gets to play. Lux is deadwood offensively and defensively, and should be a footnote with the aquisition of Trea Turner. I could go on and on. Seemingly every day DR makes dumb moves. It’s getting old. Mattingly made mistakes too, mostly leaving Kershaw in games too long. But DR makes Mattingly look like a genius. Kapler in SF is manager of the year. The Giants aren’t that talented. But they are winning because he puts together lineups that manufacture runs, and makes solid moves with his pitching staff. The Giants regularly win one run games. And show no sign of faltering. They have a real leader at the helm, just like Boche, not too long ago.

      1. what’s crazy about what you said, about kapler as MOY in SF, is that in philly he was a known ‘tard. they ran him out of town because of all his blunders. so it begs the question: what changed?

        re: roberts, he really does overmanage his talent. not OFTEN, not really, but at seemingly the worst times, high-leverage situations, which makes it stand out all the more.

        BUT, last year’s Series showed he CAN learn from some mistakes (pitching urias instead of kenley). there IS hope that he’s a little more cutthroat come september-october and hopefully november.

  19. Have watched him overmanage for years, wondering why he is still there?

    We should have won several more titles over the past 8 years

    How many games has his misuse of the bullpen cost us this year? They blew at least 4-5 games to the Giants alone

  20. I have been mostly forgiving of Roberts’ gaffes as a manager. But, Friday the 13th of August was the ultimate. Dalton Brown explained it eloquently in this article. I could not understand why he took Graterol out. So, just like baseball players, fans can be superstitious as well. After that game, I said that I would boycott every Dave Roberts press conference/interview for the rest of the season. So far, the Dodgers are undefeated…DODGERS BABY!!!

  21. I don’t care to listen to anything that dunce has to say. Once again, relying on Jansen for a clean save, he didn’t get it as the clown prince of the bullpen shrunk a 2 run 9th inning leas to 1 run. Throwing the same pitch Tsutsugo hit for a double on Monday night, he throws it again and got racked. Now, he put Lux at 3rd and was rewarded with 2 errors. I’m convinced that winning it last year was a result of a 62 game schedule where he couldn’t burn out the bullpen, which he’s doing now and our saving grace from more bonehead moves in the World Series was the DH. HE NEEDS TO BE FIRED.!!!

  22. This is why you idiot Dodgers fans are so miserable. After a decade of the biggest payroll in baseball and no results, you complain about the one guy whose won you a WS. Not to mention the Dodgers are the second hottest team in baseball rn. Managing baseball games is tough, and who are you going to bring in to replace the guy huh? Remember those spoiled ass Cubs who fired Madison after the single season he failed to make the playoffs. Yea Ross sure is working out ain’t he. I’m glad you dummies complain about a guy like Dave Robert, he’s 100% class, y’all don’t deserve him. Have fun rewatching last year’s (air quotes) championship season. It’ll only take you a day to binge through the whole thing.

    1. Instead of trolling on Dodgersnation to articulate your unsolicited thoughts about what we write or think, focus on your Giants’ current success during the 2021 regular season because it is indisputably an anomaly. Alongside Giants’ veteran players sudden powerhitting “resurgence”, some of the Giants success can be attributed to your team’s acquisition of former Dodgers’ players and former Dodgers’ General Manager.

      Because this is Dodgersnation, we can opined on whatever we deem is relevant to us and should be able to do so within the safety of our forum. If you truly believed that this is the year of the Giants, you would not spend your time trolling Dodgersnation, specifically with the sole purpose of provoking. Maybe you are a (closeted) Dodgers’ fan and felt genuinely compelled to tell us that we are not appreciative and/or maybe you are an anxious Giants’ fan who does not really believe that the Giants will be able to maintain their (novel) status as: NL West Division leader or the #1 team in all of MLB so you are tuned in on the competition….to which I say,
      Go Dodgers!!!

      1. If the Giants had a manager who does the exact same things as Roberts has done so far, the Giants may not be 4 games up and that Giant fan would not be here and he would be ‘singing a different tune’.

        1. We could’ve had Kepler but the front office chose the puppet Davey Robots… they ran hom out of Philly because he wouldn’t be a puppet. He’s fit in nicely with Zahadi in SF. He’s managing his way.

          1. they DID run him out of philly, but mostly for all his falk-ups. that’s what makes this thing in SF a real head-scratcher for me. i read ALL about that stuff, because i was really curious. kapler’s a strange cat for sure, makes for interesting reading, so yeah, i was a little dialed in on that. his screwups were bad and then he refused to make changes based on the track record of his novelty style of management over there.

