Dodgers manager Dave Roberts went back on the Dan Patrick Show, but this time he refused to be goaded into a World Series “guarantee.”
Last year, Dave Roberts “guaranteed” the Dodgers would win the World Series. Of course, what he actually said was they’d win it if their starting pitching staff stayed healthy, and with only two starters with enough innings to qualify for the ERA title and their best pitcher going down with Tommy John surgery, it’s hard to argue their starting pitching stayed healthy.
Still, the “guarantee” didn’t come true, and while the words a manager said in March didn’t actually have any impact on how well Los Angeles hit with runners in scoring position in October, some people still blame Roberts and his hubris for LA’s NLDS loss.
Anyway, Roberts was back on the Dan Patrick Show recently, the site of the ill-fated “guarantee,” and Patrick asked him the same question as last year. This time, Roberts didn’t fall for it, even light-heartedly chiding Patrick for being “the media” and cutting out the caveat about the starting pitching.
“I’m not going to say ‘we’re going to win the World Series in 2023’ – I still believe that, I really do. I don’t think there’s a manager that has a really competitive team that doesn’t feel that way. Our guys feel that way.”
Patrick pressed him with the same follow up as last year: “You’ll win the World Series this year if…?”
“If we play good baseball throughout October. How about that,” Roberts said with a laugh.
That’s a good answer. The Dodgers didn’t lose in last year’s postseason because of a “guarantee” from Roberts; they lost because they didn’t play good baseball throughout October. With another immensely talented team in 2023, if they can play good baseball throughout October, you have to like their chances.
