For Two-time Defending Champion Dodgers, The Goal Is Simple: 'they Want To Keep Winning'

Dave Roberts doesn’t get nan aforesaid butterflies earlier opening time that fluttered successful his tummy early successful his managerial career.

He’s been done nan modulation from outpouring training to regular play plentifulness of times complete nan people of a 10-year playing profession and 10 erstwhile seasons astatine nan helm.

“The game’s slowed down more,” Roberts said earlier leaving Camelback Ranch for nan Freeway Series, “but my joyousness for opening time aliases nan commencement of nan play hasn’t changed.”

The Dodgers unfastened nan play Thursday astatine Dodger Stadium against nan Arizona Diamondbacks, successful pursuit of a 3rd consecutive World Series title. On paper, they’re nan clear favorite.

There person been conscionable 4 three-peats successful MLB history, 3 by nan Yankees (1936-39, 1949-53, 1998-2000) and 1 by nan A’s (1972-74). But because of nan starpower and payroll of this team, if nan Dodgers miss nan mark, nan play will beryllium branded a failure.

Roberts has gotten utilized to that benignant of extracurricular pressure.

“Every azygous year, if we don’t triumph nan World Series, it’s a ‘failure,’” Roberts said. “I don’t really judge successful that because it is difficult to triumph nan World Series. Baseball is different. We’ve done it back-to-back, 3 retired of nan past six years. But baseball, you request a batch of bully fortune, you request to play good astatine nan correct time, you’ve sewage to triumph a batch of games to put yourself successful that position.

“I deliberation that our guys do a really bully occupation of not letting that narrative, that expectation, bleed into our psyche.”

Roberts’ “just triumph today,” mantra whitethorn sound cliche, but caller years person served arsenic impervious of concept. It’s worked for those star-studded rosters.

This offseason nan Dodgers raised their on-paper ceiling moreover higher by signing nan champion disposable free-agent hitter, Kyle Tucker, and closer, Edwin Díaz for deals worthy a mixed $309 million.

“When you’re successful a infinitesimal successful clip pinch an incredibly talented roster,” president of shot operations Andrew Friedman said, “I deliberation nan mindset is, ‘Don’t beryllium backmost connected your heels, beryllium aggressive, and don’t beryllium nonchalant astir nan opportunity that we person successful beforehand of us.’”

Not to mention, who knows what financial guardrails whitethorn beryllium successful spot beyond this year, nether a caller corporate bargaining agreement.

As large spenders who support winning — they spent close to $600 million successful subordinate payroll and luxury taxes past twelvemonth — nan Dodgers person taken connected a villain domiciled extracurricular of Los Angeles. Every caller signing nan past mates years elicited a corporate groan from opposing instrumentality bases who had dared to dream their squad had put nan astir compelling connection connected nan table.

“It’s really difficult for maine to judge that we are nan ones doing nan incorrect thing,” World Series leader Miguel Rojas said. “There’s different teams that were conscionable possibly 1 transportation distant from getting into nan World Series, aliases a mates wins distant from going into nan playoffs, and they didn’t do thing to get better. So who are nan ones who are doing bad for nan sport? And I conscionable consciousness really proud that they’re doing what they’re doing present pinch nan Dodgers.”

It’s a virtuous cycle. That fierce offseason approach, moreover aft winning back-to-back World Series, was besides a trading constituent for nan very aforesaid big-name free agents who made it salary off.

“This is simply a winning team, and they want to support winning,” Díaz said past week. “When you’re going to make a determination for illustration that, that’s going to push you to beryllium present because this squad is really good. They support improving each azygous year. And I’m really happy to beryllium here, and can’t hold to commencement nan play pinch these guys and effort to triumph different World Series.”

Díaz is still seeking his first.

“The chance to transportation for them and thief them to triumph will beryllium thing I’m looking guardant to,” Díaz said. “I hole myself to triumph each azygous night. I conscionable request nan opportunity to show each my abilities and beryllium fresh always.”

This halfway won’t beryllium together forever. And though this roster doesn’t animate overmuch manus wringing, nan property of nan Dodgers’ stars has astatine slightest raised immoderate eyebrows.

“It’s a really talented roster, it’s a roster that competes arsenic good aliases amended than immoderate different roster, it’s a roster that prepares going into a game, I would argue, amended than immoderate different roster,” Friedman said. “There’s a batch of benefits that travel pinch that [experience]. But arsenic we look retired years, that’s going to commencement to go much and much of a challenge.

“And I deliberation successful a batch of ways, that’s why a batch of these large-revenue teams that had occurrence yet fell disconnected nan cliff, was they conscionable kept going backmost to that. And astatine immoderate constituent nan euphony stops. And truthful for us, earlier nan euphony stops, it’s really to effort to ... execute some maintaining a really precocious level of play while introducing young, talented players onto our roster.”

It’s a push-and-pull that nan Dodgers person managed good capable to make 13 consecutive playoff appearances. And erstwhile nan first 7 trips didn’t consequence successful a World Series trophy, they kept pushing.

“It’s ne'er going to beryllium easy,” Rojas said. “When you’re trying to triumph your first one, you’re benignant of chasing everybody else, and you’re successful that hunt of nan championship. But arsenic soon arsenic you person it, you’re going to person everybody other down you.”