BOSTON — Dave Roberts, one of the heroes of the Red Sox World Series triumph in 2004, was thrilled to be back in Boston on Monday. Some reasons for his elation are more important than others.
"From playing the big leagues and winning the World Series here, and then you get diagnosed with cancer, it’s kind of a big blow to you and your family," said Roberts, now the first base coach for the San Diego Padres. "But finishing treatment, getting clear scans [Monday] at Dana Farber, that was a big day for me. I'm pretty happy to be here."
Roberts, who had an accomplished career, will always have a special place in the hearts of Red Sox fans for that one play. It was the most memorable stolen base in franchise history, his swipe in Game 4 of the ’04 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees.
However, the fact that this has been his home for a successful fight with Hodgkin's lymphoma has made the city that much dearer to Roberts.
For all of these reasons, he was all smiles Monday before his Padres began a three-game set at Fenway.
Perhaps the biggest of them all came when he heard what his former manager, Terry Francona, had said about Roberts, claiming that he wouldn’t have a job right now if not for Roberts' theft of second base nearly seven years ago.
"I don't know where the heck I would be if it wasn't for Tito," Roberts said with a laugh. "But you know what? We had a special group. People always talk about the '04 team and what it meant to the people in New England and Boston. The group, we're still tight, all of us are still tight. We still reminisce about ‘04 and the group we had."
That '04 group never lost again after Roberts' steal fueled them to a win that day in Fenway Park. They steamrolled over the Yankees in four straight and then swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Now, Roberts is part of a last-place team that just hopes to keep pace with the juggernaut that has come together in his one-time home.
In typical Roberts' fashion, he sized up a question as to how his team can hang with the surging Red Sox, and then took off.
"We're a scrappy team," he said of his 30-43 Padres. "We're gonna hustle, play hard and hopefully score enough runs to beat you guys."
And with that, he smiled. Again. Another great day for Dave Roberts in the city of Boston.
