"Dave Roberts is either a f**king dumbass or a genius" - Fans puzzled as Dodgers manager confesses about overreacting to Manny Machado drama in NLDS

After Game 2 of the NLDS, LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts caused quite a stir when he accused San Diego Padres star Manny Machado of throwing a warmup ball into the LA dugout with malicious intent. Now, the skipper has admitted that the fiasco meant less to him than was originally thought.

Ahead of the first game of the NLCS, Roberts admitted that he used the narrative as a "diversion." According to the veteran skipper, Roberts' goal in promoting the diversion was to "take it off our guys a little bit."

After news of the situation broke on Reddit, several fans took aim at the tactics of the Los Angeles Dodgers manager. Comments ranged from disparaging to supportive, but there was broad agreement that Roberts' playbook was certainly novel.

Dave Roberts coached Manny Machado on the Dodgers in 2018 before the third baseman went to the San Diego Padres. The dynamic between Roberts and Machado was only part of the fireworks ahead of Game 2, which was delayed by 12 minutes after fans in the outfield threw trash at San Diego outfielder Jurickson Profar.

A former NL Manager of the Year Award winner, Dave Roberts is no stranger to the mental side of the game. After Machado was identified as a target, he quickly found himself on the receiving end of some chiding and chirping by LA players. Among those who engaged in a trash talk with Machado was pitcher Jack Flaherty in the early moments of Game 2.

Dave Roberts understands the importance of the psychological game

The situation involving Roberts and Machado became larger than almost anyone expected. In the words of Roberts:

"And that was very bothersome. If it was intended at me, I would be very -- it's pretty disrespectful. So I don't know his intent. I don't want to speak for him. But I did see the video. And the ball was directed at me with something behind it. But I don't know what led to that. I didn't see it in real time but I did see the video."

With his team slated to commence their series against the New York Mets on Sunday, perhaps we might see the same sort of thing for Roberts. As one fan pointed out, the fact that LA emerged victorious from the series validated Dave Roberts' unorthodox strategic thinking.