Dave Roberts could have thrown out the ceremonial first pitch for Game 2 of the World Series at Fenway Park on Wednesday.
Not alone. The Boston Red Sox are honoring their 2004 championship team, and the Dodgers’ manager was invited to join his former Boston teammates in the collective first pitch.
He declined.
“I’m going to be getting ready for a game,” Roberts said. “So I’ll have fun with those guys, but I won’t be a part of it.”
Roberts stole the base that triggered the Boston comeback from a three-games-to-none deficit in that year’s American League Championship Series, with the Red Sox advancing and winning their first World Series in 86 years.
The base that Roberts stole is on display at Fenway Park, adjacent to an endless loop replaying the steal. Roberts is safe every time.
Dodgertown blues
The last great player to come through Dodgertown starts against the Dodgers on Wednesday.
In 2008, David Price made the first six starts of his professional career for the Vero Beach (Fla.) Devil Rays.
The Dodgers already had completed the last of their 61 springs in Vero Beach, and they had transferred their Class-A team from the Florida State League to the California League. The Rays temporarily put their FSL team at Dodgertown, and that 2008 team was the last affiliated minor league team to play there.
By the end of the 2008 season, Price was in the World Series, pitching in relief for the Rays. He had made 11 postseason starts without winning any — for the Rays, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays and Red Sox — before he won Game 5 of this year’s ALCS.
“Just because I failed in October for about nine straight years, it didn’t take away my passion from baseball,” Price said Tuesday. “This is something I fell in love with since I was 2 years old. So the ups and the downs, I knew they were going to happen. I’ve definitely had many more downs than ups in October, but I’ve got a lot of baseball left.”
The Dodgers had drafted Price out of high school, in 2004, even though he and his family had made it clear he would attend Vanderbilt. They took a flier on him in the 19th round, just in case he changed his mind.
“I didn’t even know I got drafted,” Price told The Times during the 2008 World Series.
Why Alexander made the World Series roster
Caleb Ferguson posted a 2.35 ERA in 26 relief appearances in the regular season, and he has not given up a hit in six appearances this postseason. The Dodgers commended Ferguson, a 22-year-old left-handed rookie, for his poise in late-game situations.
Yet Ferguson did not make the World Series roster. The Dodgers opted for another left-handed reliever, Scott Alexander, to take his place. Roberts insisted Ferguson was not dealing with any physical issues, despite his fastball velocity dropping during the National League Championship Series.
“He’s healthy,” Roberts said.
But the Dodgers do not feel Ferguson can handle the strain of pitching on back-to-back days, Roberts said. Ferguson did so only twice this season. He was groomed as a starting pitcher, but converted to relief this summer. He could return as a starter in 2019.
Alexander was not on the roster against the Milwaukee Brewers. He was used almost exclusively for abbreviated appearances in September. He finished the season with a 3.68 ERA.
“To now have a guy who you feel can hit and run and get a lefty out each night, we just didn’t think Caleb could do that,” Roberts said.
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Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood can’t look as Red Sox Eduardo Nunez celebrates after hitting a three-run home un in the 7th inning.
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Dodgers Alex Wood watches as Red Sox’s Eduardo Nunez homers in game one.
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Red Sox Eduardo Nunez celebrates after hitting a three-run home run in the 7th inning.
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Red Sox Eduardo Nunez celebrates after hitting a three run home run as Dodgers Yasmandi Grandal waits in the 7th inning.
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Dodgers Joc Pederson and Justin Turner cannot catch a bloop double by Red Sox Andrew Benintendi in the 7th inning.
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Dodgers Cody Bellinger is frustrated after flying out in the 7th inning ending a rally.
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Dodgers Cody Bellinger is frustrated after flying out to end the 7th inning rally.
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Dodgers Max Muncy scores on a sacrifice fly as Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon bobbles the ball in the 7th inning.
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Dodgers Justin Turner singles in the 7th inning.
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Dodgers Joc Pederson and Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon watches the ball go foul in the 7th inning.
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Dodger manager Dave Roberts calls to the bullpen to replace Clayton Kershaw in the fifth inning.
