Dodgers Officially Hire Dave Roberts

The news broke last night, but this morning the Dodgers officially hired Dave Roberts as their next manager.

While a lot of readers were convinced that the managerial hiring process was a sham and the front office was always going to hire Gabe Kapler, Dave Roberts reportedly had an impressive interview and seemingly overtook Kapler in the managerial hunt.

Last night, the LA Times reported that Dave Roberts won the job, and it was made official this morning (on the second take, as the first try included a typo).

Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reported that Roberts received a three year deal with a team option for a fourth, and the financials still aren’t out.

Roberts becomes the first minority manager in Dodger history, which is sort of astonishing for a team synonymous with Jackie Robinson. Andrew Friedman spewed all the cliches, calling Roberts a “baseball man” and a “people person”.

A ton of support has come out over twitter for Roberts, who by all accounts is one of the most likable individuals around. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted that “several Dodger veterans conveyed to management that they wanted Roberts to be manager once he reached the final stage”.

It appears that Roberts and Kapler were the two final candidates, beating out a number of other candidates including Bud Black, Kirk Gibson and Darin Erstad. Kapler was the favorite from the getgo, but Roberts seems to be the more popular choice. Neither have managing experience, but unlike Kapler, Roberts has been on a major league coaching staff for the last five years.

According to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times, this is the second time Friedman has hired a first-time manager. He hired Joe Maddon in 2006, and after two seasons with under 70 wins, Maddon took the Rays to the World Series in his third season as manager.

Now that the hiring is official, players have begun to tweet their support for the 43-year-old Roberts.

With Thanksgiving coming up, Roberts’ introductory press conference won’t be until December 1. Shortly after that, the Winter Meetings will begin, which promises to bring a ton of movement.

Next: Dodgers sign a pair of Cuban prospects

Also of note, Roberts will make his managerial debut on April 4th in San Diego, where he served as a bench coach and a first base coach for the last five seasons.