Padres bench coach Dave Roberts is a World Series hero from his days with the Boston Red Sox.
But he says he was surprised when Steve Brand of the San Diego Hall of Champions called him a couple weeks ago with the news: He had been inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame.
“Obviously, being from San Diego, I’m pretty familiar with the Hall of Champions,” he said Tuesday night after a 4-3 loss to the Brewers. “To be honored next February is a pretty amazing accomplishment.”
He will be joined by Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams and San Diego-born boxer Paul Vaden, it was announced Tuesday.
The trio will be honored Feb. 16 at the annual Salute to the Champions at the Town & Country Hotel/Convention Center, joining the likes of Ted Williams, LaDainian Tomlinson and Bill Walton, honored since 1952.
“My roots are here,” Roberts told Times of San Diego. “You look at the list of inductees from years past — it’s a pretty elite group and people I’ve admired from afar as a fan of San Diego sports, and as a native. To be included and acknowledged is pretty amazing.”
What else does it mean to him?
“You always live your life and compete the way you do for your team, and that’s the way I live my life,” he said. “To be honored and recognized by this committee is especially validating.”
The 70th Salute to the Champions dinner also will recognize the professional and amateur Stars of the Year and the Community Champion and the Challenged Athlete of the Year — and will announce the winner of the Ernest H. Wright Humanitarian Award.
The Hall of Champions summarized the athletic credits of the inductees:
Ricky Williams
He was unstoppable while playing foootball for Patrick Henry High School in San Diego.
At the University of Texas, he set 20 NCAA records, including career yards rushing at 6,129 and TDs with 73, which earned him the Heisman Trophy Award in 1998. In the NFL, Williams played for 13 seasons, rushing for 10,009 yards, including 1,853 yards his All-Pro year with the Miami Dolphins in 2002.
Paul Vaden
Another Patrick Henry Patriot, he remains the only San Diego-born boxer to hold a world championship title as he captured the IBF Inter-Continental Junior Middleweight Crown in 1994 and the IBF Light Middleweight Title in 1995.
The fourth boxer to be inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame, Vaden fashioned an amazing 327-10 amateur record before turning pro, where he was 29-3 with 16 knockouts. He was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009.
Dave Roberts
An all-around athlete at Rancho Buena Vista High in Vista, he cast his lot with baseball and his 10-year career with five clubs included a World Series title with the 2004 Boston Red Sox.
Down 3-0 to the Yankees in the ALCS, the Red Sox rallied with Roberts pinch running, stealing second and scoring the tying run to send the game into extra innings. Boston would capture that game and go on to win the World Series.
Roberts became a bench coach with the Padres.
“Personally it’s exciting and a huge honor,” Roberts said of the Breitbard honor, “but I think there are so many other people that helped me along the way. Start talking about San Diego Hall of Champions and the Breitbard selection you look at your friends, your family and the fans of San Diego that have been along with you for this ride for so long and been there every step of the way.
“For for them to know that they have a piece of this as well is pretty cool.”
