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Photo by Steve Mitchell/Getty Images
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The Dodgers have hired former player Dave Roberts to be their next manager, giving them another rookie in the role after they parted ways with Don Mattingly. It won’t be official until after Thanksgiving, with the Dodgers hosting the press conference next week, but given we already know press conference details it’s safe to say this is happening. Hey, it’s more information than we got from the Nationals about Bud Black.
It’s an historic hiring for Los Angeles, who has never had a minority manager during their long and storied history: Roberts’ father is African-American and his mother Japanese. Part of that is the overall lack of minority managers in the game, both in the present and in the past, and the other is the Dodgers’ own hiring history. As Eric Stephen pointed out, there was a 42 1/2 year span in the team’s history where they had just two managers, Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda, and Alston managed teams with Jackie Robinson on them.
Roberts is best known for his steal in the 2004 ALCS, which allowed the Red Sox to score off of Mariano Rivera and secure their first of four victories that would make them the only MLB team to ever come back from down 0-3 in a best-of-seven. He’s also been working as a coach and front office presence since retiring, though, in preparation for the role he’ll now assume with the Dodgers. He might be a rookie manager, and he’s the fourth-youngest in the game now, but he’s still done his homework since calling it a playing career. And will now get the chance to apply what he’s learned.
- Hall of Famer and Mariners great Randy Johnson loves photography, and spent his Sunday as a sideline photographer at the Seahawks' game.
- Liberty Media might sell the Braves, and that sound you now hear is all of Atlanta rejoicing.
- Brett Gardner trade rumors are still alive, so Pinstripe Alley thought up 11 possible trades for the Yankees' No. 11.
- Bryce Harper is 22 and an MVP. He also might get even better.
- The Marlins and Jose Fernandez are reportedly getting along well enough, and while that could change in an instant given this is Miami we're talking about, it also gives hope that he's sticking around.
- If you told me this time last year that the Red Sox would be protecting former second-round pick and outfield bust Williams Jerez on their 40-man roster, then I probably would have noticed sooner how impressive he's been in his conversion to the mound.
- The Reds and Orioles have discussed a Jay Bruce trade. Who knows what the Reds are asking for to part with Bruce, though, especially in light of the rumors that they wanted more for Aroldis Chapman than the Red Sox paid for Craig Kimbrel.
- Speaking of relievers, strong bullpens are so in right now.
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