Dave Roberts is in his eighth season as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. When it comes to wins, Roberts knows a thing or two about that. He has taken the Dodgers to the postseason in every season he’s been the skipper and has made three World Series title appearances, winning one.
Despite a talent-laden San Diego Padres squad that is poised to finally take over in the NL West division, the Dodgers are once again the favorites and have started the season off 2-1 in their opening series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Roberts Believed Trayce Thompson Could Be An Everyday Player: 3-Homer Game Is Proof
Going into the 2023 season, the expectations will be no different for Roberts and his team, which is to get back to the World Series and win. This will be a crucial season for Roberts. Even though the Dodgers extended his contract to three years last season, the team needs to have more success in the postseason. Part of being a great manager is knowing how to recognize and nurture talent. Roberts is gifted in that area as new stars keep emerging such as Trayce Thompson, who has gone from MLB maybe to MLBbro bomber, clubbing three homers in a 10-1 win in the final game of a three-game series against Arizona.
In fact, according to MLB Network, Klay’s brother has the highest OPS in baseball (Min 180 PA) since the 2022 All-Star Break at 1.018.
The head man for the Dodgers has won 654 games during his seven-year career in L.A. Roberts helped lead the Dodgers to its seventh World Series title in 2020. Before that, the team made back-to-back World Series appearances in 2017 and 2018 but failed to bring home the Commissioner’s Trophy.
Last season, L.A. finished with the most wins in all of baseball with 111. Unfortunately, the Dodgers postseason run was short lived when the San Diego Padres beat them 3-1 in the NLDS. Dodgers fans were disappointed to say the least, seeing their team only win one game in the playoffs after a dominating regular season.
Roberts has had some talented teams throughout his time in L.A. and everyone knows that when it comes to the postseason, that’s when the wins really matter.
What This Season Means For Dave Roberts
With the contract extension, Roberts will have the chance to bring another title to the West Coast. Though his team looks a little different this year, he still has talent all around the field and on the mound and in the bullpen.
The question is, will he push the right buttons as the season progresses and the NL West race is tighter than a Halter dress and thong worn by Ciara at the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar party.
Now Roberts has plenty of baseball knowledge and crazy experience. And yes, he’s been put in some tough situations where he’s had to make some crucial decisions during games that may not have gone in his favor. That’s just how the game goes. Tough luck is part of the experience.
The baseball world may very well be spoiled by Roberts’ consistency. Ever since the former Red Sox playoff hero took over in L.A. the Dodgers have been among World Series favorites. When you have high expectations year in and year out, there can be a lot at stake. But the Dodgers believe that Roberts can help lead them to an eighth World Series title and possibly more, that’s why he will continue to get contract extensions until he at least wins less than 90 games.
You better believe that all eyes will be on Roberts and the Dodgers from start to finish. Only time will tell, as we’ll get to see how everything plays out.
Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is looking to get back to his 2021 form. After a tumultuous 2022 season which saw the talented infielder struggle to stay healthy on the field as he played in just 79 games, fought through early defensive lapses and a couple of light suspensions, he’ll look to lead a talented White Sox team under new manager Pedro Grifol.
Will Tim Anderson Thrive Under New Manager Pedro Grifol?
Grifol replaces three-time World Series winning manager Tony LaRussa, whose MLB career spanned from 1963-2022. Just like LaRussa, the new skipper knows his team will go as Anderson goes. After failing to meet lofty expectations in 2022, due to a myriad of things, Grifol wants this team with Anderson as the catalyst, to get off to a fast start.
In a recent presser at the team’s spring training complex in Glendale, Arizona, Grifol had this to say:
“A fast start to the season would be nice, energy is a must, but I’m here now, man,” Grifol said. “I’m in the moment.”
Anderson Needs A Rebound Season For White Sox
Despite being the American League’s starting shortstop in the 2022 All Star Game, Anderson’s abbreviated season (.301 with six homers, with 25 RBI, and 13 stolen bases) was spent dealing with a myriad of things from injuries, suspensions, and off the field drama. Anderson was fined and given a one-game suspension last April for “flipping the bird” to fans in Cleveland. Adding to Anderson’s woes were injuries which that affected his defense and slowed the former batting champion’s lethal bat at times.
The tabloid drama with Anderson’s family life — which really isn’t anyone’s business — is dying down just in time for the MLB season. Anderson will need his total focus to help his team take the next step. He came into last season hungry and after dynamic performance in the WBC, Anderson’s reputation is intact and he’s even hungrier than he was last season to get this 162-game party started.
Tim Anderson Fully Healthy And MVP Hunting
From the looks of his spring training performance, Anderson is fully recovered from the surgery to repair the tear on his finger, so it’s no reason to believe he can’t produce that 20 homer and 30 stolen base season he’s more capable of. Furthermore, the World Baseball Classic was also an indication as to Anderson being fully healed, as the dynamic infielder accrued five hits in 16 at-bats, with two walks, three runs scored, and five RBI.
That’s the Tim Anderson who can win AL MVP and is a top-five MVP candidate coming into the 2023 season.
Tim Anderson Has Nothing To Prove
Heading into his seventh season, Anderson is the longest-tenured White Sox player. Prior to Sunday’s spring training game against the Rockies, Anderson told reporters he’s no longer looking for validation amongst his peers. But is more in tune with focusing on how good he can be for himself.
