Dodgers Hire Roberts, Carew Needs Heart Transplant

The Los Angeles Dodgers have hired former player Dave Roberts to replace Don Mattingly as the team's manager. The team announced Roberts' hire Monday and said he would officially be introduced at a news conference at Dodgers Stadium on Dec. 1.

USA Today reported Monday that Roberts will get a three-year contract with a fourth-year option.

Roberts, whose father is African-American and mother is Japanese, will be the first minority manager in the storied franchise's history.

"It's hard for me to put into words what it means to be named manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers," Roberts said in a statement. "This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime. The Dodgers are the ground-breaking franchise of Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Sandy Koufax, Maury Wills, Fernando Valenzuela and Hideo Nomo. When I put on this uniform as a player, I understood the special responsibility to honor those that played before me as well as the amazing bond between the Dodgers and their fans. I feel that I have now come full circle in my career and there is plenty of unfinished business left in L.A."

Roberts, 43, is a former Dodgers outfielder who played for the team from 2002 to 2004. He also played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants during a 10-year big league career that ended in 2008. Roberts was a career .266 hitter with 243 steals, and he played in the postseason four times.

Rod Carew In Need of Heart Transplant

Hall of Fame slugger Rod Carew is hoping to qualify for a heart transplant after suffering a massive heart attack two months ago.

Carew tells Sports Illustrated that he suffered the heart attack while golfing alone in Corona, California, on Sept. 20.

The 70-year-old Carew tells the magazine he was dead "and they brought me back to life." He underwent six hours of open heart surgery and had a device installed that pumps blood for him. The device typically acts as a bridge until a heart transplant.

Carew played for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels in his 19-year career, and he has a statue outside Target Field. He won seven American League batting titles, was the 1967 AL Rookie of the Year and was the 1977 AL MVP.