Dave Roberts finds his name in the Green Monster

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Dave Roberts walked toward the Green Monster at Fenway Park wearing his Dodger blue and hoodie. But despite wearing a rival color, the Red Sox fans sitting atop the Monster still made sure to show their appreciation to the man who played a key role in Boston breaking the “Curse of the Bambino” 19 years ago.

Before Roberts went inside the Green Monster, he stopped and shared a story. He was a member of the Cleveland organization during the 2000 season. It was the first time he went inside and signed his name. Right next to his name, he signed the initials “CDR” which were for his son Cole, who hadn’t been born at the time.

Four years to the date that Roberts signed the wall, his daughter, Emme, was born in Boston. Roberts hadn’t found the name in his previous attempts, but this time, he was on a mission to find it. After about seven minutes, he did just that.

“Here it is!” Roberts shouted to the group that accompanied him, while flashing a huge smile. “I found it!”

Going into the field trip Sunday morning, Roberts -- and nobody that accompanied him -- expected him to find the signature. But Boston has, more often than not, allowed Roberts to build good memories throughout his life.

He had a solid big league career, but it’ll always be that stolen base in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Yankees that catapulted Roberts into a folk hero in one of the best sports cities in the country. Even after all this time and a few jobs in between, Roberts still enjoys a hero’s welcome to Fenway Park.

“There’s not a lot of places in the world that seems like there’s only good, positive memories,” Roberts said. “But for me, the city of Boston and Fenway Park, that’s what it is.”

As Roberts walked out of the Green Monster, he walked back toward the Dodgers dugout down the third-base line. During that stroll, he was greeted by a group of Dodgers fans. Getting that type of positive reception from Dodgers fans is common around the country, but probably not as common as it should be.

In Boston, Roberts’ steal is what makes him appreciated. In Los Angeles, it’s time to appreciate Roberts for helping the Dodgers win at a higher clip than just about every manager in the history of the game.

Roberts’ list of accomplishments already runs deep in just eight years at the helm in Los Angeles. The 51-year-old has a World Series title under his belt, a Manager of the Year Award and six top-five finishes for the award. A seventh is on the way, and he’s making quite the case to take home the award for a second time.

Despite 734 wins in eight years and the highest winning percentage in the modern-day era, Roberts is still criticized more than most managers. He has had some postseason failures, to be sure, but he has also had plenty of successes.

“I think the people that know, know, and appreciate what I do,” Roberts said. “I think that I was unfortunately a victim of a narrative before I even got this job that had built momentum for whoever was going to be the manager of the Dodgers and then on top of losing the World Series in 2017, which I think if we would’ve won it, I think the narrative would’ve built positive momentum.”

Most people try to discredit Roberts’ work because of the Dodgers’ high payroll throughout the years. But if the 2023 Padres, Mets and Yankees showed us one thing, it is that a high payroll doesn’t always translate to a high number of wins.

Nineteen years removed from his best moment as a player, it’s now time to appreciate what Roberts -- and the Dodgers -- is doing in the gig that might lead him to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“It used to bother me,” Roberts said. “But it doesn’t any more. I know it’s out there, but I still believe that the loudest voices aren’t the majority, and I still think we do a pretty good job of consistently winning.”