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 year’s 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 school’s 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.

“When all this happened, I got emails from people all over the country, everybody wanting to help out and all that stuff,” Palisades baseball coach Mike Voelkel said. “But Dave is one of the few who has stuck by us … I don’t think they’ve invented an adjective yet to describe how appreciative and how thankful [we are].”

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 Roberts’ bobblehead celebration Saturday, he helped coordinate a Dodger Stadium surprise for the Palisades players.

During the Dodgers’ batting practice Saturday afternoon, the Palisades’ varsity and junior varsity teams were invited down to field level, where they watched the Dodgers in awe from behind home plate.

“This has been the coolest thing ever,” senior pitcher Ian Sullivan said, one of more than a dozen players in the program whose family was displaced by the fires. “I don’t have words.”

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)

“I just spoke with Dave Roberts!” he exclaimed after Roberts came by to greet the team before the game — not even knowing Roberts would be behind the plate hours later to catch his throw from the mound. “How many people can say they’ve had a full conversation with him? It’s so cool.”

Even the traditional call of “It’s Time for Dodgers Baseball” had a Palisades twist, recited by a group of other players who were personally impacted by the tragedy.

“Just with what they’ve been going through, I just kept in touch with them,” Roberts said. “And then the bobblehead night comes up, and I was like, ‘I want to do something. I want to make this a special night for them.’”

Long before then, though, Roberts’ impact had already been felt.

In the immediate aftermath of January’s Palisades fires, which wiped out more than 6,800 structures and much of the neighborhood’s iconic high school, there was doubt about whether the baseball program would even survive.

“When this happened, people were telling our kids we’re not going to have a team, and to transfer to other schools, and stuff like that,” Voelkel said. “But we were a little bit stubborn. We made sure we were gonna have a team.”

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 Roberts’ visit in late January, when he spent almost two hours with the team during their practice at a park near Century City.

“It was brutal,” Roberts said. “But they were having fun. And I was so excited.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts talks with Palisades Charter High baseball players whose lives were disrupted by the Palisades fire.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“It was definitely something to bring up the mood,” Teegardin said. “Because 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].”

Roberts’ message to the team that day was simple: “Don’t make excuses.”

Voelkel appreciated such sincerity, finding Roberts’ words refreshing ahead of what he knew would be a daunting season.

“It was just like sitting in your backyard, talking baseball,” Voelkel said of Roberts’ interaction with the players. “I think that was a different kind of communication than those forums normally take on.”

Ever since, Roberts has stayed in regular contact with Voelkel for team updates.

“He’s wanted to know how our kids are doing,” Voelkel said. “I communicated with him when he was over in Japan.”

And shortly before first pitch Saturday, the entire program gathered near the third base line — wearing their blue “Palisades” jerseys — and were greeted by Roberts with a brief address.

“He has been absolutely golden during this whole process,” Voelkel said.

Baseball alone has been a welcome distraction for the Palisades players.

“It’s like a normalcy in my life,” Sullivan said. “Something that hasn’t changed.”

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)

“I didn’t have anything, I didn’t have any baseball clothes,” he said. “So my friends came and dropped me off some stuff.”

Standing next to him, Sullivan solemnly nodded his head.

“Yeah, me too.”

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 — and officially leveled just this past week.

“A smack in the mouth,” Voelkel called that news.

And while the team’s 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 they’re even still playing together remains a point of pride.

“If you look at it realistically, it’s a victory just having a team,” said Voelkel, who last month was recognized by the CIF with a Model Coach Award. “That supersedes anything.”

Still, with a few weeks to go until the playoffs, the Palisades’ varsity team has a singular goal in mind: To return to Dodger Stadium for the City Section finals next month.

“Now being so close to it, it’s like a need at this point,” Sullivan said, his eyes wide as he gazed toward the diamond. “That would be the best way to cap off our season. So this is kind of an insane experience, and just another motivator for us.”

If they get there, few will be happier to see it than Roberts.

“I cannot tell you how valuable he’s been to the growth and stability of our program,” Voelkel said. “When you have the World Series champion manager give you their time and authentic care, it’s priceless.”