LA Dodgers Rumors 2015: Dave Roberts Expected to Be Hired as Manager
The Los Angeles Dodgers are once again trying to make history with the signing of a minority manager; reports are coming in that former outfielder Dave Roberts is slated to become the team's manager. Roberts has a Japanese mother and an African American father, which makes him a unique selection.
The 43-year-old and the Dodgers are reportedly inking a three-year contract, while the team has the option to keep him for a fourth season. As soon as the hiring becomes official, he will become a member of a group made up of three minorities who are currently managing a major league baseball team. The other ones are Fredi Gonzales of the Atlanta Braves and Dusty Baker of the Washington Nationals.
Roberts himself is no stranger to achievements and feats all throughout his colorful career, but probably the most prominent of those feats is the stolen base during the 2004 ALCS. He stole a base in Game 4 of that series, successfully fueling a comeback for the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees. The Red Sox eventually won their first-ever World Series in almost a century. In the latter part of his career, Roberts suffered cancer; a battle that he eventually won.
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It is expected that some pundits will look at this hiring as a bad decision merely because Roberts, though having spent all his life in baseball, actually does not have any managerial experience. But with the kind of personality he has and the obvious know-how in baseball, LA's front office didn't hesitate.
Before the reports of Roberts' hiring surfaced, many observers thought that director of player development Gabe Kapler was going to get the job. However, team officials were clearly impressed by what Roberts had to offer.
When asked for a comment about his hiring, Roberts simply said, "It is the opportunity of a lifetime."
