LOS ANGELES — Dave Roberts is walking, breathing, baseball history, starting well before he became the manager of the Dodgers.

He’s a key part of the only team to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a MLB playoff series. Now, with the boys in blue, he’s the second Black and first Asian manager to win the World Series. He did it with the franchise who ushered the first Black player in, Jackie Robinson.

“Jackie was a hero of mine, a hero of my fathers,” Roberts said.

“Every day I put on this uniform, I feel that there’s huge shoes to fill and it’s my duty and responsibility to help perpetuate his legacy,” Roberts added.

Of course, Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier 75 years ago. It was 50 years ago at the 1972 World Series, when the historic icon called for even more diversity in the game.

“I’m gonna be tremendously more pleased and prouder when I look at that third base coaching line one day and see a Black face managing in baseball,” Robinson said.

Today, Roberts is the embodiment of those words. Though, after all these years, he is only one of just two Black managers in the major leagues. There are no Black general managers.

“We have a lot of work to do,” said the Dodgers manager.

“There’s no status quo,” Roberts said. “I think the minority involvement, players, front office as far as Latin America, I think Asia, we’ve done really well. But the inner city, the Black kids, Black men, Black women. I think we can do better.”

Roberts has served on MLB’s diversity pipeline committee and said he would like to see improvement and that it starts with getting the next generation on the field.

“You know, there’s gotta be more Black kids playing baseball, let alone in managing positions or in the front office,” Roberts said.

The Dodgers skipper believes his success proves people of color can do the job and do it well. Now, he looks to add another winning chapter in 2022 to the legacy left by number 42.