MIAMI >> Dave Roberts retreated to his hotel room Saturday night, confident he had made the right decision in pulling Rich Hill from a perfect game.
He didn't watch any of the highlight shows on TV or read any of the online debate his decision had created. But he did seek out feedback from one person.
But Roberts understands if you are. He admitted he didn't sleep much after Saturday's game. But his discomfort was not based on regret. He said it would have been "irresponsible" of him to leave Hill in the game, risking a re-occurrence of the blister issue that could have sidelined him for the Dodgers' anticipated playoff run.
"It's one of those things where we – myself and the coaches – have talked about team-first since the beginning of spring training," Roberts said. "For me to put any one player's individual success as amazing and great it would have been ahead of the team to potentially compromise our goal, I think I would lose credibility. The one thing we have – me and the coaches – with our players is trust.
Roberts said the training staff was checking Hill's fingers after each inning for signs that one of his blisters – the most severe one on the tip of his middle finger or the one on his index finger that developed as he was trying to come back in August – was ready to re-appear. Although Hill said after the game that he "didn't notice" the blister while he was pitching, Roberts said the medical staff gave him indications that tenderness was developing at the site of the blister on Hill's index finger.
"He said the blister wasn't affecting him. That's true. Obviously he was throwing the ball well," Roberts said. "But in talking to the trainer, when you start looking at the blister from a medical viewpoint and you start seeing some tenderness – as the trainer has gotten familiar with Rich's blister – those are symptoms and signs that the next step is a blister that could present itself.
Roberts acknowledged the time of year played a large part in that decision. Had it been earlier in the year, he could have taken more of a risk because Hill would have had time to recover before the playoffs.
"I think if it was earlier in the year I would have let him go back out there, yes," Roberts said. "What we've done since February to get to the point we're at with 2 ½ weeks left in the season, it just wasn't worth the risk. Richie is throwing as good as anyone in all of baseball. To take the risk to lose him for the post-season is irresponsible, I think, on my part.