  23. You’ll never convince me that the front office didn’t call down to Roberts last year and order him to ride Urias to the win in game 6. It was totally out of character for Roberts to not do what Roberts always does in that situation

  24. I am less concerned with Lux playing 3rd last night. I am, however, beyond perplexed as to why DR continues to bring Jansen out in the 9th, specifically during tight games. Most of us would prefer to bypass the 9th inning drama that, more often than not, comes with Jansen on the mound. If Jansen is going to be used, he needs to be brought out in the 7th inning (that way, Treinan can come in to (usually) shut the inning down, if need be, after Jansen pitches to 3.)

    Last year’s win cannot be primarily attributed to a shortened season because we’ve won the Division for several years and made it to the World Series 3 times since 2017. Also, it’s not that DR has much of a choice but to use the bull pen in view of the fact that we have only two starters right now. Its how he uses the bullpen that is exhausting to watch.

    I just think that our talented group of players will continue to find ways to pull it together and (try to) keep it together despite the compromised decision-making.

  25. Roberts is great at man management but sticks at in-game management. The front office needs to get him a good bench coach to make better in-game decisions.

  26. Continuing to do the same thing over and over is a definition of insanity. Continuing to use Jansen as a closer is insane.

    1. Jansen is a roll of the dice w/ every pitch. Now we get to watch him do the ‘hip wiggle’. Unbelievable how much stress/ anxiety he brings to the game. Turning the game off when he comes in and waiting for the morning to bring the results bring a whole new dimension to the game and actually does relieve the stress/ anxieties that KJ and Robert’s add to the game.

  27. You guys are delusional. Roberts has the best winning percentage of any Dodger manager in at least 60 years. He’s tied for pennants and world series wins with Lasorda. Arguably, he’d have 2 world championships if the Dodgers hadn’t been cheated out of one by the Astros. Don’t look now, but he’s in another pennant race despite a myriad of injuries (not mention other shenanigans) by his top players.

    1. You’re delusional if you think his record has anything to do with his aptitude as a manager. Any one of us would have a winning record with the talent he’s been given. The team wins in spite of him, not because of him – he does not make the team better.

      1. So, how terrific is for you to live in fantasy land and not scratch the surface of issues. When you come back to reality, you and us delusionals can talk.

      2. Exactly! A more competent manager in tune with managing in game decision and pitching would have resulted in at least a couple more titles with the talent he’s been given.

        1. Great article, couldn’t agree more, Jansen kills my love for the Dodgers, always turn it off when he comes in. Any other manager would have Blake close. What a joke, pathetic.

  28. Managing is more than on-field decisions, so I don’t know how Roberts stacks up with big personalities and the clubhouse. His on-field decisions are weak. Sometimes I get the impression he makes decisions just so can get credit for doing something.

  29. Roberts definitely sucks moving his pitching staff. One can say the Dodgers win games in spite of Dave Roberts! I couldn’t understand why on earth he pulled Rich Hill out, I can never understand why he pulled Graterol out days ago. I can’t understand why he keeps bringing Uceta in or why he kept Bellinger batting fourth. There’s a lot hard to comprehend that Doc does!

  30. Wow. After three decades L.A. gets a manager who leads this team to a WS championship and a bunch of couch potatoes who believe that they can do better decide Roberts is “inept” and a “dunce.” Additionally, they have a solution to all that troubles the team with the second-best record in MLB. Incredible! The solution to the Dodgers’ problems is not a new manager. It’s better luck at keeping starters healthy. To not have the services of Bellinger, Betts, Kershaw, Seager, and others for extended periods of time during this season and still stay 4 games behind the hottest team in the league is a huge accomplishment. “Doc” has done a fantastic job with what he has to work with especially in June and July. This season is arguably his best managing job so far. This site should change its name to “whinernation.” I could say more about these comments but it would only lead to more confusion among the elite baseball minds in this conversation.

    1. a bunch of ‘couch potatoes’……right. Armchair managers who don’t know a thing about baseball and have to listen to Rick Monday explain every play so we know what to do when we get on the field. Sorry Ronny but some of us have been around for 40 years or more and bleed Dodger Blue.
      Maybe you should keep your negativity about us ‘couch potatoes’ to yourself and perhaps follow the games a little better. Robert’s managing skills don’t even fall into the category as being ‘elementary’. For a World Championship team our records such as extra inning and 1 run losses are not a reflection of a Manager who knows what he is doing.

      1. BB, I was around to watch games at the Coliseum. I was in attendance when Roy Campenella was wheeled out on the Coliseum turf. I witnessed the Moon Shots. I watched a WS in Expo Park. So your “40 years” are short-time to me. From the perspective of real history, this negativity is from a bunch of whiners, period. Once again, Roberts has guided this team to more wins than anyone in this period of time. He is a WS champion Dodger manager. The first since Lasorda in 1988. His starting core has been decimated this year due to injuries yet he has managed this team to within 3 games of the team with the best record in the MLB. I am finding these so-called enlighted comments about Roberts extremely interesting to say the least.

