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<\/p>\nPHILADELPHIA \u2014 Dave Roberts arrived at Citizens Bank Park just before 1 p.m. on Monday. He hoped to get a head start on a few things, namely the nearly 100 baseballs he needed to sign. It\u2019s a time-consuming process, he explains, and it can be difficult, if not impossible, to find a time to do it without being interrupted.<\/p>\n
Sure enough, eight boxes of balls, stacked neatly on his desk, greet him as he walks into the manager\u2019s office inside the home-side clubhouse.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a spacious and tidy setup, complete with two leather couches and a few extra chairs set up against a wall. But Roberts has no meetings on the docket, no last-minute things to address. Preparing to lead the National League in MLB\u2019s annual All-Star Game is a song-and-dance he and his coaching staff are well-rehearsed in.<\/p>\n
As he prepares to manage his fourth All-Star Game, Roberts has agreed to let The Athletic shadow him and his coaches for the day. The entire Los Angeles Dodgers coaching staff, along with guest selections Don Mattingly of the Philadelphia Phillies and Oli Marmol of the St. Louis Cardinals, bustle through the clubhouse halls.<\/p>\n
Roberts plops into his chair and grabs a water, a Diet Dr. Pepper and a box of balls. Each player on the NL All-Star team will sign these balls, he explains, and MLB will auction off some of these mementos or use them for various charities. There\u2019s also an autograph etiquette of sorts. The sweet spot is reserved for the manager\u2019s signature. Players know to leave that space open if they sign before their skipper \u2014 or at least they should.<\/p>\n
But when Roberts grabs a ball out of the box, he sighs.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, Yamamoto,\u201d Roberts groans, spinning the ball to reveal his ace\u2019s signature, scribbled dangerously close to Roberts\u2019 designated space. \u201cHe should know better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roberts\u2019 playful shot at Yoshinobu Yamamoto \u2014 one of six Los Angeles Dodgers to make the NL team \u2014 is timely. Because he started Saturday, Yamamoto won\u2019t pitch in this year\u2019s Midsummer Classic. In the room next door, pitching coach Mark Prior tries to pin down who will. Prior spent the last week communicating with pitching coaches around the league, analyzing workloads and availability and learning about any issues or concerns teams have about their star pitchers participating in this storied exhibition game.<\/p>\n
Prior walks into Roberts\u2019 office with a detailed sheet showing all of the National League\u2019s available pitchers. He\u2019s just heard from the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals with updates on Mason Miller and Foster Griffin, both of whom will be able to pitch, albeit with some limitations. But usage restrictions for starters on two other teams leave them with nine arms for nine innings, Prior says. Rarely does a pitcher in the All-Star Game record more than two innings, and Prior wants to ensure they don\u2019t run out of arms.<\/p>\n
But before Prior and Roberts can finish the conversation, a member of the Dodgers\u2019 public relations staff arrives to whisk the latter away to media duties. Roberts and John Schneider, the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays and the American League All-Stars, are due for a news conference with their selected starting pitchers. Prior retreats to the coaches room, where he and assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness continue to map out the usage.<\/p>\n
The baseballs will have to wait.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n Dave Roberts was all smiles signing All-Star baseballs, at least until he saw that one of his pitchers took his sweet spot. (Katie Woo \/ The Athletic)<\/p>\n
It helps that Roberts has already made his most pressing pregame decisions. His starting lineup is set, with Philadelphia\u2019s Cristopher Sanchez getting the nod as the starting pitcher.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to do it from the lens of: This is for the fans,\u201d Roberts explained from his desk chair. \u201cWhat allows for the fans to have the best experience? Their hometown guy starting the game is the way to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He finalized his lineup with bench coach Danny Lehmann on the plane Sunday night. It\u2019s helpful that the starting nine was decided by a fan vote weeks ago. But Roberts and Lehmann still had to decide on the batting order, something complicated by the seven left-handed hitters selected.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously the starters were voted in,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cBut construction-wise, some of it is performance and body of work, and there is some game strategy there. We have a ton of left-handed hitters. So how can I break up the lefties? I can use Andy Pages, or Ozzie Albies, who is better versus left-handed pitching, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Roberts also believes in rewarding strong performances and stellar careers.<\/p>\n
