Dodgers' Dave Roberts Makes Surprising Concession About Toll of High Expectations

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 3, 2024

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers head into Tuesday's game against the Angels with an MLB-best record of 83-55, a level of success that comes with high expectations after the team committed more than $1 billion in future salaries to players this past offseason.

With that kind of money on the line, what was once a child's game turns into something much more serious.

“It takes the fun out of it a little bit,” manager Dave Roberts admitted to Barry M. Bloom of Sportico.

The Dodgers’ powerful lineup was on full display in their recent four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. On Saturday night, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman kicked off the game with three straight solo home runs — a first in the club's history dating back to their Brooklyn days, even before Ebbets Field opened in 1913.

DODGERS WIN THE SERIES AGAINST THE D-BACKS
Ohtani stole 3 bases
Freddie Freeman got 2 homers
Mookie Betts got 3 RBIs
Teoscar got 5 hits
Flaherty went deep into the game
Dodgers bullpen was successful

TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY 💙🫶🏼

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) September 2, 2024

Roberts knows he’s fortunate to manage a team that has seen such a high level of investment.

“You have good players, and they have to perform,” he said. “They earn a great salary, and some of these guys are stars for a reason. It’s up to those guys to lead us, and that’s what they’re doing.”

But managing a team with such expectations isn't always easy. After a blowout loss to the Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon, the questions began: What could Roberts have done differently? What should he have done?

The Dodgers responded by winning the series finale, securing a tiebreaker over Arizona if both teams end the season with identical records.

Dodgers Odds of Winning Division Revealed, Shohei Ohtani On Pace to Make History, LA Makes Statement vs. D-Backs https://t.co/Yy7w8Mc7SX

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) September 3, 2024

The Dodgers are no strangers to the ups and downs of October. They have dominated the National League West for more than a decade, but with only one World Series title to show for it. Last season, it was the D-backs who got the better of them.

“We just know we need to be better in certain areas to compete,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We embrace that challenge. We live in that space.”

Once the playoffs begin, the regular season's accomplishments mean little. Roberts knows that all too well, saying, “We have to do better. We’re just trying to win as many games as we can and figure it out from there.”

This year, the difference-maker could be Ohtani, who is set to play in his first postseason game in just a few weeks.

Perhaps Ohtani's purpose in joining the Dodgers was not merely to boost the team's postseason aspirations. Perhaps he can add a little fun to the journey for his manager, too.