Dave Roberts (baseball manager) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dave Roberts
Roberts with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023
Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 30
Outfielder / Manager
Born: (1972-05-31) May 31, 1972 (age 53) Naha, Okinawa, Japan
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
August 7, 1999, for the Cleveland Indians
Last appearance
September 27, 2008, for the San Francisco Giants
MLB statistics (through July 9, 2025)
Batting average	.266
Home runs	23
Runs batted in	213
Stolen bases	243
Managerial record	907–545
Winning %	.625
Teams
As player Cleveland Indians (1999–2001) Los Angeles Dodgers (2002–2004) Boston Red Sox (2004) San Diego Padres (2005–2006) San Francisco Giants (2007–2008) As manager San Diego Padres (2015) Los Angeles Dodgers (2016–present) As coach San Diego Padres (2011–2015)
Career highlights and awards
3× World Series champion (2004, 2020, 2024) NL Manager of the Year (2016)
Medals Men's baseball Representing USA Pan American Games Silver 1999 Winnipeg Team competition

David "Dave" Ray Roberts (born May 31, 1972), also known as "Doc", is a Japanese American baseball manager and former outfielder. He is currently the manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Roberts played for five different MLB teams over ten years. After his playing career, he coached for the San Diego Padres. In 2016, he became the manager of the Dodgers. One of his most famous moments as a player was a key stolen base for the Boston Red Sox in 2004. This helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series. Roberts batted and threw with his left hand.

Dave Roberts is the son of a Japanese mother and an African American father. He made history as the first manager of Asian heritage to lead a team to the World Series in 2017. He led the Dodgers to the World Series in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2024. His teams won the championship in 2020 and 2024. He is the first manager of Asian heritage and the second African American manager to win a World Series title.

Early Life and School Years

David Ray Roberts was born on May 31, 1972, in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. His father, Waymon, was a U.S. Marine stationed in Japan. His mother, Eiko, was from Okinawa. Dave has a younger sister named Melissa.

His family moved often because of his father's military career. They lived in different places like Okinawa, various parts of California, North Carolina, and Hawaii. They eventually settled in San Diego, California.

Roberts attended Vista High School for his freshman year. He was the best player on the junior varsity baseball team. He then moved to Rancho Buena Vista High School. There, he was a star in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, he was a quarterback for three years. In his senior year, he helped his team win the San Diego Section Class 3A championship. He was offered a chance to play football at the Air Force Academy. However, he chose to play baseball instead.

College Baseball Career

Roberts decided to go to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He joined the Bruins baseball team as a walk-on outfielder. He impressed the coaches with his speed and energy.

In his second year, he had a batting average of .331 and stole 36 bases. In his third year, he hit .296 with 28 stolen bases.

The Cleveland Indians picked Roberts in the 47th round of the 1993 MLB draft. He was disappointed to be drafted so late. His coach told him he needed to improve his defense and throwing arm. He worked hard and got better at reaching the ball quickly. As a senior, he led the Bruins in outfield assists. He also hit .353 and stole 45 bases. When he left UCLA, he was the school's all-time leader in stolen bases. He earned a degree in history in 1995.

Playing in the Pros

Starting in the Minor Leagues

The Detroit Tigers drafted Roberts in the 28th round of the 1994 MLB draft. He started his career with the Jamestown Jammers, a Class A team. He hit .292 and stole 12 bases. In 1995, he played for the Lakeland Tigers, hitting .303 with 30 stolen bases.

In 1996, Roberts played for the Visalia Oaks. He felt frustrated at first but his father encouraged him to keep playing. He hit .272 with 65 stolen bases, which was the most in all of minor league baseball that year. He also scored 112 runs. He played a few games for the Double-A Jacksonville Suns at the end of the season. He even hit a three-run home run in a playoff game. The next year, he stayed with Jacksonville, hitting .296 with 23 steals. In 1998, he started again with the Suns, hitting .326 with 21 stolen bases. He was named a mid-season all-star.

