Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was honored during his return to Naha, the city in Okinawa where he was born. Roberts won the World Series with the Dodgers in October.
According to Stars and Stripes, Roberts’ mother is Japanese and his father was a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa.
“Winning the World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers … was incredible, an incredible challenge,” he said during a ceremony at Naha City Hall, per Stars and Stripes. “But the final piece for me was to come to Naha to be with my people and celebrate with you guys, together.”
NBC News reports that this was the first time Roberts had been able to visit Okinawa in over two decades.
“I was born in Naha,” Roberts said per NBC News. “I have Okinawan blood and Okinawa will always be home for me.”
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