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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wears No. 30 as a tribute to his late mentor and friend, Maury Wills.
Wills previously wore the number when he played for the Dodgers as their shortstop from 1959-1966 and 1969-1972. Roberts formed a close friendship with his mentor when he was a member of the Dodgers from 2002-2004.
Wills worked as a special instructor for the Dodgers and worked closely with a young Roberts on baserunning and bunting. While Roberts was traded in the middle of the 2004 season to the Boston Red Sox, the pair maintained a close relationship.
Roberts continued to wear No. 30 after his playing career was over as he chose to sport the number when he became the Dodgers’ manager in 2016.
Wills passed away in September 2022 and had expressed to Roberts prior to his death that he hoped nobody else would wear No. 30.
Flash forward to 2026, the Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million deal. The All-Star outfielder had previously worn No. 30 throughout his entire career, but chose a new jersey number after a conversation with Roberts.
“It was a fun conversation that Tuck and I had,” the Dodgers skipper said at Tucker’s introductory press conerence. “It was just more of, Maury and I have just had such a great relationship. And one of the things that he was like, ‘Gosh, before I die, I hope—or when I die, I hope that no one else wears that number.’ And so, it’s really near and dear to me.”
What Are Dave Roberts’ Career Stats?
Roberts first joined the Dodgers as a fourth-year player after playing the first three seasons of his career with the Cleveland Guardians, where he wore No. 20.
Roberts was traded to the Red Sox in the midst of this third season in LA. The outfielder became a key figure for Boston’s improbable World Series run in 2004, most notably for his stolen base in Game 4 of the 2004 AL Championship Series.
While Roberts only played 45 regular season games for the Red Sox, he became a beloved figure in Boston as his stolen base represents the turning point for the organization’s World Series title.
Roberts has a .266 career batting average with 23 home runs, 213 RBIs and 243 stolen bases. He accumulated a 9.1 career bWAR over 10 MLB seasons.
While Roberts had a respectable playing career, he is regarded as one of the best managers in baseball. Roberts will end up in Cooperstown and has already cemented his legacy as the arguably the greatest Dodgers skipper in franchise history.
