Dodgers Dugout: A closer look at Dave Roberts

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and I’m wondering why it is 90 degrees in February.

Worth your time

I will continue my rankings of the NL West teams in the next newsletter early next week, but wanted to send you into the holiday weekend with a recommendation: A great profile of new Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts, written by our new Dodgers reporter, Andy McCullough.

Here are some key quotes from Roberts, but the entire story is worth a look, and you can find it online.

On his top priority:

“The No. 1 goal ... is for us ... to create an unbreakable bond within the group.”

What is he looking for from his team?

“A gritty group, a group that’s tenacious, a group that cares for one another, plays for one another, doesn’t care who gets the credit.”

How much freedom does he have on game and lineup decisions?

“I do respect chain of command. But those guys have told me numerous times, when you’re talking about chain of command with lineup construction or in-game management, that starts with the manager.”

On his childhood:

“When I was growing up, I was the guy with a lot of different groups of friends. A connector. That’s who I was.”

On how to win:

“You can have all the money. You can have the highest payroll. You can have the best information. If you don’t have the best team, you’re not going to win. The players have got to realize that. And that’s our job.”

Others on Roberts

“He’s an authentic guy,” said Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro, who has known Roberts for more than a decade: “Every bone in his body is sincere.”

Pitcher Chris Young, a former teammate in San Diego, said, “He’s just got that charisma to him that brings out the best in people, in a genuine way. One of the greatest attributes he has is bringing out the best in people around him.”

Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll, whom Roberts reached out to for advice: “We had a great conversation about building a culture, developing an attitude, and forming a style for a team. He's very upbeat and it'll be fun watching him blossom in his new role.”

And finally

Those are just some of the quotes in the story. You can also learn how he handled his cancer diagnosis, who was the first player he visited after being named manager and some great information from Roberts’ father, Waymon, about Roberts’ life growing up and how it molded his son.

All in all, a terrific piece. I rarely devote these newsletters to just one thing, but this is worth it. It might even inspire some hope from the more pessimistic of you out there that Roberts can make this team a lot better than you think it will be.

Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me and follow me on Twitter: @latimeshouston.