The Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, who was named National League Manager of the Year, will pick up another honor in the post-season as he has been named the recipient of the Tommy Lasorda Managerial Achievement Award at the 14th annual Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation’s “In the Spirit of the Game” Fundraiser Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Roberts guided the Dodgers to their fourth consecutive Western Division title in his first year of managing in the big leagues. Roberts was given the opportunity to manage the Dodgers on Nov. 23, 2016 after serving as bench coach for the San Diego Padres for two seasons and their first base coach for three seasons. The former outfielder faced adversity in his first year of managing as the Dodgers were beset by injuries and wound up using 31 pitchers and a total of 55 players over the course of the season.
In the end, Roberts’ club finished with the third best record in the National League and bested arch-rival San Francisco by four games with a 91-71 record. The Dodgers went on to win the Division Series against Washington, three games to two, but lost to the eventual World Champion Chicago Cubs in the League Championship Series, four games to two.
Roberts is the tenth manager in Los Angeles Dodgers history (28th overall in franchise history) and the fourth to both play and manage. He is also the first minority manager in Dodger franchise history.
Roberts played in the Majors for 10 seasons with the Cleveland Indians (1999-2001), the Dodgers (2002-04), the Red Sox (2004), the Padres (2005-06) and the Giants (2007-08). In 832 career games, he batted .266 with 243 stolen bases, including a career high 49 in 2006.
After he was the starting center fielder for the Dodgers from 2002-04, he was traded by the club to the Red Sox and was instrumental in getting the BoSox to the World Series in 2004 when he stole second base off the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the LCS.
Roberts will join previous managers honored including Terry Collins, Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Don Mattingly, Jim Leyland, Mike Scioscia, Bobby Cox, Whitey Herzog, Tony LaRussa and Bobby Valentine.
Hall of Famer Lasorda will be entering his 68th year with the Dodgers in 2017 and is considered baseball’s most popular ambassador. He managed the club for 20 seasons in which he won two World Championships, four National League pennants and eight division titles.
In the past 13 years, many of Major League Baseball’s current and former stars have been among the 1,500 guests attending the affair to assist those scouts who have given so much back to the game. The foundation was started and continues to be led by Dennis Gilbert, who has helped raise over $1.7 million for the scouts.
In addition to Roberts being honored, Rachel Robinson, the wife of the late, great Jackie Robinson, will be honored with The Pioneer Award in celebration of the 70th anniversary of her husband breaking the color line in Major League Baseball when he started for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.
Last year’s event honored Joe Torre, Maury Wills, Andre Dawson, Terry Collins, Bill White, Roland Hemond, Larry King and the creator of the foundation, Dennis Gilbert in a star-studded event.
The “In the Spirit of the Game” event has honored many legendary baseball Hall of Fame players, managers, scouts, coaches and executives, including Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson, Frank Robinson, Dr. Frank Jobe, Al Rosen, Jim Leyland, Johnny Bench, Duke Snider, Sandy Koufax, Vin Scully, Don Mattingly, Bob Feller, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken, Jr., Jim Palmer, Ferguson Jenkins, Tony LaRussa, Robin Roberts, Tom Seaver, Joe Garagiola Sr., Robin Yount, Jim Fregosi Sr., Goose Gossage, Whitey Herzog, Eric Gagne, Curt Schilling, Olympic Gold Medalist Jennie Finch, the Boone Family, the Brett family, the Alou family, the Manny Mota family, the Lachemann family, the Tim Wallach family, the Hairston family, Major League Baseball executive Pat Gillick, Tom Werner, the Boeckmanns, Laura Ziskin, legendary baseball scouts George Genovese, Dave Garcia, Hank King, Gene Bennett, Mel Didier, Epy Guerrero, Moose Johnson, Lenny Yochum and the late Bob Zuk.
Tickets and sponsorship packages are available by calling (818) 224-3906.
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