Cleveland Indians (1999–2001)

In June 1998, Roberts was traded to the Cleveland Indians. He played for the Akron Aeros and then the Buffalo Bisons, the Indians' top minor league team. He helped the Bisons win their first championship in almost 40 years. Roberts felt excited because he knew he was getting close to playing in the major leagues.

Roberts made his MLB debut for the Indians on August 7, 1999. He played center field and batted first. In his first game, he had three hits and stole a base. He hit his first MLB home run on August 30. On September 24, he hit a grand slam. In 1999, he played in 41 games, hitting .238 with two home runs and 11 stolen bases. He also played in two playoff games.

In 2000, Roberts spent most of the season back in Buffalo. He had a .292 average with a career-high 13 home runs and 39 steals. He was called up to the Indians briefly and then again in September. He had surgery on his left shoulder after the season. He later returned to Buffalo, where he hit .303. His 97 stolen bases in Buffalo are the most in the team's history. He was later chosen for the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame. In total, he played 75 games for the Indians over three seasons, hitting .242.

Los Angeles Dodgers (2002–2004)

Roberts playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers

On December 22, 2001, Roberts was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2002 season was his first full year in the major leagues. He was the leadoff hitter and starting center fielder for the Dodgers. He finished the season hitting .277 with 45 stolen bases.

In 2003, Roberts played in 107 games because of hamstring problems. Still, he stole 42 bases and hit .250. He was the tenth Dodgers player to have two seasons in a row with 40 or more stolen bases. He started the 2004 season with the Dodgers. He hit .253 with 33 steals in 68 games, even though he missed time due to more hamstring issues.

Boston Red Sox (2004) and "The Steal"

On July 31, 2004, the Dodgers traded Roberts to the Boston Red Sox. He played in 45 games for the Red Sox and hit .256.

Roberts made a huge impact on the 2004 Red Sox postseason, even though he didn't play in the 2004 World Series. His most famous moment was a stolen base against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the 2004 American League Championship Series. The Red Sox were losing 4–3 in the bottom of the ninth inning and were about to be eliminated. Kevin Millar walked, and Roberts came in to pinch run. He hadn't played in ten days.

The Yankees' pitcher, Mariano Rivera, tried to pick Roberts off base three times. On the first pitch to the next batter, Roberts stole second base. He barely made it safely. After the steal, Bill Mueller hit a single, and Roberts scored from second base. This tied the game. The Red Sox went on to win the game in 12 innings. This win started an amazing streak of eight straight wins for Boston. They then won their first World Series title since 1918. In 2006, the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame recognized this stolen base as a "Memorable Moment."

San Diego Padres (2005–2006)

The Red Sox traded Roberts to the San Diego Padres on December 20, 2004. Roberts played center field for the Padres in 2005, hitting .275 with 115 games. In 2006, he moved to left field. That season, Roberts had his best year with a .293 batting average, 49 steals, and 13 triples. The 13 triples tied a team record. In the 2006 playoffs, Roberts hit .438, but the Padres lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.

San Francisco Giants (2007–2008)

Roberts playing for the San Francisco Giants

In December 2006, Roberts signed a three-year contract with the San Francisco Giants. His time with the Giants started slowly due to injuries. He missed most of May and June. He had surgery on his elbow. He finished the 2007 season hitting .260 in 114 games with 31 stolen bases. In 2008, he played only 52 games because of injuries. He hit a career-low .224 with only five steals.

On March 5, 2009, the Giants released Roberts.

Player Skills

Roberts was known for his speed and smarts on the bases. He didn't hit many home runs. Instead, he used his speed to get on base and turn singles into doubles. Once on base, he was great at creating runs. He would steal second base, move to third on a ground ball, and score on a sacrifice fly.

