Dodgers Polls: Fans Call for New Leadership on LA Bench, Want Roberts Out
A lot can be said about the ending to a disappointing season for the Dodgers. The team was poised to be one of the greatest Dodgers teams of all time and looked stacked in all positions throughout the regular season.
Of course, none of that matters when you reach the postseason and the confidence once held by the Dodgers quickly went south. The Dodgers’ pitching rotation became a glaring issue and the team failed to bring in runners in scoring position.
There are many question marks and possible answers to what went wrong, but the fans have spoken and believe Dave Roberts is the answer. In a recent fan poll, fans believe the Dodgers should replace Roberts immediately for any hope moving forward.
Should the Dodgers replace Dave Roberts as manager?
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 16, 2022
It’s a quick decision and may be seen as recency bias after the upsetting loss in the NLDS, but fans have called for Roberts’s head over recent years. While they are clearly upset, the speculation is pointing towards Roberts coming back for at least another season.
Roberts has been the manager of the Dodgers for seven seasons and has reached the World Series three times during his tenure (won in 2020). During that span, Roberts has racked up 653 wins and 380 losses.
The Dodgers have continually put out great regular seasons, finishing first in the division six out of the seven seasons under Roberts, but this season clearly seems to be the most disappointing. The Dodgers finished with the best record in baseball and had all the accolades throughout the season to virtually guarantee a World Series.
Of course this wasn’t the case and the Dodgers now have some serious decisions to make heading into the 2023 season.
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Amazes me how one call gets magnified but would have to agree, Anderson should’ve stayed in, ‘if it ain’t broken don’t fix it’ mentality. Then make the change…As for our offense, Roberts is hardly to blame, afterall, he ain’t swinging it. Some have said he didn’t get the troops fired up, I say, considering how much money these guys are making, it is each players responsibility to show up with a ‘take no prisoners’ mentality. If I can get fired up they can, and I’m not even playing….
It’s the One call that plummeted a chance for a Game 5. As for the Offense, the lineup order could be Questioned
! Who writes the lineup card?? A guy who should get some of the Blame. True, he ain’t swinging it but he is Inking IT!! I would have to say he is more of a Demoralizer!! He can sure bring down team spirit with one of his quick ???????? MOVES!!!
Fraudberts NEEDS to be fired. No excuses.
It does take 2 to tango! They can’t even get that Right!!
I agree with the fans (being a fan myself since ’74 [yes, I’m old]). The only thing that has not changed in the last few years is Roberts. This team has consistently stumbled in the postseason since this great adventure began. They always seem lethargic come October (or even in September). It seems as if the team is never motivated to win in the late season and postseason. They have changed the lineup so maybe it’s time to change the coaching staff (all of them).
I agree with You All the Way. If the Dodgers were a Race Car, the driver would have been replaced a Long time ago! The pit crew . . . I mean the coaching staff is not much better. About the coaches, there were several times that Evel Dino put up the stop sign too soon. Since the Dodgers were having a tough time hitting and driving in runs, runners in motion need a coach to really read how a Live ball is being Played. One play in particular Stands out. A misjudged fly hit led the fielder to overrun, bobble the pick up and then a weak throw back to the infield. I was out of my seat thinking a Run would score!! instead of looking at home plate, they showed 3rd where Dino had HELD up the Runner!! Unbelievable!!!
No I’m old!!! Been a Dodger Fan since the 60’s and it seems to be the same old story!!! They play great during the season, and then CHOKE in play-offs!!! That’s the Dodgers for you!!! Stopped watching then about 10 years ago, and now my blood pressure is back to normal!!!
Roberts is a sock puppet for Friedman and he can take the wrath of fans as a punching bag, so he serves his purpose for the front office. Believe me, when Roberts was talking swing angle the other day that’s FO jargon. Guy is an empty suit.
Roberts makes the decisions the FO tells him to make and serves as the post mortem punching bag. Serves the purpose for the FO.
“The Dodgers’ pitching rotation became a glaring issue ” No it didn’t. This offense going back to the final six games against the Rockies simply did not produce when they had the chances. This team lead the league in runs scored going away and simply forgot how to hit the baseball against a team and pitching staff they flat-out owned in 19 meetings.
The fact of the matter is sabermetrics has doomed this offense. Instead of contact, small ball, and playing old school baseball that was incredibly effective for a century and half, we have .190 hitters instead focused on launch angle and exit velocity and a first round exit against a wildcard team is the price to pay. Was it worth it, Mr. Friedman?
Kyle, I’m afraid that as long as it does not come out of his pocket, it doesn’t affect him. I see Friedman finally filled the GM position back in January. Didn’t know about this until recently. Friedman was still the one wheeling and dealing at the trade deadline. So what Gives??!!
