The spring is usually the time for hope and lofty goals in the MLB universe.
It’s also the time for the “I’m in the best shape of my life” quotes by players, and the “we built a squad to compete” by general managers.
With that in mind, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts may have gone a bit too far last year.
In late March, around the end of spring training, he said that he “guaranteed” the Dodgers winning the World Series.
In reality, every sign pointed at LA being extremely competitive until the end.
Time proved that his squad was historically good, with 111 wins and just 51 losses.
However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs, against the San Diego Padres no less.
Dodgers (and other teams’) fans blasted him for his spring training remarks.
They couldn’t believe he promised a World Series win and couldn’t even get past the Division Series.
That’s why this time, Roberts decided to be a bit more cautious with what comes out of his mouth.
“Dave Roberts, speaking to the media at Dodgers Fanfest, said he will not guarantee the Dodgers winning the World Series this season,” Jorge Castillo of the LA Times tweeted.
Dave Roberts, speaking to the media at Dodgers Fanfest, said he will not guarantee the Dodgers winning the World Series this season.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) February 4, 2023
Talk about learning from your own mistakes.
He received so much backlash that he is trying a more conservative approach.
He knows that his Dodgers are still elite, but he prefers the team to show it on the field this time.
They might not have such a dominant regular season because the Padres improved a lot.
However, all fans want to see them win the last game of the season.
