Hilarious Story Shows How Well Dave Roberts Knows His Dodgers Players

As the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dave Roberts needs to know just about everything about everyone which can be difficult when there are many guys at camp each spring. This doesn’t just mean the basic details of a player’s tendencies on the field.

Roberts proved to a reporter during media day that he knows his players very well and he detailed the interview with Walker Buehler on the golf course in a hilarious post that was shared on social media.

In the video, Roberts said his conversation began with a discussion about rookie pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto who has a unique approach to warming up.

“He does this javelin throw right. He doesn’t use the weights,” said Roberts. “So then the reporter goes, ‘We asked a couple of people about Yoshi’s javelin work and one of your veteran players goes yeah, I just want the javelin so I can throw it at rookies.'”

The reporter asked Robert who he thought said that and without missing a beat, Roberts responded with the name Walker Buehler.

Roberts said the reporter was flabbergasted that he guessed correctly.

Yoshinobu’s work with the javelin has been detailed by Dodgers Nation throughout the spring. Bobby Miller said that loves watching his teammate’s routine.

“I love watching his routine. The way he goes about it. I might try to throw the javelin one day, too. I’ve seen a couple guys try to do it and it’s hard to. It’s so hard to throw, it’s wobbling.”

Bobby Miller via USA Today

Mookie Betts was fascinated by the javelin routine so much that he decided to start incorporating some of Yamamoto’s warm-up into his own.

“I don’t necessarily know what I’m doing — I’m just kind of doing it, and I feel good, so we’ll see. The whole thing is interesting. You’re never too old to learn. You’re never too good to learn.”

Mookie Betts via L.A. Times

The idea behind throwing the javelin is that it emphasizes flexibility, body control and body awareness over strength. Yamamoto has to use his entire body to get enough power behind the javelin which translates to pitching because his body type is smaller than most pitchers who throw in the mid-90s. Yamamoto’s warm-up also includes contortionist yoga techniques and handstands.

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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