Biography

David Ray Roberts (born May 31, 1972), nicknamed "Doc", is a Japanese American professional baseball manager and former outfielder who is the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for five MLB teams over a ten-year career and then coached for the San Diego Padres before being named Dodgers manager in 2016. Although he played for the Boston Red Sox for only part of one season, his most notable achievement as a player was a key stolen base in the 2004 American League Championship Series that extended the Red Sox's postseason, which culminated in a championship in the 2004 World Series. Roberts batted and threw left-handed. The son of a Japanese mother and an African American father, Roberts became the first manager of Asian heritage to lead a team to the World Series in 2017, when the Dodgers captured the National League pennant. He also led the Dodgers to the World Series in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2024, winning in 2020 and 2024. Roberts is the first manager of Asian heritage and second African American manager to lead a team to a World Series title.