In the world of Major League Baseball, few stories are as inspiring as the emotional journey of Dave Roberts – a Dodgers legend on the sidelines – as he watched his son, Cole Roberts, take his first steps into professional coaching, infusing the Dodgers spirit into every decision and every moment on the field.
Dave Roberts is not only the head coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team with the greatest tradition in modern baseball; he is also the one who ignited the flame of belief and Dodgers values in his son’s heart. Roberts led the Dodgers through many tough battles, instilling tough principles and a never-give-up spirit – and now, he watches Cole turn those lessons into reality on the field.
Cole, 25, ended his professional playing career after three seasons in the Multi-Low Field (MILB) and is ready to begin his coaching career with the Detroit Tigers—specifically as a bench coach for the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps. This isn’t just the beginning for a former MILB player; it marks the emergence of a new Dodgers—one who will inherit the Dodgers’ legacy, style, and relentless fighting spirit.
Cole’s journey isn’t just about drafts, contracts, or a short stint on the court. Before starting coaching, he played second base, shortstop, and left field in 97 games, experiencing the ups and downs, the hits, the runs to save the ball, and the moments of standing still in defeat. Life on the court is a constant test—and it was in those difficult moments that Cole remembered what his father had taught him.
When Cole was playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, there was a symbolic moment: father and son exchanged lineup cards right before a game at Spring Training, where Dave was coaching the Dodgers, and Cole was in his Diamondbacks uniform. That moment wasn’t just a pre-game ritual—it was a moment a father passed on the soul of baseball to his son, embodying the Dodgers spirit he carried in his heart.
Becoming a bench coach wasn’t a coincidence for Cole. It was a deliberate decision, a chance to learn, to continue bringing the Dodgers style to every situation on the field. Standing alongside the head coach, the bench coach must be sharp, understand tactics, express confidence, and inspire the players—qualities Dave Roberts instilled throughout his career.
For Cole, this wasn’t just a continuation of his career, but a responsibility to tradition, a responsibility to the Dodgers warrior spirit his father taught him from a young age. Dave was once a standout MLB player, a manager who achieved memorable feats, and now he’s the one shaping his son’s spirit as he embarks on his own path into professional baseball.
It’s not every day a father gets to see his child enter the profession he’s dedicated his life to. For years, Dave balanced his role as a Dodgers coach with raising his family. Now, even though Cole no longer plays in the Dodgers system, his presence on the Minor League coaching bench is the clearest evidence of Dodgers values being passed down through generations.
For a long-established organization with such a deeply ingrained culture as the Dodgers, the story of Dave Roberts guiding his son to become a professional coach is beyond baseball—beyond statistics, tactics, or mere victories. It’s a symbol of unwavering determination, a love of baseball, and endless inspiration.
Perhaps what excites the public most isn’t where Cole will go, but the personal identity he brings to every tactical move. A second Dodgers is emerging — not exactly like his father, but built upon the best of the Dodgers spirit: discipline, fighting spirit, loyalty, and an unceasing thirst for learning.
From a young boy accompanying his father to practice, to his days playing at MiLB, and now stepping into coaching — Cole Roberts represents not just a father figure, but also a symbol of a second Dodgers preparing to mature.
