Dodgers manager Dave Roberts honored to represent MLB in Seoul

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts attends a news conference at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on Saturday. [AP/YONHAP]

The Los Angeles Dodgers brand is one of the biggest among fans of the MLB around the world, and especially so in Korea thanks to their history of employing stars from the country.

And Dodgers manager Dave Roberts got the sense of just how popular his club is when he arrived in Korea on Friday afternoon for the historic MLB Seoul Series.

The Dodgers will face the San Diego Padres for a two-game set on Wednesday and Thursday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. These two games will be the first MLB regular season games to be played in Korea.

"When we got to the airport, there were a lot of fans, a lot of media and our players are very excited about that and I just think it speaks to where the game of baseball is globally," Roberts said at a press conference Saturday. "I think the interest, the excitement for Major League Baseball is at an all-time high and for the Dodgers to be one of the teams to represent Major League Baseball here in Seoul is quite the honor. When you have great players that we have and you see the excitement, I think that this is a sign of what's to come for us when we go to play in other cities."

Roberts said the trip to Korea can be "galvanizing" for his team because they were able to bring their family members and significant others.

"In this team, that's somewhat new," he said. "It's been fun to see guys spend time away from the ball field."

Where baseball is concerned, Roberts said the Seoul trip will allow some of the new Dodgers to spend more time around their new teammates and settle in.

"I think the teams that seem to be in it every year, there is a bond that I think that is created that withstands ups and downs," Roberts said, reeling off names like Teoscar Hernandez, Tyler Glasnow and the biggest offseason signing in all of MLB, Shohei Ohtani, as ones that could use this opportunity to get assimilated. "You can't win the World Series in March but I do think that guys [will be] creating a bond and also a way to play baseball."

Before the Padres games, the Dodgers will play the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO on Sunday and the Korean national team on Monday in exhibitions.

Roberts said he will have a bullpen game on Sunday and turn to starter Bobby Miller to handle some early innings on Monday.

Yonhap