  31. To add on to the article, in last night’s game alone, the Dodgers:

    — Had three players out of position (Lux, T. Turner, Taylor). It didn’t cost the game, but it sure showed.

    — Had a .180 hitter batting cleanup. Bellinger, who in every other part of his game displays enormous talent, absolutely cannot lay off the high fastball, continues to whiff on average, middle-middle fastballs, and just doesn’t seem to get the concept of situational hitting. For a tutorial on that last item, all he’d have to do is watch Justin Turner bat for a few games.

    — Had a hitter (Smith) in the 3-spot who not once, not twice, but ~three~ times failed to move a runner over to third base. Once, OK — stuff happens, the pitcher made several very good pitches, whatever. Twice, not good, but at least there should have been some inside-out swings trying. Three times — inexcusable. Can’t happen on a leading World Series contender yet is typical of Dodger sloppiness that Roberts can’t seem to excise. Smith has some power and for sure has gotten some big hits but isn’t such an awesome hitter that he can ignore the fundamentals. Nomar discussed the point a couple of times on the broadcast, remaining polite but making the point quite clearly.

  32. Yep…..we are all sick of this guy as a supposed Manager. Fed up with his reckless decision making, his never ending excuses, his hanging on to the rails seemingly watching every move the players make….he looks like he’s ‘there’ upstairs but he’s definitely NOT. He loves to smile, wear designer sunglasses…speak bs after every game…but sad to say…we fans that bleed Dodger Blue are STUCK with this con of a manager. Stuck because our voices are not heard. Roberts doesn’t read Dodger Nation or the LA Times because he does not listen or care about what the fan base thinks. The Goggleheimers don’t care either. We either have a collective boycott to have our voices heard or just fake a grin and bear it. We’re stuck with this guy. Period!

  33. Roberts in the post-season is a nightmare. This team’s extraordinary talent has often saved him from himself.

  34. Don’t generalize because we don’t agree. I worked in baseball for many years and coached for 35 years preparing kids to realize their dreams. Perhaps it is you who are talking out your derriere.

  35. I have voiced these criticisms of Roberts’s strategizing or lack of it, and stand by them. I also stand by something else: If not for his (as the article calls it) elite-level handling of the clubhouse, the Dodgers might not be in the post-season and have the opportunities they have had for him to show strategic ineptitude.

    But I’d like to remind everybody of the 1974 Oakland A’s. Sal Bando, their great third baseman, said of his skipper, “Alvin Dark couldn’t manage a meat market.” After they won the World Series, Bando told him, “You couldn’t manage a meat market, but you sure can manage a baseball team.” I have never met a baseball fan, including when I look in the mirror, who does not think they could do a better job than their team’s manager. I felt that way about Walt Alston and Tommy Lasorda, who are deservedly in the Hall of Fame. Whether I should have felt that way is a different matter.

    For what it’s worth, I thought the best post-season managerial strategist I saw was also the worst regular-season managerial strategist I saw: Lasorda. In the 1988 post-season in particular, he managed as if his life depended on it, and did it brilliantly (and may well have blown out Orel Hershiser’s arm in the process). During the regular season, I believe that if God had appeared to Lasorda and told him that it was possible for a left-handed hitter to get a hit off of a left-handed pitcher, Lasorda would have claimed God had sold out to the devil.

  36. I know that it is time for a manager change . Nice guy but we need. A better decision maker . Dave has done a great job but not lately . The Dodgers need a motivator.

  37. What a BS article!!!! By a straight up NOBODY!!!!

    Robert’s just did something for Dodgers Fans, that the previous managers could NOT do for 50 freak’n years… WON A WORLD SERIES!!!! And he used his Baseball Intelligence, to WIN. He CLEARLY out coached Tampa’s coach, by making him surrender his starter SOONER than he wanted. PLUS, Robert’s used his Baseball Intelligence by understanding his bull pen, and by sticking with Julio. NOBODY, saw that coming EXCEPT Robert’s and his Baseball Intelligence.

    This year, he’s using his Baseball Intelligence to work with a rag tag line up, injuries, bull pen issues, Lux being dud, Cody struggling AND starting pitching issues (Bauer)!!! YET, the Dodgers are ONLY 4 games back of a HOT Giants team. Look at the Padres and their situation!?!?

    What a weak, sick, sad CHEAP SHOT, at Robert’s!!!!

    AGAIN, by a NOBODY!!!!

