As a manager, Dave Roberts has led the Dodgers to three World Series championships. Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
Olympic baseball is coming to Dodger Stadium in 2028, and Dave Roberts, the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, would love to manage Team USA in his home ballpark.
Roberts, who has led the Dodgers to consecutive World Series titles and won three rings in his 10 years at the helm, has voiced his interest in managing the United States during the upcoming Summer Olympics.
Roberts, speaking to the California Post, called the fit a “no-brainer” while saying he’d like to be part of the home side of a field that could include major-league players.
“In L.A., I want to manage that team,” Roberts said. “No one’s more relevant to do that than me.”
The 53-year-old has posted the highest winning percentage in National and American League history for a dynasty that has captured Los Angeles just as the city is getting set to host the event. Roberts’ ties to the city go beyond that, from his playing days with the Dodgers to his time in college at UCLA.
Roberts previously represented the United States during the 1999 Pan American Games. The speedy outfielder had made his major-league debut that same year, kicking off a 10-year big-league career that also included stops in Cleveland, Boston, San Diego and San Francisco.
It’s not clear yet whether big leaguers will participate in the 2028 Olympic Games, though stars such as the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and the Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper have publicly expressed interest in recent seasons.
“I would love to be part of that,” Harper, who also announced in December that he will participate in this year’s World Baseball Classic, said in June 2024. “We have the WBC, but it’s not the same. People can say as much as they want, but the Olympics is so worldwide. The WBC is great and brings a lot of people together, but the Olympics is something you dream about playing in.”