Dodgers News: Doc hits Japan as victory tour continues with commerical shoot

LOS ANGELES — Dodger fans are getting used to seeing Dave Roberts pop up in some unexpected places. This week, the skipper was back in Japan, not to manage a game, but to shoot a new commercial for the Kinoshita Group. The spot was filmed in Tokyo, with Roberts doing a full press conference and photo session that felt a lot like a gameday media scrum. It is his second straight offseason trip for Kinoshita and another sign of how deep the Dodgers’ connection to Japan has become.

Roberts said right away that this visit grew out of a relationship that started a year ago. “Just like last year, I am here because Mr. Kinoshita invited me,” he explained. “We built a really good relationship starting last year, and this year we won a second straight championship. If we can win a third title next year, I think we can keep building that relationship even more.” For a manager who has become the public face of the franchise as much as its in-game decision maker, doing a commercial built around his personality felt like a natural fit.

The theme of the new ad lines up with the way he talks about running a clubhouse. Asked about individuality and why he values it so much, Roberts went back to his core idea about communication. “For me, when you manage a team and manage players, the most important thing is to let the players know I care about them,” he said. “I believe in the saying, ‘Players don’t care what you know until they know you care.’ I really try to understand what kind of person each player is and what kind of character he has.” He added that if players do not feel a manager is on their side, they will not show their best selves. “They have to feel that I am with them,” he said. “So I put a lot of emphasis on understanding them as people.”

Even on a commercial trip, his schedule looked like something out of a road series. “Tonight I am actually flying to Okinawa,” Roberts said. “I will spend one night there for some business and then come back to Tokyo.” He talked about enjoying the chance to see a different part of the country, but it was clear this was still work, just a different kind of work from filling out a lineup card.

The questions quickly turned to baseball, especially with another World Baseball Classic looming. Japanese reporters wanted to know what would happen with the Dodgers’ three Japanese stars. “When it comes to the WBC and Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki, that is not something I decide,” Roberts said. “They have to decide for themselves. It was a very long season, and pitching especially puts a lot of burden on the body. But if they choose to play in the WBC, I want to support them fully.” He said he understood how much it would mean for them to represent Japan again and that his job would be to back whatever they chose after talking it over with their families and the organization.

Another reporter asked how much the Tokyo Series at the start of the season did for the club’s momentum. Roberts did not hesitate. “The season started in Tokyo and we were very supported by the Japanese fans,” he said. “I think it created really positive momentum for the Dodgers. Then we had a lot of injuries, but we kept fighting, and when we got healthy again we were able to finish strong.” He said he felt that backing from across the Pacific even when the team was grinding through the schedule. “I believe the support from Japanese fans was always there all season long, at home at Dodger Stadium or on the road,” he said. “We are very grateful for that.”

There was also a chance to look back a little. Roberts said he could feel in the room how much the Dodgers have grown as “Japan’s team” over the last year. “Our goal as the Dodgers was to become Japan’s number one major league team,” he said. “To come back here and see the joy that we have brought to the country is very exciting.” He called Japanese fans “very caring people” and said he noticed that again on this trip, from the way they greeted him at events to the reaction on the streets.

In a closing message to fans watching in Japan, Roberts kept it simple. He said he felt the support “from the start of the season in Tokyo all the way through the World Series” and thanked everyone who made the trip to Dodger Stadium or stayed up late to watch from home. He also said he believes that support will only grow as more Japanese stars thrive in Dodger blue.

For now, the manager who usually spends his winter talking about rotations and depth charts is fronting a Japanese commercial about leadership and personality. It is a different stage, but the same calm, player-first voice Dodger fans see every night. If the Dodgers do pull off that three-peat he mentioned, do not be surprised if the next Kinoshita spot features even more hardware on the table in front of him.

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