Dodgers' Dave Roberts declares bold 'ruin baseball' warning after clinching World Series spot

Hunter Cookston

•
Dodgers' Dave Roberts declares bold 'ruin baseball' warning after clinching World Series spot image

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers have done it again. They’re now aiming to win back-to-back World Series championships for the first time in a long while. Heading into the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, manager Dave Roberts challenged superstar Shohei Ohtani to deliver better at-bats.

“Certainly, whatever opponent we face, they’re gonna try to put as many lefties on Shohei,” Roberts said. “But hoping that he can do a little self-reflecting on that series. And how aggressive he was outside of the strike zone, passive in the zone — just the at-bat quality needs to get better. We’re counting on a recalibration, getting back into the strike zone and understanding when he faces left-handed pitching what they’re gonna try to do.”

Ohtani didn’t start the series hot, but Game 4 became known as the Ohtani game. His performance won’t be forgotten—it may even go down as one of the greatest postseason performances in baseball history.

“Shohei Ohtani homered. Again. Dead center off Trevor Megill. He has three home runs tonight. He threw 6.1 shutout innings and struck out 10. This is one of the greatest individual performances in postseason history,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan posted.

After the game, Roberts kept his comments short and impactful. He hasn’t forgotten the critics who claimed the Dodgers were “ruining baseball,” and he made it clear his team intends to do exactly that in the World Series.

“Before this season started, they said the Dodgers are ruining baseball. Let's get four more wins and really ruin baseball,” Roberts said on the air.

The Dodgers are red hot right now, and that’s exactly what October baseball is all about. Their focus is crystal clear: one singular goal — to “ruin baseball.”

Of course, it isn’t meant literally. It’s a message to whichever team they face next — the Mariners or the Blue Jays. Whoever takes the field against L.A. should be ready, because the Dodgers are out to prove a point.

More MLB news:

Hunter Cookston

Hunter Cookston began his career as a sportswriter for the Marion Tribune, where he covered local high school football, basketball and baseball. His passion for sports started at the age of four when he played his first year of tee ball. Growing up in Tennessee, he developed a deep love for the Tennessee Volunteers and Atlanta Braves. Hunter is currently attending Tennessee Wesleyan University, where he is pursuing a BA in Sports Communications/Management.