Those are the words of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts:
“It’s been long enough of middling baseball.”
Does that not beg the question of why Roberts and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman would allow “middling baseball” at any time from a mostly veteran Dodgers team with exceptional, highly paid talent?
A favorite quote from Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully:
“Good is not good when better is expected.”
(LA Dodgers)
Accepting mediocrity at any point when better is expected is failed leadership!
Good leadership solves problems and helps others succeed by developing them while holding them accountable to perform to the best of their ability. Failing to hold someone accountable is a sure way to lower the standards for everyone else on a team, whether it is in a manufacturing, retail, service, or team sport environment.
Over the last six decades, the Dodgers have fielded much less talented teams than the 2025 roster, but they were middling (or worse) because of lesser talented players, not lack of effort or failed fundamentals. Middling was never allowed by the on-field leadership of Walt Alston, Tommy Lasorda, Joe Torre, Don Mattingly, et al.
Dodgers teams of the past played hard, got their uniforms dirty, gave no quarter to their opponents. On-field leaders held players accountable for giving less than 100% effort, and teammates held each other to the high standard of “Dodgers Baseball.”
Middling baseball is an indictment of Dave Roberts and Andrew Friedman as failed leaders in 2025.
“If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”
(Charles Rosner-1967)
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