Roberts reached the milestone in his 1,606th game, passing Cap Anson (1,641 decisions) to become the fastest manager to 1,000 wins.
In his time as a manager, Roberts’ feel for the role has grown with every season. He didn’t have to dig deep into that acquired knowledge for win No. 1,000, though, as seven strong innings from Justin Wrobleski and another big night for the offense keyed by homers from Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas got the job done.
“Getting to be the winning pitcher in his 1,000th win is super cool and something I kind of had in my mind entering today,” said Wrobleski, who became the third 10-game winner in the Majors this year. “Can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for my career and my development. I really wanted to get this done for him.”
Afterward, Roberts walked off to the field to a chorus of adoration from the sea of Dodgers fans that filled Sutter Health Park. Later, in the clubhouse, Rojas and Freddie Freeman led a champagne toast in Roberts’ honor, one of the traditions that has defined this era of Dodgers baseball. Roberts encourages his players to celebrate their individual milestones, but this time, it was his turn.
“Today is not about us. It’s about Doc and this big milestone for him,” Rojas said. “He’s always the one raising a glass of champagne, or whatever, when guys accomplish something big in this game. … Like he said, coaches are really good because of really good players, and for him to say that, it means a lot to us in this clubhouse.”
Roberts is the 69th manager in MLB history to win 1,000 games and the third active manager, joining the Reds’ Terry Francona (2,072 wins) and the Tigers’ A.J. Hinch (1,001 wins), who is fresh off reaching the milestone on Monday.
Only three Dodgers skippers have won more regular-season games than Roberts: Walter Alston (2,040 wins), Tommy Lasorda (1,599 wins) and Wilbert Robinson (1,375 wins). Roberts has more postseason wins than any of them: 69, the third most in MLB history behind Joe Torre (84) and Tony La Russa (71).
Roberts is surrounded by Hall of Famers on managerial leaderboards, and he’s put himself on a trajectory to join his peers in Cooperstown one day. His credentials speak for themselves: 10 postseason berths, nine division titles, five National League pennants and three World Series championships.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay, who was the Padres’ hitting coach when Roberts managed his first game, recognized early on that Roberts had the potential to do something special as a manager.
“When we coached together in ’15 and built our bond, really, there was no doubt in my mind that he would be the right fit for that organization,” Kotsay said. “Not only has he provided that leadership, but the charisma. He’s a really special person, and I think that’s what it takes to lead that club.”
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