  38. Just a couple of quick items for perspective:
    1- how many games has the author of this article won at the major league level?
    2- sometimes you need to give a player some actual playing time to complete their development, and frankly that wasn’t the worst time to do it. Or I guess maybe the author would prefer to reach the playoffs, need this guy to get a couple of outs, but due to a lack of experience on a bigger stage he lays an egg and takes the blown save in game seven?

    1. I’ve won so many games at the Major League Level, Bubba. You should see how my March to October teams do on MLB The Show

  39. Ty Cooped… These CRAZY Dodgers Fans, ARE straight Up Sick and Sad, around this subject!!!! SAME Classic BS!!!

  40. I agree. I think Dave is terrible at critical decision making. I asked him to stay home last year whenever when brought in Hanley Jansen. His loyalty to Kelley has already cost the Dodgers 5 games. How far are Dodgers behind the Giants? I bet smart managers can’t wait to manage against hm!

  41. It amazing how so many people can look at facts and come to completely different conclusions.
    Being a life long, DOGER FAN 70 plus years, Dave Roberts and his pitching coaches seem to be looking foir the next BIG find pitcher instead of having a plan to win the division and WS. For me there can no other explanation for the pitching decisions made since he has been in charge. But its not only DR it is pitching coaches and not getting results with the talent afforded.

  42. Truth. Dodgers have the second most injuries in baseball. How many bullpen guys? How about starting pitching? Kersh, Gonsolin, May and Bauer? That’s almost a full rotation right there. Belli, Seager and Mookie have also missed significant time. On and on and yet we are 29 games over .500 and will catch and overtake the Giants. Granted Roberts is not perfect but then again, nobody is. World Champion Manager.

  43. Lol We ALL KNOW, what this is REALLY ALL about, Dalton & Your Coach Potato Genius’s !?!?!?

  44. I have ways said other Dodger fans embarrass me for being such whiny bitches. Here is further proof.

  45. OMGOOH SILLY RABBITS…
    1 + 1 = ?

    TNo nohis is Dave Roberts’ managerial record with the Dodgers through 162 x 5 games:

    2016: 91-71 (.562), NL West champion
    2017: 104-58 (.642), NL champion
    2018: 92-71 (.564), NL champion
    2019: 106-56 (.654), NL West champion
    2020-21: 104-57 (.646), World Series champion in 2020
    Total: 497-313 (.614), five division titles, three pennants, one World Series

    “Since 2019, Roberts has essentially produced back-to-back seasons of more than 100 wins, including a World Series title. He has won at least 100 games three times in the equivalent of five seasons. At present, he ranks seventh in major-league history in winning percentage. This week, he will likely win his 500th game, all before turning 50.”

  46. 2017 to 2020 world series champions if not for that mismanager Dave Roberts. Of course everybody is now aware that the Astros cheated in 2017 but the Dodgers could’ve still won if they had a good manager.

  47. ALL TRUE COMMENTS,A.F has put some great players, but no one to manage them. one F UP WSE TO LET KEKA GET AWAY AND NOW LUX IS A GREAT ULITILY PLAYER LUX TO OKLA. NOW TO MANY HAS BEEN PLAYERS, ARE DODGERS IN A PANIC, IF A.F. DOES NOT GET RID OF D.R.THE FAN BASE WILL BE GONE. GET MIKE SOC, BUT GET RID OF D.R. HE IS A JOKE

  48. Chuckle Chuckle!!!!

    2016: 91-71 (.562), NL West champion
    2017: 104-58 (.642), NL champion
    2018: 92-71 (.564), NL champion
    2019: 106-56 (.654), NL West champion
    2020-21: 104-57 (.646), World Series champion in 2020
    Total: 497-313 (.614), five division titles, three pennants, one World Series

    “Since 2019, Roberts has essentially produced back-to-back seasons of more than 100 wins, including a World Series title. He has won at least 100 games three times in the equivalent of five seasons. At present, he ranks seventh in major-league history in winning percentage. This week, he will likely win his 500th game, all before turning 50.”

  49. Ooops I sent this AMAZING information…(3) TIMES by accident!! I Wonder WHY that happened!?!?
    Hee Hee Hee

    2016: 91-71 (.562), NL West champion
    2017: 104-58 (.642), NL champion
    2018: 92-71 (.564), NL champion
    2019: 106-56 (.654), NL West champion
    2020-21: 104-57 (.646), World Series champion in 2020
    Total: 497-313 (.614), five division titles, three pennants, one World Series

    “Since 2019, Roberts has essentially produced back-to-back seasons of more than 100 wins, including a World Series title. He has won at least 100 games three times in the equivalent of five seasons. At present, he ranks seventh in major-league history in winning percentage. This week, he will likely win his 500th game, all before turning 50.”

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