Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES — As the Los Angeles Dodgers prepared to honor Jackie Robinson Day, manager Dave Roberts took a moment to reflect on what the day means to him—both as a baseball man and as a Black American. In a candid and emotional media session, Roberts spoke about his personal connection to Robinson’s legacy, the importance of representation in the game, and the continued need for awareness and action.
“I don’t think it really landed with me until I got to the big leagues,” Roberts said, when asked when he first began to appreciate what it meant to wear a Dodger uniform. “When I got to wear 42 with the Dodgers, a little bit of me felt like I was Jackie Robinson on first base.”
He emphasized how his understanding of Robinson’s impact deepened over time: “As I’ve gotten older and you get more wise, and you experience the sacrifices that he made, and how fortunate I was to play Major League Baseball… then it kind of came full circle.”
The presence of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the team’s pregame ceremony added special weight to the occasion. “We just got a little snapshot of a history lesson,” Roberts said. “Guys like Kareem—they’re not going to be with us forever. To hear firsthand stories is really powerful.”
In light of a recent incident where Jackie Robinson’s biography page was temporarily removed from the Department of Defense website, Roberts called for deeper awareness. “I’d like to think it’s a continued wake-up call for everyone,” he said. “This is not a one-day situation. Jackie Robinson’s Day is breaking the color barrier, but this is like an everyday sort of mindset and appreciation.”
Roberts acknowledged that the moment isn’t without its complexities. When asked about balancing symbolic gestures—like visiting the White House—with the moral legacy of someone like Robinson, he was thoughtful: “I don’t personally view it as talking out of both sides of our mouth. I believe in staying unified and aligned… We all stand unified, and we all have different stories and backgrounds and economic, political beliefs. But I was proud that we all stood together.”
The conversation turned somber when Roberts reflected on the hardships Jackie endured. “What he had to endure… the hate… to continue to persevere for the greater good… Having a mind of looking beyond is powerful. Jackie just—he had that. He figured it out much earlier than most people.”
And now, Roberts believes, it’s part of his role to keep that legacy alive. “I do feel more of a responsibility than I did in 2016 to represent… whether it’s my faith, who I am as a person, my cultures.”
He also pointed to current Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts as someone carrying that torch forward. “Mookie understands his role. He doesn’t always feel comfortable speaking out, but living a certain way, treating people a certain way, playing a certain way—I think that’s something he understands is a responsibility for him.”
When asked what Jackie might think about the fact that there are only two Black managers in MLB—Roberts himself and Ron Washington—his response was blunt: “I think he would say we need to do better.”
And on the topic of erasing words like “racism” and “color barrier” from MLB’s official press materials for the day, Roberts didn’t hold back: “For me, I think the truth is that Jackie did break the color barrier… There were a lot of racist ways he was treated… It was wrong. And I do believe he broke the color barrier.”
As for the concern that the meaning behind Jackie Robinson Day could get diluted amid the pageantry, Roberts hopes otherwise. “I hope it’s not getting lost… because somebody’s got to break through, right?”
Roberts also spoke emotionally about his own connection to UCLA, where he played at Jackie Robinson Stadium, and to Robinson’s legacy as a Bruin. “When I look back… you feel like you’re a part of something that’s pretty cool… It’s inspiring. I’m very grateful that I finally came to a point where I could look beyond myself.”
As the Dodgers prepared to take the field—every player wearing No. 42—it was clear that, for Roberts, this day is about more than tradition. It’s about truth, progress, and legacy. Or, as Jackie Robinson once said: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
Roberts is living that out—one conversation, one opportunity, one game at a time.
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