Don’t believe Dave Roberts when he says the Dodgers don’t view this season as a waste

I don’t know if you heard but the Padres upset the Dodgers last night and are headed to the NLCS for the first time since 1998. Los Angeles went 14-5 against San Diego during the regular season but went 1-3 against them when it mattered most.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the media after the game that he and the entire organization doesn’t think this season was a waste. “There certainly are fans who think it was a waste of a season. I don’t think there’s anybody in our clubhouse in uniform or with the Dodgers that feels that way but every person has their opinion...”

Let’s be honest. The Dodgers season was a waste. They set their regular season franchise record for wins in a regular season. Almost everyone expected them to make it to the World Series. They got off to a good start, winning Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres.

But then they lost three consecutive games to the “Adorable Little Padres”, who have played the entire season without superstar Fernando Tatis Jr.

Even Roberts himself said before the season that his team was going to win the World Series. “We’re gonna win the World Series in 2022…put it on record,” he told Dan Patrick in March.

The players also know it was a waste of a season. “I don’t think anybody’s really going to care, you know? It’s just another good regular season,” Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw told reporters when asked about the significance of their 111 win season.

“It was super cool to win that many games, but it means absolutely nothing if you lose in the postseason,” Mookie Betts said.

“Every year you don’t win, it’s really hard. We always expect to win, so this is nothing new. We’ve been here before. Never feels any better,” said Chris Taylor after the loss.

When you’re a team like the Dodgers who win the division every year, just making it to the playoffs isn’t a success. It definitely is a waste of a season.