\u201cOzzie, this is his fourth All-Star Game, so I wanted him to hit up higher than guys in their first game,\u201d he said. \u201cI want them to pay their dues. CJ Abrams, he\u2019s in his second All-Star Game, but he\u2019s had such a huge year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Roberts and Lehmann decided on five straight lefties to lead off the order: Kyle Schwarber, Juan Soto, Freeman, Abrams and Muncy. He thought about hitting Muncy cleanup, but checked himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to break up a little bit of my Dodgers bias,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n
By the time he arrived at the field Monday, he had just one position quandary to clear up. Both Soto and Brandon Marsh play left field. Roberts deferred to Soto\u2019s seniority and asked him where he\u2019d rather play. He wanted left, which shifted Marsh to right.<\/p>\n
Making the starting lineup, all things considered, is fairly easy. It\u2019s figuring out how many at-bats the starters want, mapping out the substitutions and ensuring the best possible chance of every player getting an opportunity to play that gets complicated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tough part is filtering the next guys,\u201d Lehmann said. \u201cSome of it is service time, some of it\u2019s the number of All-Star appearances they\u2019ve had, and some of it is where they\u2019re at in their careers. Like with this game, it\u2019s both good and bad that there are so many Phillies here. With Schwarber, (Bryce) Harper and Marsh, trying to get them in their home stadium and giving them as much playing time, but at the same time respecting others and not having to wait until the ninth to rush them in.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it starts with the starting lineup and what they want, because they earned that. Most guys want one or two (at-bats). But we have 21 position players, so it\u2019s not a straight sub, nine-for-nine deal. Trying to figure out which of those guys only want one at-bat makes it a lot easier to get those extra three in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Configuring the pitching side remains a work in progress for Prior. Most teams have disclosed their pitcher availability by now, but McGuiness laughs when he recalls the year where an organization waited until a few hours before the first pitch.<\/p>\n
The silver lining, he says, is that he and Prior can worry a little less about playing the matchups, since there will be so many substitutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a perfect world, it\u2019d be awesome to lane guys up, but they\u2019re going to be pinch hitting on the other side just as much as us,\u201d McGuiness said. \u201cSo a lot of this is more figuring out where guys are comfortable coming into the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Dave Roberts talks with Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and James Wood of the Washington Nationals during the NL team\u2019s workout. (Daniel Shirey \/ MLB Photos via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
There\u2019s always an emphasis on deploying the starting pitchers first. Prior and McGuiness are still contemplating who will follow S\u00e1nchez. They could stack the fan favorites and throw Jes\u00fas Luzardo next. But 33-year-old Eduardo Rodriguez was named an All-Star for the first time in his 11-year career, and they\u2019d like to honor that, too.<\/p>\n
They do know how they\u2019d like to close the game in a potential save situation. When choosing between Miller or Jhoan Duran for closing duties, they again opted in favor of the home crowd. Miller, making his second All-Star Game, understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was expecting him for the ninth,\u201d Miller said to McGuiness. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t bother me at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
All that\u2019s left is the middle innings. Prior and McGuiness know better than to believe a baseball game can be scripted. They need a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency guy, someone who has experience starting and relieving, can pitch multiple innings and can get ready quickly. Conveniently, McGuiness knows just the guy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think (Justin) Wrobleski can be our flexibility,\u201d he said, referring to the Dodgers\u2019 budding starting pitcher. \u201cHe\u2019s kind of the perfect guy for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dino Ebel stomps down the dugout steps, out of the beaming sun and into the air-conditioned reprieve of the clubhouse tunnel. He ducks into a storage room and plops onto a stool, sweating but smiling. It is nearing 4:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