“It’s more proving it to myself now to see how good I can be,” Anderson said ahead of the club’s 4-2 Spring Training loss to the Rockies on Sunday. “It’s more personal than trying to show I can be a shortstop. If you don’t think I can be a shortstop, then it’s cool.
“You could go back off the last four or five years — if that’s not enough, then what are you searching for? So I’m just doing me and having fun and enjoying the game and loving my best life. I’m working on myself to go out and get better and proving things to myself and trying to bring wins to the fans. Other than that, I’m no longer trying to prove anything.”
From the sounds of it, Anderson is locked and loaded for a huge 2023 season, one that will continue to define his thus far wonderful career. But he knows “togetherness” as a team is the only way to reach the lofty goals the team has set out to have. The team’s projected win total is 83.5 which would probably keep them just outside of the Wild Card, so that’s a great starting point. With a little luck, Chi-Town could move on the 85–90-win mark and that will probably be enough with Cleveland being the only other legit contender in the American League Central.
And that starts and ends with TA7 on the Southside of the “Windy City.”
As Jordan Walker sunk his head into his hands after hearing that he had made the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, the 20-year-old was nearly speechless, realizing the hard work had paid off.
“I’m Ready To Try And Make The Team” | St. Louis Cardinals Top Prospect Jordan Walker Is Playing For Keeps This Spring
Just three years removed from playing at Decatur (Georgia) High School, where he was a Gatorade Player of the Year, and getting selected 21st overall in the 2020 Draft, the expectations have always been high for the MLBbro.
“We were always very high on him coming into camp, and he did a lot of things to impress a lot of people,” president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told MLB.com. “He’s obviously a very mature player and has a great understanding of the game. He opened up a lot of eyes here in this camp, and he is someone who benefited from other people not being here [due to the World Baseball Classic].”
“It created a lot of at-bats and innings for him, and he made the most of it.”
Jordan Walker Make Jump To The Show: Has Lived Up To The Billing
The Cardinals’ No. 1 prospect, Walker has lived up to the hype, and at 20 years old and 312 days, Walker could potentially be the second youngest Cardinal to make his Major League debut on Opening Day, behind Steve Carlton in 1965, who was 20 years and 111 days old. He’ll also set his sights on becoming the first St. Louis MLBbro since Bake McBride (1974) and HBCU legend Vince Coleman (1981) to win the National League Rookie of the Year.
The young Black Knight is making the jump straight from Double-A Springfield to the big leagues after having success against the advanced competition in the Arizona Fall League. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder batted .277 with three homers, two doubles, and nine RBI over 20 games this fall.
Although his primary position has been third base in the Minors, with Nolan Arenado at the hot corner for the Cards’ Walker began making the transition to the grass in 2022.
He played a total of 31 games in the outfield, tallying 10 assists, two double plays, and just one error over 61 total chances. He continued to excel in spring training, taking all of his reps in the outfield. Walker showed off another tool in his utility belt in the AFL, unleashing a 99.5 mph — harder than any throw by a Cardinals outfielder in the Statcast era — missile to the plate from left field that nearly added to his assist highlight reel.
Walker’s prosperous start to fall camp saw him leading the Grapefruit League in batting average (.452), slugging (.839), OPS (1.291), total bases (26), and hits (14), and he was tied for first in extra-base hits (six) by March 10. But his remarkable numbers weren’t the deciding factor on whether or not he’d be staying in the Majors for Opening Day.
An #MLBbro you’ll need to know for the 2023 season is 20-year-old and #STLCards top prospect Jordan Walker.
“We can talk about tools all day, but those don’t play if you can’t handle some pressure,” manager Oliver Marmol told MLB.com. “This is not the degree of the pressure that he’ll experience at the big league level, but it’s still an example of the most [pressure] he’s had to [deal with] around the big league club. So, you’re just keeping an eye on that and seeing how he responds, and I feel like he did that well.”
Fresh out of high school, Walker didn’t get the same experience of a first-round draft pick as previous young stars because of the global pandemic. He and his family toured the Cardinals’ facilities this past January for the first time, but his father Derek described the scene as a “ghost town.”
That scene changed as all eyes were on Walker this fall to see him succeed or bust. With poise, the youngster can let the world go quiet and handle his business.
“Before I told him, I asked him what his best tool was and what was the greatest thing he brings to the table,” Marmol said. “I was curious if he would say something along the lines of, ‘My bat’ or something like that, and he said, ‘I don’t think about things very long; good or bad, I just kind of move on to the next thing.’
“That affirmed why he’s ready,” Marmol said. “That’s the separator. To get to the big leagues, yes, you’ve got to be able to hit, but when things get tough and you face adversity and people start to question your ability, can you cancel out the noise and keep doing your job? I think he has that ability.”
It won’t be a ghost town today at Busch Stadium for the start of the season, but with as many as 15 friends, family members, and youth coaches in attendance, it’s only right that Walker makes some noise of his own.
White Sox Hall of Famer Harold Baines, 63, throws out the ceremonial first pitch to Bo Jackson before the team’s home opener against the Mariners at Guaranteed Rate Field on Tuesday (April 12). Baines is 11 months removed from life-saving heart and kidney transplant surgery.
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