Black History Month: African-American head coaches in L.A.
By Evan Lovett
Dave Roberts
Dodgers, 2016 – current
The Dodgers broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947 with Jackie Robinson.
It took another 68 years before they hired a black manager, and within two seasons it is clear that they have the right man in charge.
Roberts was brought in as a beacon of positivity and adopter of sabermetrics, coinciding with the heady front office and their vision of a modern baseball club.
What they could not have foreseen was Roberts’ astute management of a once-shaky bullpen and duct-taped pitching staff, which led to the most pitching changes in Major League Baseball history.
It also led to a division title and appearance in the National League Championship Series, and optimism from Chavez Ravine to the San Fernando Valley and South Bay.
Roberts looks to be a stalwart in the mold of Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda for these newly rejuvenated Dodgers.