Roberts guides Dodgers to 1st World Series title in 32 years

Dave Roberts finally has a World Series title to savor.

Los Angeles manr guided Dodgers to ir first championship since 1988 on Tuesday night, beating Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to win in six games.

Roberts did what his seven predecessors — including Joe Torre and Don Mattingly — failed to do, bring a championship to long-starved Dodgers fans. He joins Hall of Famers Walter Alston and Tom Lasorda as only manrs to do so.

An emotional Roberts shared hugs with his players after final out.

He's taken Dodgers to playoffs in each of his five seasons, helping extend ir streak of eight consecutive NL West titles. But y never reached ir ultimate goal and Roberts endured his share of criticism along way.

Roberts got booed in Game 5 by few fans allowed at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

mostly pro-LA crowd didn't want Clayton Kershaw to leave so soon, but Roberts stuck to his pregame plan. He wanted his veteran ace to face 20 or so batters (he faced 21) and turn it over to bullpen. Kershaw left after getting first two outs of sixth. Dodgers went on to win 4-2.

fans' reaction was ironic. In previous years, y h excoriated Roberts for leaving Kershaw in too long only to watch disaster strike. y would rip 48-year-old manr for his use of bullpen, using only one reliever or too many. Roberts routinely got tagged with blame when failure occurred.

But he rarely changed his disposition. Roberts is kwn for being a players' manr, full of trust in his roster. He's friendly and positive with everyone. where close to being yeller that Lasorda was.

Roberts was at helm for World Series defeats to Houston in 2017 and Boston in 2018; both times opposition celebrated on Dodgers' home field.

Roberts h overcome odds before. He survived a diagsis of n-Hodgkin's lymphoma 10 years ago. He battled his way up depth chart to become starting center fielder for Dodgers in early 2000s after spending most of previous eight years in mirs. He wasn't first choice to man team, eir.

Roberts became franchise's first mirity manr in 2015. His late far was Black and his mor is Japanese. He was born in Okinawa, Japan, where his far was stationed with Marines. Waymon Roberts died at 68 in 2017.

Roberts h never mand anywhere before taking over one of baseball's most storied franchises. He was previously bench coach with San Diego Pres.

As a player, Roberts was best kwn for Steal in 2004. In Game 4 of AL Championship Series, Red Sox were facing elimination when he entered as a pinch-runner. Roberts stole second against Yankees closer Maria Rivera and scored tying run on a single. Boston won in 12 innings, overcame Yankees and went on to win its first World Series since 1918, although Roberts didn't play in Series.

Dodgers were baseball’s best team throughout abbreviated 60-game season. w, under Roberts, y're world champions.

Im credits: AP