Dodgers Rumors: Three Reasons why the Dodgers will Win the World Series
By Jason Reed
1. Dave Roberts is a Genius
I am a huge, huge, fan of Dave Roberts – this analysis may be a bit biased, but Roberts is the best manager we have had in a long time. Nothing against Don Mattingly or guys prior, but the Dodgers have a manager that is not afraid to take risks, and will break the mold if it puts the team in the best situation to win.
I cannot think of a time that Dave Roberts made a decision that I immensely disagreed with. Heck, the man brought in Kenley Jansen in the seventh inning in game five of the NLDS, only to close it with ace Clayton Kershaw. Risky, yes, but also nothing short of pure genius.
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Even in moves that didn’t work out, I believe that Roberts 99% of the time puts the Dodgers in the best situation to win. Take game one of the NLCS last year – the Dodgers intentionally walked two batters with two outs to load the bases in order to get Joe Maddon to take out Aroldis Chapman.
With Joe Blanton on the mound, the most consistent reliever for the Dodgers outside of Kenley Jansen last year, this was a great move. Sure, it ended in a grand slam, but if that pitch was two inches lower we are looking at a ground ball. Then, the Dodgers scored in the top of the ninth as Chapman was out, and we are looking at a 3-0 against Chicago.
Of course, it didn’t work out that way, but look at the past World Series Championships and they all had managers that take risks and are pure geniuses. Joe Maddon coached the Cubs like a jigsaw puzzle, Ned Yost was often criticized for his outlandish decisions which led to consecutive World Series appearances, and Bruce Bochy is one of the best managerial minds in the game.
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While Dave Roberts may not be in that same class as those guys just yet, his decision making certainly is. With the two-headed monster of Seager and Kershaw leading a very deep roster, genius manager Dave Roberts will lead the charge in finally bringing the Commissioner’s Trophy back to Los Angeles.