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MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS RED SOX

October 28, 2018

Dave Roberts

Los Angeles, California - postgame 5

Red Sox - 5 Dodgers - 1

Q. What did you see from Clayton tonight?
DAVE ROBERTS: I thought he had really good stuff, I did. I thought he was mixing the fastball to different quadrants. I thought he competed, like he always does. I thought the slider was good. I thought the breaking ball was good. There were a couple of mistakes in there with the fastball. Pearce, J.D., the ball that just didn't get there, and the Mookie slider just didn't get there. And that's a good club over there, a very good club. A great club. And so when he did make a mistake, they hit it out of the ballpark.

You've got to give credit to David Price over there. He pitched a heck of a ballgame. Couldn't put hits together, couldn't get baserunners, and really stress them at all. It was pretty straightforward. I can't say enough about what Clayton -- what our guys did. And unfortunately we came up short again this year.

Q. What can you say just to sum up your club this year? All year you've kind of gone up to the edge and always come back from it, and finally just ran up against a really good team.
DAVE ROBERTS: Well, I can't say enough about our ballclub, the fight, the compete. All year when it didn't look so good, our guys stuck together, stayed the course and believed in one another, and put ourselves in a chance to win a championship. And that's not easy to do, to get to the World Series where two teams are playing at the end. It's very difficult. There's a lot of hard work that comes with it, a lot of sacrifice and you've got to have good players. And we did that this year. Our backs were against the wall numerous times and there were markers and points where we could have went the other way, but we found ways to win baseball games.

Ran up against a very good ballclub. And just a little bit too much for us.

Q. When you come so close, what now in your mind is needed to get over the hump?
DAVE ROBERTS: We've just got to go back out there, and I expect us to be back here next year, but celebrating on the field. I think the culture, the players, as far as the large majority are in place. I think there's a lot of good things. I think the sum of what we're doing, what we've done is -- the arrow is pointing certainly in the right direction. And baseball is so unpredictable. You've got to obviously give yourself a chance to get to the postseason. And once you get there, you've just got to be playing your best baseball.

So I think you look back and you've got to appreciate the talent, the team that you're playing against. I don't think we played our best but part of it, a lot of it is you've got to give credit to the opponent. And we have a lot of time to think about this one, but, again, spring is going to be around the corner. And like I said, I expect us to be back here next year.

Q. I know you'll be discussing this with the front office over the coming months, but just from your gut, where do you believe this team needs to improve in order to win the World Series, any specific areas?
DAVE ROBERTS: No, no. I think that's something that we're going to have a lot of time to kind of think through. And not everyone is going to be back. So when you're talking about backfilling and how things go.

So right now to kind of figure out where we need to go, that's a tough one. We have a lot of time for that. Like I said, our guys in the front office do a heck of a job to put us in the position to get the players. And we'll get over the hump. It's not easy. It hurts. It's disappointing. All that. But to say we didn't win a championship, and to say it was an unsuccessful season, I think that's doing a disservice to everyone in that clubhouse.

Q. As far as you personally, correct me if I'm wrong, they still have an option to pick up for you next year, right? That hasn't happened yet?
DAVE ROBERTS: No, that hasn't happened yet, and honestly I'm just kind of feeling for the guys in the clubhouse the right now and feeling their pain, the coaches. And all that stuff. There's time for all that stuff.

Q. So the three years can't be judge as anything but a success with the NLCS and two World Series, how do you evaluate it? And what do you want to do going forward?
DAVE ROBERTS: Well, my plan is to manage the Dodgers. I love the city. I love the organization. Everything that it's about. And I love the high expectations. And that's the way it should be. I can always get better.

I do believe that we're doing a lot of good things. And so for me, like I said, I told you three years ago that it's a dream job for me, and making these men grow and be better men, teammates, mentors, role models in the community, that's a win. That's a big win. And obviously I understand my job is to ultimately lead us to a championship, and we haven't accomplished that yet. But like I said, the whole body of work, I'm proud of what we've done.

Q. Congratulations on the season.
DAVE ROBERTS: Thank you.

Q. Along the same lines, everyone in the house knew that this might be Clayton's last game. Did you say anything to him after the game or where is that in your mind and heart, and what would you say to him?
DAVE ROBERTS: The only thing, I didn't have a one-on-one moment. I talked to the guys and basically said I'm proud of everybody and how fortunate I am to be around these men. And I did mention Clayton by name as far as his legacy with the Dodgers, and what he's done for the organization, the fan base. Wearing this jersey Clayton, exemplifies what it is to be a Dodger and to be a man of character.

So whatever decision he makes that is with him and his family. But for me to be on his team for three years I've learned a tremendous amount from him, and I'll take that going forward. This one hurts for him. This one hurts for all of us. But the effort, the preparation, all the hard work that he has put in and his teammates for me is unparalleled.

Q. Obviously the series had a number of momentum shifts, but up 4-0 top of the 7th, Game 4, are you going to look back on that pivotal moment and say that's kind of where the series shifted for the final time?
DAVE ROBERTS: You know what, I think that we can always go back and look at certain moments, and that's what people do. That's what we all do, but ultimately that was a very good ballclub over there. And a lot of times you make your own breaks and you've still got to go out there and perform. And to their credit, when we gave them opportunities they got big hits and we didn't. That's baseball. When you play a seven-game series, there are certainly moments that could go either way. But ultimately, and it's tough to say, but the better team won.

So we can, and I'm probably going to go back and analyze certain things, and obviously that's what people do, but the thought processes and all the decisions that we made, I made, were in place. And they don't always work out.

Q. Just kind of right on that topic, second-guessing or thinking along with the manager because of the rise in social media especially has become a big part of postseason. But at any point during all of this with the questions about your decisions, did you ever come close to losing your patience?
DAVE ROBERTS: No, I think that I appreciate the interest in our game, in baseball. And it's something that I love and I have a passion for. We all do. And so the interest, the opinions, all that thing, I think that's -- I kind of look at it as a good thing. Because if there's interest and people have opinions, that's good for all of us. But I do know that there's a lot of thought in knowing your players and things that people aren't always privy to, decisions that I make.

So, no, lose my patience? No. It's something that I love. I love competing. I love our guys. I love the way they go about it. And you look at three years since I've been here, I'm pretty proud of the direction that this organization is in. And just speaking to the Los Angeles fan base, there's a lot to be proud of in that room.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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