Dave Roberts, Aaron Boone Bring UCLA-USC Rivalry to Dodgers-Yankees World Series

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone played college ball at USC, while Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts played across town at UCLA.

Oct 24, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) speaks to the media during a press conference on workout day at Dodgers Stadium. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

After all these years, Aaron Boone and Dave Roberts have wound up right back where they started.

The New York Yankees' manager was born and raised in Southern California before attending USC. The Los Angeles Dodgers' manager may have been born in Japan, spending his childhood bouncing around naval bases, but he ended up going to college right across town at UCLA.

Now, they are set to face off in the World Series, which gets underway in Los Angeles on Friday.

Boone played for the Trojans from 1992 to 1994, while Roberts played for the Bruins over the same period. When asked what he remembered about Roberts from those days, Boone reminisced about their time going head-to-head as teenagers.

"I can see Doc and that little slap swing he had where he'd hit the ball the other way, he was a good player," Boone said during his press conference on Thursday. "Somebody that I got to know a little bit at that point, just playing against him, since he's such a great guy, but I remember him well. Kinda leadoff hitter, left fielder for the Bruins. Fun times, fun days."

But as anyone around Los Angeles knows, there is plenty of bad blood between UCLA and USC.

Boone certainly hasn't forgotten.

"I'm a Trojan, so as we all know in here, you're a Trojan for life, you're a Bruin for four years," Boone said, garnering some laughter from the media. "So I think that's the case with Doc, he's probably indifferent. I get pissed off when the Trojans lose, they're like 'Eh, whatever.'"

Aaron Boone, of @USC, on renewing acquaintences with an old rival: Dodgers manager & @UCLA Bruin Dave Roberts. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/5uli702bJ2

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 24, 2024

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, a UCLA alum like Roberts, didn't take too kindly to his own manager's comments.

"‘Aaron and I don’t always agree on everything," Cole said.

"Aaron and I don't always agree on everything." 😂

Gerrit Cole was asked about Aaron Boone's comments about Cole's alma mater, UCLA: pic.twitter.com/b8LHJN796Q

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 24, 2024

This isn't the first time that Boone and Roberts have found themselves on opposing sides of a generational rivalry, either.

Boone got traded to the Yankees midway through 2003, and he cemented his legacy with the team that postseason. In Game 7 of the ALCS, Boone crushed a walk-off home run to eliminate the Boston Red Sox and send New York back to the World Series.

The following year, the Red Sox got Dave Roberts from the Dodgers at the trade deadline. He also played hero in the playoffs, stealing second and scoring the game-tying run in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Yankees.

Roberts' clutch baserunning sparked a historic, 3-0 comeback for Boston in that series. The Red Sox would go on to claim their first World Series title in 86 years less than two weeks later.

The UCLA-USC showdowns in the early 90s didn't feature dramatics anywhere near that level, but perhaps Boone and Roberts' showdown in the 2024 World Series will.

First pitch for Game 1 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET on Friday.

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