Not sure if getting rid of Roberts solves anything. If in fact he is just a puppet for the FO. What’s the point?
All of these other organizations change managers within a few years. So unless your winning titles every season, then a change of approach is necessary except with the Dodgers. Watching Roberts is like a bad movie relived Over and Over and over always with the same ending. He became more involved with cheerleading, playing favorites, and the FO’s computer models than playing the type of ball he used to have to play. Contact situational baseball. If he would of had the same approach the entire series he had with trea turner bunting and using the team speed, the Dodgers would still be playing. Anyone with a cognitive thought process would have benched Justin turner after he left his 8th man in scoring position. He never even played the big trade deadline accusation in Gallo, which couldn’t have been any worse. Should have started Anderson in game 2 as he was clearly better than Kershaw, but Roberts and the Dodgers always play games from the past. they never play in the moment, they always have favorites, and any team at any level knows when a manager does this and they become sterile. Anyone who’s ever even coached a little league team knows this….Not the Dodgers and roberts…. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hire Bruce Bochy, sign Aaron Judge, re-sign Trea Turner, bring back Jansen, let Gallo retire. Re-sign Kershaw.
The only thing happening is signing Judge.
DAVE MUST GO!!
It’s easy to babysit a much talented team through a weak division during the regular season, but when it comes to “push to shove” in the post season he freezes up. Need a manager that handles pressure and makes intelligent decisions based on the eye test and experience of handling the speed of the postseason game. Roberts is just glued to sabermetrics in the postseason which makes everyone on the team robotic, instead of being creative, out-of-the-box thinking to win in the postseason. You have the talent, let them shine and do their thing. The solution is Mike Sciocia. Former Dodger catcher w/ tons of experience in handling pitching situations, playing aggressive small ball, dealing w/ superstars, and the bright lights of LA. He uses data by the computer nerds as a tool, instead of Roberts using it like a how-to-do manual. Roberts was a pinch runner that only knew to run base to base.
Facts: 1. For most of the season the Dodgers were a terrific team and beat almost everyone.
2. Now and then, for mysterious reasons, they went cold and lost a bunch of games. They did that several times. They do that every season. Every team goes through cold spells. No one can explain it. It’s baseball.
3. During the San Diego series they went cold.
It’s not a hard fact but likely true that everyone did their best, the manager included. Some things are inexplicable.
They have the wrong hitting philosophy and offensive strategy of their hitting coaches. Their swings are hit or miss w/ the launch mentality. Every Dodger get shifted on, and they don’t take advantage on what the defense gives them especially with runners on base and two strikes. They get greedy for personal goals, which in the postseason runs are hard to come by with elite pitching. No adjustments were made to a 2-strike approach, shorten your swing, or going oppo to the open grass. Hitting coaches, players, and manager must learn to make adjustments in situations.
He’s just a puppet who carries out the front office script. If the game doesn’t go scripted, his brain is paralyzed. And it brings disaster. He should be a first base coach, not a manager
To me the bigger problem after losing game 2 is starting Gonslin on a very short leash in game 3 making it a bullpen game. If you win game 3 with Anderson pitching you have home field advantage back. If you lose game 3 then Julio pitches on short rest in game 4 or at home in game 5. Kershaw and the bullpen pitch the game that Julio doesn’t pitch. Losing game 2 and 3 without pitching Anderson or Julio is not playoff baseball. And playoff starters go until they are not effective add bullpen arms when needed not anticipated.
Mattingly made many of the same headscratching moves as well. Friedman is managing this team and Roberts is a Yes Man with a smile. Under no other circumstance would it be unfair to watch multiple rosters choke under the same manager and not draw that connection. Any newcomer would be the same as Mattingly in LA or Roberts.
Roberts is too passive which affects the team. Tommy used to close the door and explode at the team, when has Roberts ever gotten tossed for arguing? Sometimes a manager has to get tossed on purpose to fire up his team. He’s a “players manager” for sure but that can only go so far. He has to be tougher at times and not protect players like Loopy Bellinger.
Roberts has had his shot, he is the Les Miles of MLB, gifted with the most talent and can only win 1 in 8 tries! You put him on an avg team and he would be run out of town in less than a year! I have been pulling for the Dodgers since Dusty Baker played and Roberts makes it very difficult to be a fan. Also the Padres outmaneuver Fraudman for Soto, Snell, Clevinger, Drury, and no way you let Machado walk! All six of those players are young and more talented than the person in that position for the Dodgers! We need to keep Freeman, T Turner, Betts, W Smith, Urias, Bueller, Anderson, a few relievers and get rid of everyone else otherwise it will be doing the same thing and expecting a different result! ScioScia, or Maddox, as the manager and lets get some Championships!!