When he was healthy, Roberts was one of the best base stealers in baseball. From 2002 to 2006, he stole 195 bases with an 81% success rate. This was one of the best rates in the majors. His career stolen base success rate is among the top 25 all-time for players with at least 300 attempts. He was also an excellent outfielder, covering a lot of ground. However, his arm wasn't the strongest, which sometimes allowed opponents to take extra bases.

Life After Playing

In May 2009, Roberts retired from playing baseball. He became a TV analyst for Red Sox games. After one season, he left broadcasting to work for the Padres. He helped players with outfield defense, base running, and bunting.

Coaching and Managing Career

San Diego Padres (2011–2015)

Roberts as Padres coach

On October 18, 2010, Roberts became the first base coach for the San Diego Padres. In 2014, he was promoted to bench coach.

On June 15, 2015, Roberts was the Padres' manager for one game after the team's manager was fired. The Padres lost that game. He then returned to his bench coach role.

Los Angeles Dodgers (2016–Present)

Roberts was named manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers on November 23, 2015. He was the first minority manager in the team's history.

In 2016, his first year, the Dodgers had many injuries. Despite this, they won their fourth straight division title. They made it to the playoffs but lost to the Chicago Cubs. Roberts was praised for his smart use of pitchers during the playoffs. He was named the National League Manager of the Year by Sporting News and the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

In 2017, Roberts led the Dodgers back to the playoffs. They swept the Arizona Diamondbacks and then beat the Chicago Cubs. Roberts became the first manager of Asian heritage to lead a team to the World Series. The Dodgers played the Houston Astros in the 2017 World Series and lost in seven games. It was later found that the Astros had illegally stolen signs during that season.

In 2018, the Dodgers started slowly but came back to win their division. Roberts led them to the 2018 World Series again. They faced his former team, the Boston Red Sox, managed by his former teammate Alex Cora. The Red Sox won the series, giving the Dodgers their second World Series loss in a row.

Dan Evans (left), Dave Roberts and Dr. Lynn Lashbrook at the 2023 Winter Meetings Baseball Career Conference

On December 3, 2018, Roberts signed a new four-year contract with the Dodgers.

In 2019, Roberts led the team to an amazing 106 wins, a team record. However, they were upset by the Washington Nationals in the playoffs, who went on to win the World Series.

In 2020, Roberts led the Dodgers to the playoffs again. They swept their first two playoff series. After coming back from a 3–1 deficit against the Atlanta Braves, the Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series. Roberts became the first African-American manager to win a World Series since Cito Gaston. He was also the first manager of Asian heritage to win the World Series.

Roberts (far right) with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and the Dodgers at the White House in 2021

On March 25, 2022, Roberts signed another three-year contract extension with the Dodgers. In 2022, the Dodgers won 111 games, one of the highest totals in MLB history. It was Roberts's fourth season with 100 or more wins. However, they lost in the playoffs to the San Diego Padres. This meant the 2022 Dodgers had the most wins of any team that failed to win a playoff series in the division era. In the past four full seasons, the Dodgers won 100 games each time but only reached the NLCS once. They won their division again in 2023 with 100 wins but lost in the playoffs to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In 2024, Roberts led the Dodgers to the National League championship for the fourth time. In the World Series, the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games. This gave Roberts his second World Series title as a manager and the Dodgers their eighth championship.

On March 10, 2025, Roberts agreed to a new four-year contract extension with the Dodgers. This deal set a new record for the highest average yearly pay for a Major League manager.

Managerial Record

Personal Life

Roberts at the Winter Meetings in 2015

Roberts married his high school girlfriend, Tricia, in 1997. They have a son, Cole, and a daughter, Emme. Cole played college baseball and is now in the minor league system for the Philadelphia Phillies. Roberts is also a partner in a winery called Red Stitch Winery.

In March 2010, Roberts was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer. After receiving treatment, he was declared cancer-free in June 2011.

Roberts is a Christian.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball All-Star Game managers