Ebel, the Dodgers\u2019 third-base coach, is in charge of the usual scouting and video prep needed to game plan against the American League. He has also been tasked with communicating with the outfield reserves and ensuring each sub knows when their name is likely to be called.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunication is big in the All-Star Game,\u201d Ebel said. \u201cThese guys want to know when they\u2019re coming in, coming out. So I have to make sure guys are prepared to pinch run, sub in.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Ebel\u2019s most pressing duty of the day will be unrelated to game preparation. He\u2019s participating in the Home Run Derby, pitching to local legend Bryce Harper. Ebel and Harper, along with the seven other participants and their selected batting-practice pitchers, are fresh out of a meeting with MLB, where the new format was explained once more. Soon, batting practice will start. Ebel will coordinate whether Harper will want to hit on the field or in the cage. The two will then do one more session on the field shortly before the Derby begins.<\/p>\n
Ebel is a seasoned pro. Monday night will be the fifth time he\u2019s thrown batting practice at the Home Run Derby. He threw to Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez when Hern\u00e1ndez won in 2024, and pitched in last year\u2019s All-Star Game-deciding swing-off, which the NL won.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never take anything for granted,\u201d Ebel said. \u201cI became a coach to throw good BP to players because I know what it does to players. To get asked by another team that\u2019s participating, that means a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
But he still has time to join the rest of the Dodgers coaches on the field during the National League\u2019s on-field window. He hits groundballs to those who want it. Prior and McGuiness, along with bullpen coach Josh Bard, bop around to different pitchers, seeing who wants to throw or if anyone needs a catch partner. Hitting coaches Aaron Bates and Robert Van Scoyoc lean behind the batting shell as their hitters take batting practice. Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals launches one over the fence \u2014 foreshadowing an epic Home Run Derby.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Roberts is back on the media train. After television interviews with MLB Network and Fox, he mingles with reporters on the field and catches up with players \u2014 current and retired. As an ambassador of the game, Roberts knows the importance of celebrating this special week.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a lot of work that goes into this, as far as interviews,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cEvery fan base wants their moment with their players. But it\u2019s also fun. The best thing is all the players that get to spend time with one another. That\u2019s the coolest thing. When you peek back and guys are joking with each other in the cage, start talking about their approach. That really is a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Soon after, though, Roberts sneaks away from the masses and ducks back to his office. He will stay to watch the Derby and finalize any last-minute lineup changes. It\u2019s nearing 6 p.m., and he has one thing left on his to-do list.<\/p>\n
There are still baseballs that need to be signed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PHILADELPHIA \u2014 Dave Roberts arrived at Citizens Bank Park just before 1 p.m. on Monday. He hoped to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":751441,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2377],"tags":[22,537,46,47,5,48,24,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,4,61,62,25,64,297,18,66,65,67,2550,68,2551,2549,69,70,71],"class_list":["post-751440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa-bay-rays","tag-arizona-diamondbacks","tag-athletics","tag-atlanta-braves","tag-baltimore-orioles","tag-baseball","tag-boston-red-sox","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-chicago-white-sox","tag-cincinnati-reds","tag-cleveland-guardians","tag-colorado-rockies","tag-detroit-tigers","tag-houston-astros","tag-kansas-city-royals","tag-los-angeles-angels","tag-los-angeles-dodgers","tag-miami-marlins","tag-milwaukee-brewers","tag-minnesota-twins","tag-mlb","tag-new-york-mets","tag-new-york-yankees","tag-philadelphia-phillies","tag-pittsburgh-pirates","tag-rays","tag-san-diego-padres","tag-san-francisco-giants","tag-seattle-mariners","tag-st-louis-cardinals","tag-tampa-bay","tag-tampa-bay-rays","tag-tampabay","tag-tampabayrays","tag-texas-rangers","tag-toronto-blue-jays","tag-washington-nationals"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=751440"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751440\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/751441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=751440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=751440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=751440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}