The successor to Don Mattingly has been found. A league source confirmed to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick on Sunday that the Los Angeles Dodgers have hired former major league outfielder Dave Roberts as their next manager.
Dodgers Hire Dave Roberts as Manager
Roberts, 43, roamed the outfield for those same Dodgers from 2002-2004. Over the span of his playing career, which spanned ten years and came to a conclusion in 2008, Roberts also saw time with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants.
Roberts previously interviewed for the Seattle Mariners managerial slot before the job was given to Scott Servais. Roberts served as the bench coached for the San Diego Padres for the past two seasons, filling in as interim manager for one game following the firing of Bud Black and preceding the hiring of Pat Murphy, a minor league coach for the Padres organization, for the rest of the season. He first joined the Padres in 2011 as the team’s first base coach.
Roberts is best known for his role in the Boston Red Sox improbably comeback against the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. Following a 19-8 beat down in game three, the Sox looked all but eliminated entering game four. In the bottom of the ninth, down to their last three outs and facing the greatest closer of all time in Mariano Rivera, the Sox sent Kevin Millar to the plate. Millar walked on five pitches, and was replaced by a pinch runner – Roberts.
Everyone in the stadium, including Rivera, who threw to first a few times, knew Roberts was going to steal, and so he did. With the count 0-0 on Bill Mueller, Roberts took off and dove head first to find himself safe at second. Two pitches later, Mueller tied the game on a ball hit up the middle. The rest in history: the Red Sox stormed their way to four straight wins and then swept the St. Louis Cardinals to in their first World Title in 86 years. Most remember that post season for designated hitter David Ortiz’s clutch hits, but none of would have happened if Roberts hadn’t stolen second off Rivera.
The details of Roberts’ contract with the Dodger’s are still being finalized. The hiring was first reported by the Los Angeles Times. Roberts beat out candidates such as Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach, third base coach Ron Roenicke, Kirk Gibson, Darin Erstad, Black, and Chicago Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez.
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