The Los Angeles Dodgers have entered each of the last several seasons with expectations to win the World Series. However, it is fair to say pressure somehow reached new heights in 2024, which of course can be traced to signing Shohei Ohtani as part of spending more than $1 billion in free agency.
Factoring in the previous two seasons in which L.A. fell embarrassingly short of their goal, to say there was pressure on manager Dave Roberts this year would be an understatement.
The Dodgers finished with the best record in baseball but once again found themselves on the brink of elimination in the National League Division Series. That started to fuel speculation of the team possibly making a change at manager if they suffered another early postseason exit.
Even Roberts admitted his future as Dodgers manager was something he gave thought to as the team looked to come back against the San Diego Padres, according to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic:
“There was some part of it that was on my mind if we didn’t win the series,” Roberts said in the aftermath of one of his finest professional moments, a 2-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night that advanced the Dodgers to the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets.
“I’m not going to lie and say it didn’t kind of bleed in. That’s the profession, the job. But at the end of the day, I was proud of myself for not letting any outside noise or things I can’t control affect the way I managed these games. I had complete clarity. I believed in our players. And they performed.”
Not only did the Dodgers eliminate the Padres in five games, they did so with Roberts deftly navigating one bullpen decision after another.
As the Dodgers were playing the NL Championship Series, Roberts faced some criticism over a perception of conceding multiple playoff games. That ultimately quieted as well and those decisions didn’t prove costly as the Dodgers returned to the World Series for the fourth time in Roberts’ ninth season as manager.
Dave Roberts ‘big part’ of Dodgers; future
Earlier this year Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman gave Roberts a public vote of confidence by declaring him “big part” of the organization’s future plans.
Roberts has just one year remaining on his current contract with the Dodgers.
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