The LA Manufacturers

The Dodgers appear to have hired the right man for manager, someone the Los Angeles press loves:

The first time Dave Roberts stepped to home plate in a Dodgers uniform, batting leadoff on opening day in 2002 at Dodger Stadium, he scalded a ground ball into right field for a single.

He stole second. He was bunted to third. He scored on a groundout.

The man always did know how to make an entrance, and, oh boy, here he comes again, all scrappy and smart and selfless, only now he’s returning home to teach it.

This is going to change everything! It’s going to take a team that averaged 93 wins the last three years, get them to…. wait, 93 wins is pretty good:

Breathless as in standing near a fire, which Roberts will bring as a career journeyman who has little use for those entitled souls who take even one major league moment for granted.

Breathless as in feeling a tremor, which Roberts will create for a team that will learn to steal and scheme and manufacture wins in his image.

And, yes, breathless as in witnessing long overdue history. Roberts, whose father is African American and whose mother is Japanese, is the first minority manager in the history of a franchise that gave birth to the career of Jackie Robinson.

So all those overpaid, entitled players who are not minorities are going to get a lesson in stealing bases and bunting runners home, because up until now the Dodgers just sucked. Why?

More than anyone, though, this is a win for Dodgers fans who thought Don Mattingly was too icy, who thought the team was too programmed, and who had lost faith that the Dodgers could still play hardball.

Because winning 93 games and a division title isn’t enough. Dave Roberts find a way to steal the World Series title, because that’s what he does.

Now to the serious part. David Roberts had two strengths as a player. He could draw a walk, and he stole bases at a very high percentage, 81%. Those two things are very Moneyball. He was selective at the plate, and selective on the bases. In other words, his process was good. He may have the fire to motivate players, but he also understands how the game works well enough to put the best lineups on the field and use one-run strategies effectively. I have no idea how he’ll manage pitchers.

He will get a free pass from the media for a long time, however. That makes life in the manager’s office a lot easier.

from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/1LvlfO8