There’ll at all times be excessive expectations for the individual managing the Los Angeles Dodgers. Followers demand a World Collection 12 months in and 12 months out whereas something in need of it’s thought-about a misplaced season.
The phrases, “Fireplace Dave Roberts,” have been written so many occasions over the previous 9 years that the supervisor has misplaced depend. That hasn’t stopped him from persevering with to succeed, although.
“The one ones who query him, I feel, is you guys,” Dodgers proprietor Mark Walter mentioned earlier than the staff received the World Collection. “He’s received 4 pennants in eight years. Anybody who thinks they’ll do higher than that – that’s lots.”
Roberts doesn’t get sufficient credit score typically for the job he has performed. However, that doesn’t trouble him.
“I’ve discovered to have thicker pores and skin and attempt to respect the truth that there’s at all times going to be criticism. Perhaps extra jaded at occasions,” Roberts mentioned.
“However it’s a outcomes enterprise, and I get that. I perceive the job, the market, however I’m simply completely happy that our guys actually carried out.”
This season was a masterclass in managing from Roberts and he might have simply given up and seemed forward to 2025. As an alternative, he gathered his staff and so they locked in.
“There’s a number of occasions within the season the place we might have punted and had each excuse to sit up for ’25,” Roberts mentioned. “However they didn’t.”
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman gave Roberts all of the credit score for that.
“I feel there have been occasions in the course of the 12 months with a few of the accidents we had the place it was just a little bit deflating,” Friedman mentioned. “And I feel Doc did an ideal job of getting in entrance of that and pumping some enthusiasm and optimism into the group.”
However the noise can also be a constructive observe as a result of if there wasn’t any, it might as if the fan base didn’t care.
“We now have such an ideal fan base and we love that,” Friedman mentioned after the Division Collection victory over the Padres. “The expectations are tremendous excessive. We love that as properly. And each time we fall in need of that, there’s a number of blame to go round and a number of disenchanted individuals. We might a lot relatively that than individuals not caring.
“The theater of October baseball is all outcome-based. In case you have a very good final result, constructive issues are mentioned and written. In case you have a nasty final result, actually dangerous issues are mentioned and written.”
The 2024 postseason was stuffed with positives for Roberts and the Dodgers. It’s protected to imagine followers received’t be chanting ‘Fireplace Dave Roberts’ anymore.
Photograph Credit score: Kirby Lee-Imagn Pictures
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