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Dodgers Manny Machado wizzes a single past Red Sox pitcher Matt Barnes in the 5th inning.
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Dodgers second baseman Brian Dozier throws to first as Red Sox Steve Pearce slides in the fifth inning.
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Red Sox’s Rafael Devers celebrates after driving in a run in the fifth inning.
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Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw gives up a hit in the 5th inning.
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Dodgers Clayton Kershaw shows frustration as the Red Sox rally in the fifth inning during Game 1 of the 2018 World Series.
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Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw is taken out in the 5th inning
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Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw can only watch as Mookie Betts singles in the first inning.
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Dodgers Yasiel Puig strikes out in the 4th inning.
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Justin Turner slashes a single in game one of the 2018 Word Series at Fenway Park.
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Red Sox centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. catches a line drive hit by Dodgers Austin Barnes in the 4th inning.
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Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes can only watch as Red Sox Steve Pearce scores in the 3rd inning.
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Red Sox Rafael Devers strikes out to end the inning as Dodgers Austin Barnes tries to hold onto the pitch in the 3rd inning.
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Dodgers second baseman Brian Dozier throws to first as Andrew Benintendi slides in the third inning Benintendi was out on the play.
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Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon can only watch as Dodgers Justin Turner scores the second run of the game in the third inning.
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Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw looks at Red Sox baserunner J.D. Martinez before delivering a pitch in the first inning.
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Dodgers Matt Kemp homers off Red Sox’s Chris Sale in the second inning.
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Dodgers Matt Kemp watches his solo homerun in the second inning of game one.
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Dodgers Matt Kemp homers off Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale in the second inning.
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Dodgers Matt Kemp circles the bases after hitting a homerun off Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale in the second inning.
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Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw walks to the dugout after completing the second inning against the Red Sox in game.
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Red Sox Mookie Betts scored the first run of the game as Dodger catcher Austin Barnes wait for the throw in the first inning of game one of the World Series at Fenway Park.
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As Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw watches, Red Sox’s Mookie Betts scores the first run in the first inning of game one.
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Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws in the first inning.
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Mookie Betts steals second as Dodgers shortsop Manny Machado cannot catch the ball in the first inning in game one of the 2018 Word Series at Fenway Park. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
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With a Fenway Park scoreboard handler looking on, Dodgers Chris Taylor gets into position in the first inning.
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Boston Red Sox’s starting pitcher Chris Sale throws in the first inning of game one.
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Boston Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski (R) with Red Sox player Dustin Pedroia (L) after throwing out the first pitch before the start of game one.
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(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Ground crew members pull a tarp off the field soon after a heavy rainstorm passed by hours before the LA Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox play game one of the 2018 Word Series at Fenway Park.
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Fenway Park grounds crew members pull a tarp off the field soon after a heavy rainstorm passed by hours before the LA Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox play game one of the 2018 Word Series at Fenway Park.
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A rainbow is seen at Fenway Park prior to Game One of the 2018 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times / ) How Barnes took over for Grandal – again
Yasmani Grandal entered this October as the Dodgers’ undisputed starting catcher, but a slump at the plate and a dreadful spell of fielding cost him his gig for the second postseason in a row. Austin Barnes started Tuesday for Game 1 of the World Series, and Roberts indicated the position was Barnes’ to lose.
Roberts said it was possible that Grandal might get a start against the Red Sox.
“Obviously,” he continued, “it’s going to be predicated on how Austin is playing.”
Barnes won the job from Grandal in 2017. It would be more accurate to say Grandal lost the job this season. Barnes posted a .619 on-base-plus-slugging percentage during the regular season, and appeared timid at the plate.
But Grandal hit .125 in the first two series. He made a series of mistakes behind the plate, including three passed balls. Barnes started the final four games against the Brewers.
“Austin still has to play well, on both sides of the ball,” Roberts said. “He still has to have good at-bats. And he’s still got to receive well back there, and do what he does. Right now, I think he has played better [than Grandal]. We’ll see. You don’t want to close doors. We’ll evaluate each night.”
