Dave Roberts, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, delivered a figurative grand slam to cap off an incredible season.
Born in Naha on the Japanese island of Okinawa, Roberts visited his hometown last week to accept an honorary award from the city following his team’s October World Series victory over the New York Yankees. Roberts claimed that the poignant visit—his first in almost 20 years—was the pinnacle of his championship season.
It was an amazing task for the city of Los Angeles to win the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During the event, Roberts stated, “The last thing I wanted to do was to come to Naha, be with my people, and celebrate with you guys together.” My 2024 trip is now at last finished.
on front of hundreds of residents, officials, and supporters, Roberts, whose father was a U.S. Marine stationed on Okinawa and whose mother is Japanese, got the medal. During the ceremony, Satoru Chinen, the mayor of Naha, stated that the skipper encouraged Okinawans to take pride in their identity. Roberts reaffirmed his pride in his hometown as well.
According to Roberts, I was born in Naha. Because of my Okinawan ancestry, Okinawa will always be my home.
Roberts moved to the United States when he was a little boy, so he didn’t spend much time in Naha, but he has always been vocal about his affection for his roots. Twenty years ago, while playing center field for the Dodgers, Roberts traveled to Japan to conduct a baseball session for Okinawan kids, long before he became a coach.
At the time, he told the NHK Okinawa Broadcasting Station, “I also play for the people in Okinawa who support me and watch me on TV.” I’ve received notes, and I enjoy listening to folks observe me while the Dodgers play late at night. I simply take pride in my Okinawan heritage.
Although Roberts has a sizable following in Japan, his team also has Japanese baseball greats like pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani, who have attracted a growing number of Japanese fans. In 2024, Ohtani’s first year with the team, the number of Japanese visitors to the city might surpass 400,000, nearly tripling the number from the previous year, according to Adam Burke, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism Board, who spoke to The Guardian.
Roberts’ second World Series victory as Dodgers manager follows his trip to Japan. In 2020, after a season cut short by the epidemic, he won a ring against the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2004, he also won a championship with the Boston Red Sox, helping the team win its first World Series since 1918 by playing a crucial pinch runner position.
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