Dave Roberts thinks the Dodgers have done more than just build a winner. In his eyes, they’ve taken over Los Angeles.
For years, the Lakers were treated as the city’s undisputed sports standard-bearer. Roberts believes that balance has shifted, thanks to what the Dodgers have put together over the last decade-plus.
“Yes. You know what’s funny, Los Angeles has always been looked at - as far as sports - a Laker town.
I don’t know, I think we might have marketshare now in Los Angeles,” Roberts recently said on SportsNet LA. “It’s great.
With the Dodger jerseys you see everywhere, we draw more fans than anyone in the world.
“The home dates that we have, it’s 45-50,000 every night. We travel well.
I do think our guys see it. They feed off of it.
But for me, I don’t let myself feel it too much and I try to encourage our guys just to stay in the moment, just win and let everything else take care of itself.”
That confidence is backed by a stretch that’s hard to ignore. Since 2013, the Dodgers have reached the postseason 14 straight times, won 13 National League West titles, captured five NL pennants and taken home three World Series championships.
That kind of run has made them one of the most recognizable teams in sports, with the Dodgers leading all teams in attendance every season, both at Dodger Stadium and on the road. They’ve become a fixture across Los Angeles, and Roberts’ point is simple: the jerseys are everywhere.
The Lakers still command major attention and remain one of the toughest tickets in town, but their recent trajectory has been different. With LeBron James no longer on the roster, they’re in a transitional stage while the Dodgers keep pushing toward more history.
Now they’re chasing something even bigger. The Dodgers are trying to become the first team in 26 years to win three straight World Series titles, a feat that would only deepen their place among baseball’s all-time great dynasties.
Even with the competition for the city’s attention, the relationship between the two franchises remains strong. The teams regularly work together on special themed ticket packages and player appearances.
And beyond the winning, Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten says the fan base has been a major part of the organization’s rise, giving the club the support it needs to keep investing in the roster year after year.
In Other News...
Dodgers Let NLDS Control Slip Away After Another Offensive Letdown
Blake Snells afternoon never found a rhythm, and the Dodgers could not do enough offensively to take advantage of the opening it created. Los Angeles dropped a 3-2 decision to the Braves in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, a result that evened the series at one game apiece and left the Dodgers searching for the timely hit that has been missing too often in October.
Snell issued a season-high five walks, and the game turned on a chaotic stretch that included a wild pitch from Braves reliever Kris Bubic before Atlanta grabbed the go-ahead run. Freddie Freeman also came through for the Braves with a home run, his first since Sept. 2, adding another swing that helped flip the momentum and leave the Dodgers with a split instead of control. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face A Lineup Decision That Could Test Braves In Game 3
After getting bottled up by the Braves in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, the Dodgers are staring at a familiar October problem: how to jolt an offense that went quiet when it needed to answer back. Atlanta leaned on multiple pitchers to keep Los Angeles in check, and now Dave Roberts is weighing a lineup tweak for Game 3 as the series shifts into a more urgent phase for a team trying to avoid elimination.
The concern centers on center fielder Andy Pages, whose postseason struggles have become hard to ignore, and that has opened the door for Enrique Hernandez to potentially step in and give the lineup a different look. Hernandez has earned a reputation as a reliable October bat, which is part of what makes this decision so interesting for the Dodgers, who need more than just better at-bats now - they need a spark that can change the feel of the series. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Real Andy Pages Lineup Dilemma
Andy Pages arrived at October with the kind of profile the Dodgers hoped would translate, but through two postseason games he has not found much traction. He has gone hitless in eight plate appearances, drawing one walk and striking out four times, and the swing-and-miss issues have stood out even more because they are so far above his regular-season norms. For a Dodgers lineup built to keep pressure on opposing pitching, that kind of drop-off from a regular contributor quickly becomes hard to ignore.
Dave Roberts has already made one adjustment by limiting Pages ability to challenge calls, a small but telling sign that the club is trying to manage both the player and the moment. If the struggles continue, the Dodgers do not appear short on alternatives, which only adds to the tension around Pages spot. In October, even a young hitter with legitimate upside can find himself one rough stretch away from a lineup debate. [Read more 🡒]