Dave Roberts adopts Palisades High baseball team coping with fire

Traditionally, when a member of the Dodgers is honored with a bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium, someone from their family will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
But on Saturday, on the night of his bobblehead commemorating the final out of last yearβs World Series championship, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had a different idea for the pregame guest.
Four months ago, in the weeks after the devastating wildfires that ravaged Pacific Palisades, Roberts received a message from a friend involved with the Palisades Charter High School baseball team, inviting him to speak at one of their preseason practices.
It was the start of a personal connection between Roberts and the schoolβs resilient baseball program; making the World Series-winning manager a source of moral support amid their catastrophic circumstances, and more simply one of their biggest fans.
βWhen all this happened, I got emails from people all over the country, everybody wanting to help out and all that stuff,β Palisades baseball coach Mike Voelkel said. βBut Dave is one of the few who has stuck by us β¦ I donβt think theyβve invented an adjective yet to describe how appreciative and how thankful [we are].β

Palisades Charter High School pitcher Jett Teegardin, left, leaves the infield with his teammates after throwing out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Thus, when it came time for Robertsβ bobblehead celebration Saturday, he helped coordinate a Dodger Stadium surprise for the Palisades players.
During the Dodgersβ batting practice Saturday afternoon, the Palisadesβ varsity and junior varsity teams were invited down to field level, where they watched the Dodgers in awe from behind home plate.
βThis has been the coolest thing ever,β senior pitcher Ian Sullivan said, one of more than a dozen players in the program whose family was displaced by the fires. βI donβt have words.β
The ceremonial first pitch was delivered by junior infielder Jett Teegardin, whose family has bounced between living out of hotels and with friends in the area since their home was lost in the flames.

Dave Roberts hugs Palisades Charter High School pitcher Jett Teegardin after Teegardin threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
βI just spoke with Dave Roberts!β he exclaimed after Roberts came by to greet the team before the game β not even knowing Roberts would be behind the plate hours later to catch his throw from the mound. βHow many people can say theyβve had a full conversation with him? Itβs so cool.β
Even the traditional call of βItβs Time for Dodgers Baseballβ had a Palisades twist, recited by a group of other players who were personally impacted by the tragedy.
βJust with what theyβve been going through, I just kept in touch with them,β Roberts said. βAnd then the bobblehead night comes up, and I was like, βI want to do something. I want to make this a special night for them.ββ
Long before then, though, Robertsβ impact had already been felt.
In the immediate aftermath of Januaryβs Palisades fires, which wiped out more than 6,800 structures and much of the neighborhoodβs iconic high school, there was doubt about whether the baseball program would even survive.
βWhen this happened, people were telling our kids weβre not going to have a team, and to transfer to other schools, and stuff like that,β Voelkel said. βBut we were a little bit stubborn. We made sure we were gonna have a team.β
Once the season started weeks later, many around the baseball world quickly volunteered to help.
Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre and entertainer Billy Crystal made a surprise visit to one of their early practices. Texas-based baseball equipment company Bruce Bolt donated hundreds of dollars worth of gear for each player.
But few days were as meaningful as Robertsβ visit in late January, when he spent almost two hours with the team during their practice at a park near Century City.
βIt was brutal,β Roberts said. βBut they were having fun. And I was so excited.β

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts talks with Palisades Charter High baseball players whose lives were disrupted by the Palisades fire.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
βIt was definitely something to bring up the mood,β Teegardin said. βBecause it was still kind of recent to everything that was happening [with the fires]. So I think it was one of the coolest things that has happened [this season].β
Robertsβ message to the team that day was simple: βDonβt make excuses.β
Voelkel appreciated such sincerity, finding Robertsβ words refreshing ahead of what he knew would be a daunting season.
βIt was just like sitting in your backyard, talking baseball,β Voelkel said of Robertsβ interaction with the players. βI think that was a different kind of communication than those forums normally take on.β
Ever since, Roberts has stayed in regular contact with Voelkel for team updates.
βHeβs wanted to know how our kids are doing,β Voelkel said. βI communicated with him when he was over in Japan.β
And shortly before first pitch Saturday, the entire program gathered near the third base line β wearing their blue βPalisadesβ jerseys β and were greeted by Roberts with a brief address.
βHe has been absolutely golden during this whole process,β Voelkel said.
Baseball alone has been a welcome distraction for the Palisades players.
βItβs like a normalcy in my life,β Sullivan said. βSomething that hasnβt changed.β
But the complexities of this season have not been easy.
Early in the year, Teegardin recalled having to scramble to simply find gear for practice.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts laughs with Palisades Charter High baseball coach Mike Voelkel as they walk off a field.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
βI didnβt have anything, I didnβt have any baseball clothes,β he said. βSo my friends came and dropped me off some stuff.β
Standing next to him, Sullivan solemnly nodded his head.
βYeah, me too.β
Practices have been a logistical nightmare, with the program finding refuge at several local parks after their on-campus field was damaged in the fires β and officially leveled just this past week.
βA smack in the mouth,β Voelkel called that news.
And while the teamβs play has been up-and-down this season, entering Saturday 13-9 in an almost entirely road schedule in the CIF Los Angeles City Section, Voelkel said the simple fact that theyβre even still playing together remains a point of pride.
βIf you look at it realistically, itβs a victory just having a team,β said Voelkel, who last month was recognized by the CIF with a Model Coach Award. βThat supersedes anything.β
Still, with a few weeks to go until the playoffs, the Palisadesβ varsity team has a singular goal in mind: To return to Dodger Stadium for the City Section finals next month.
βNow being so close to it, itβs like a need at this point,β Sullivan said, his eyes wide as he gazed toward the diamond. βThat would be the best way to cap off our season. So this is kind of an insane experience, and just another motivator for us.β
If they get there, few will be happier to see it than Roberts.
βI cannot tell you how valuable heβs been to the growth and stability of our program,β Voelkel said. βWhen you have the World Series champion manager give you their time and authentic care, itβs priceless.β