When Dave Roberts was hired as Los Angeles Dodgers manager prior to the 2016 season, he inherited an already talented club that underperformed when it mattered most in recent years.
Since taking the helm, Roberts has led the Dodgers to two National League Championship Series’ and one World Series appearance.
Furthermore, he has already managed a plethora of All-Stars in his short stint as Dodgers skipper, including the likes of Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and Justin Turner on the position side.
Expanding to the mound include Kenley Jansen, Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood as pitchers with plenty of accolades in their respective careers that Roberts has worked with.
What asked what additional player that Roberts would love to manage if given the chance, not factoring in salaries or contracts, he pegged for Dodger great pitcher Sandy Koufax as his No. 1 option via the Dodgers’ official Facebook page:
“Past or present? Wow. Money aside, um, gosh. Let’s go past, I would take Sandy Koufax.”
Koufax is regarded as one of the two best left-handed pitchers in Dodgers history. He is often compared to Kershaw, so it’s no surprise that Roberts would pounce on the opportunity to manage another elite, similar talent from a different era.
Koufax won three Cy Young Awards and an MVP, while earning seven All-Star Game selections, winning five ERA titles, throwing one perfect game and four no-hitters, and winning four World Series with the Dodgers.
He the first three-time Cy Young Award winner (1963, ’65 and ’66) in MLB history and was the youngest player ever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
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