Joe Torre knows a winning manager when he sees one. The Hall of Famer who led the Yankees to four World Series titles and 84 postseason victories is tipping his cap to someone now redefining October baseball in Los Angeles: Dave Roberts.
As Torre told MLB.com, “Dave has done a really great job out there. When you’ve won before, you know what it takes to win. You can’t stop to admire, ‘Look what I did,’ because you’ll lose it quick.”
Roberts has quietly turned consistency into a winning formula. Since taking over in 2016, he has guided the Dodgers to the postseason in every full season he’s managed. His 65 playoff wins now rank fourth in MLB history, behind Torre, Tony La Russa, and Bobby Cox.
The Teacher and the Student of October
Torre’s words carry weight because he understands the grind of October. The sleepless nights, the pressure-filled innings, and the expectations that never go away. He sees in Roberts a manager who embraces those challenges rather than avoids them.
“When you get to this stage, you can’t rely on the past,” Torre said. “Every postseason is its own challenge. But you can tell by how the Dodgers play that they’re prepared for every moment.”
This postseason, the Dodgers have looked like a team built for the spotlight. Roberts’ squad swept the Reds in the Wild Card Series and dominated the National League playoffs, winning nine of ten games to capture another pennant. “The hard part is getting guys to play their best baseball at the right time,” Roberts said. “To keep that edge for 162 games and then find another level in October, that’s what defines championship teams.”
A New Dodgers Dynasty in Motion
With Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman leading a powerhouse lineup, the Dodgers are chasing something few teams ever achieve. No club has repeated as World Series champions since Torre’s Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000.
Torre still feels a connection to Los Angeles after managing the Dodgers from 2008 to 2010. He understands the challenges of maintaining excellence year after year. “He’s earned everything he’s accomplished,” Torre said. “He has the players’ trust, he has the city behind him, and he knows how to win when it matters.”
Roberts has a simple goal as the Dodgers prepare for the World Series against the Blue Jays on Friday night in Toronto. “I want to win this year as much as I wanted to last year,” he said. “That’s what keeps me going and that’s what keeps our team hungry.”
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