Roberts to Have Unfamiliar View of Playoffs
By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
RAFU SPORTS EDITOR
Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007

The Giants centerfielder’s comeback from elbow surgery ends all too soon, as he won’t be a part of the postseason for the first time in four years.

MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS/Rafu Shimpo
Dave Roberts watches the flight of the ball during an at-bat on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Roberts flied out and the Giants lost, 6-5 in 10 innings.

DODGER STADIUM.–Dave Roberts changed quietly into his street clothes
Saturday night, in a subdued San Francisco Giants clubhouse. The Giants
had just lost a 10-inning nailbiter to the Dodgers, 6-5, but the heavier issue on his teammates’ minds was the end of a forgettable season.

San Francisco finished the 2007 campaign Sunday with a record of 71 wins and 91 losses—good for dead last in the National League West division. For the 35-year-old Roberts, who came back strong after missing a month following elbow surgery, going home at the end of the regular season is an insult after returning from injury.

“Obviously, it’s frustrating, you know, when you’re to a point where
you can’t perform because of an injury,” Roberts said. “Then you’ve got to battle back to get your timing, so it’s been an uphill battle all season long. But looking from where I was when I had the surgery, there’s a little bit of solace in coming back, but the season outcome was still disappointing.”

Having been involved in postseason play each of the last three seasons,
Roberts will find himself watching the playoffs from an unfamiliar vantage point: home.

“It’s the first time in a long time that I’ll be watching postseason baseball as a spectator, but I guess it’s bound to happen,” Roberts admitted.

The speedy outfielder hasn’t missed playoff action since he was with the
Dodgers, who finished second in NL West in 2003. Roberts is a legend in
Boston, where in 2004, his steal of second base against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series–his only appearance of that postseason–led to the winning run of the series and an eventual World Series title. Roberts returned to the playoffs in 2005 and 2006 as a member of the San Diego Padres.

Roberts signed a three-year, $18 million deal with San Francisco last
December, following former Padres manager Bruce Bochy to the Bay Area.
His season was quickly derailed when surgery in May to remove bone chips from his elbow forced him to miss a month of the season.

Since his return after mid-season, Roberts steadily got back to full strength, finishing the year with .260 batting average and 31 stolen bases.

“Everything is back to where it needs to be right now,” he said. “I’ve felt good since the All-Star break, but unfortunately, it didn’t translate into a lot of wins for us. Hopefully, looking to next year, we’ll come out and play better.”

Next season will bring a new look tothe Giants, who announced last month that Barry Bonds–and all the chaos and controversy that come with him will not be returning in 2008.

“Yeah, it definitely will,” Roberts agreed. “Barry’s been a mainstay here for so long that in his absence, it’s going to be a different ball club.
We’ve got to replace him with a couple of different pieces and hope for the best.”

Until then, Roberts said he will go home to San Diego and spend some quality time with his family.

“I’m ready for some R and R, and maybe a lot of soba at Mom’s house,” he said.