Dave Roberts was formally introduced Tuesday as the 10th manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"It's hard for me to put into words what it means to be named manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers," said the 43-year-old Roberts when he was named the new Dodgers skipper last week.
Roberts is a former Dodger centerfielder and UCLA standout who spent the past five years as a San Diego Padres coach.
"This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime," Roberts said. "The Dodgers are the groundbreaking franchise of Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Sandy Koufax, Maury Wills, Fernando Valenzuela and Hideo Nomo. When I put on this uniform as a player, I understood the special responsibility to honor those that played before me as well as the amazing bond between the Dodgers and their fans. I feel that I have now come full circle in my career and there is plenty of
unfinished business left in LA."
Andrew Friedman, Dodger president of baseball operations, called Roberts a "baseball man" and a "people person" who will help the team achieve its "ultimate goal -- bringing a world championship back to the city of Los Angeles."
Roberts, who has a black father and Japanese mother, will be the first minority to serve as the Dodgers' manager.
@michaeljduarte: Ladies and gentleman the first minority manager in the history of the #Dodgers #daveroberts pic.twitter.com/Hv9hegKUxp — Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) December 1, 2015
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He will be one of only three minorities to manage in the major leagues; the others are Dusty Baker, who was
hired by the Washington Nationals this month, and Fredi Gonzalez of the Atlanta Braves.
Don Mattingly, who managed the Dodgers for the last five seasons but parted ways with the team at the end of this season, has been hired as manager of the Miami Marlins.
Roberts has no previous major league managerial experience.
