Dave Roberts Reached 1,000 Wins Faster Than Anyone. Here’s Why He Felt ‘Bittersweet.’

Dave Roberts didn’t just win his 1,000th game as a manager Tuesday night. He did it faster than anyone in MLB history, passing Cap Anson’s 131-year-old record in 1,606 games. The Dodgers took down the Athletics 9-3 in Sacramento, and the place sounded like a home game. Fans were chanting ‘Let’s go, Dodgers!’ all night long.

But Roberts wasn’t all smiles. He called the milestone a ‘little bittersweet.’ Why? Because his best friend was in the other dugout. Mark Kotsay, the A’s manager, had to watch Roberts pop champagne (metaphorically speaking) on his team’s home turf. Roberts said he would have loved to have done it in San Diego instead, but hey, a thousand wins is still a thousand wins.

Roberts has been with the Dodgers since 2016, and he’s built up a lot of equity with that fanbase. He’s consistently one of the best regular-season managers in the game, even if the postseason has sometimes been a different story. But he’s also got a World Series ring, and that counts for a lot.

The Game Itself Was a Blowout

Tommy Edman had four hits and hit his first homer of the season. Justin Wrobleski struck out a career-high 11 batters. The Dodgers are 7-1 in their last eight games, and they’re looking like the team everyone expected them to be. Rookie starter Roki Sasaki also pitched well, and Miguel Rojas and Freddie Freeman chipped in with key at-bats.

But Roberts wasn’t focused on the box score. He deflected credit to his players. That’s kind of his thing. He said baseball isn’t just about chasing wins and championships, especially when you’re wearing that uniform. It’s about the relationships you build over time.

‘Over 11 years, I built a lot of great relationships with the coaches, the fanbase, and obviously the players,’ Roberts said. ‘It’s been a lot of fun. What a ride. We’ll keep adding on.’

The Dodgers are now 50-32 on the season, and they’ve got the best record in the National League. They’ve got the talent, they’ve got the depth, and they’ve got a manager who just became the fastest to 1,000 wins. The question now is how many more he can pile up before he’s done. If the first 1,000 are any indication, the next 1,000 might not take as long.