Dodgers: Why bold prediction from Dave Roberts shouldn’t be a surprise
By Kevin Henry
As manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the most talented team in Major League Baseball on paper heading into the 2022 season, Dave Roberts saying his team is going to win the World Series shouldn’t be a surprise … or a lightning rod … or a hot take. After all, if you believe your team is the best, why wouldn’t you say you expect them to win a title?
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts should absolutely be telling the world he expects his team will win the World Series
In case you missed it on Thursday, here’s the exchange between the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and talk show host Dan Patrick that has drawn so much interest.
Asked Dave Roberts if he was indeed guaranteeing the #Dodgers will win the World Series this morning. He said yes:
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) March 24, 2022
"I'd be crazy not to. I believe in this organization, I believe we're going to put ourselves in that position. And we gotta finish it this year." https://t.co/QULLhTzaIY
Read those words again. Roberts believes in his players. He believes in the culture of the team and how things are laying out for a squad that is still smarting from losing the National League West to the San Francisco Giants last season. He knows the players that make up his All-Star-ridden lineup … and he’s getting to know arguably the most coveted free agent of them all out there in newly acquired Freddie Freeman.
The Dodgers don’t rebuild. They reload. From 2010-21, no MLB team won more games than the Dodgers or had a higher winning percentage. It’s hard to argue with the success Los Angeles has found from April through September. Now Roberts wants to see that translate into October and November as well.
The words from Roberts aren’t anything close to Joe Namath’s guarantee in the early days of the Super Bowl. Those New York Jets were a heavy underdog to the mighty Baltimore Colts. Today’s Dodgers are nothing like yesteryear’s Jets. They are the Goliath, not the David.
Yes, Roberts has set himself up for plenty of “told you so” tweets and messages should his team fall short of the ultimate prize. But it’s a calculated risk that has plenty of merit to it. After all, our friends at WynnBet aren’t listing the Dodgers as the odds-on favorite (+500) to win the Fall Classic on a whim.
General George Patton has been credited to say, “My own definition of leadership is this: The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence.”
Next. Where does Freeman fit into the Dodgers lineup?. dark
Go ahead, bookmark the audio from Roberts for your use in October or November should the Dodgers be eliminated. However, also remember that part of being a leader is setting goals, and that’s exactly what Roberts has done, even before his team has taken the field for Opening Day.