Tommy Lasorda, who claimed to be bleeding Dodger blue from the moment he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers organization in 1949 and decades later became the colorful and highly successful manager of the transplanted Los Angeles Dodgers, who won two World Series titles, died Thursday night .
Lasorda was 93. The Dodgers announced that Lasorda suffered sudden cardiac arrest at his home and was rushed to hospital. He was pronounced dead at 10:57 AM.
“Words cannot express my feelings,” tweeted former Mets manager Bobby Valentine. “There is no longer a friend and mentor for 52 years. Tommy, no one will ever fill the void you left behind. Thanks for everything. REST IN PEACE”
Lasorda had just been released from hospital on Tuesday after being admitted for unknown reasons in mid-November.
In October, he was at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, in his role as Special Advisor to Team Chairman Mark Walter to see how the Dodgers defeated the Rays and won their first World Championship since his 1988 team, culminating in Kirk’s game. Gibson. winning a homerun by Dennis Eckersley accomplished the feat.
In 20 seasons as their manager (1977-96), Lasorda led the Dodgers to two world championships (1981, 1988), four National League pennants, and eight division titles.
He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 in his first year of eligibility and was the oldest living member of the Hall at the time of his death.
Not bad for a lefthanded pitcher who played in only 26 big league-games in parts of three seasons with the Dodgers and Kansas City Athletics. Lasorda, who originally signed with his hometown of Phillies, appeared with the Dodgers three times in 1954 and was sent to the minors when the Dodgers instead kept an 18-year-old leftist named Sandy Koufax.
“When [general manager] Buzzie [Bavasi] told me I was going down, I told him he was crazy, “Lasorda told MLB.com in 2005.” That man couldn’t hit a barn door from 15 meters and I won 20 games. [in the minors]. So honestly, I can say it took the greatest left-hander in the history of the game to replace me.
“I still think they made a mistake.”
Lasorda made his lone start for Brooklyn the following season. He was removed after the first inning after throwing three wild pitches and was enriched at home plate when St. Louis’ Wally Moon scored on that third wild pitch. Lasorda was sent to the minors shortly after, where he had a long career, never pitching for the Dodgers again.
After his playing career – which also included a stop at the Triple-A team of the Yankees in Denver, where he came under the influence of Bears manager Ralph Houk – Lasorda became a scout for the Dodgers, then worked his way up in the minor league. coaching ranks before being named the Dodgers’ coach at third base in 1973.
After the 1976 season, Lasorda replaced Hall of Famer Walter Alston as Dodgers manager and quickly began making his own way to Cooperstown, where he won pennants in his first two seasons when his teams fell for the Yankees in the World Series. During his tenure, he led nine players to the honor of NL Rookie of the Year, including Steve Howe, Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Sax and Mike Piazza.
He also befriended presidents and numerous Hollywood stars – including Frank Sinatra, Don Rickles, Milton Berle, and Robert Wagner – and photos of his famous friends filled the walls of his Dodger Stadium office.
“I’m telling you, only in this amazing country of ours could the third-string pitcher on the Norristown, Pennsylvania high school team, the son of an Italian immigrant, be friends with some of the greatest entertainers in the world,” he told Sports Illustrated in 1984.
“I am the only general manager in baseball,” said the former general manager of Dodgers Al Campanis once, “who, when he wants to reach his manager, the Oval Office in the White House, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas or Lasorda’s restaurant in Exton. , Pennsylvania. “
In between photo edits, Lasorda played 3,038 Major League-games and won 1,599. Although he was known for his salty language in the baseball field, his wife, Jo, claimed that neither she nor their children had ever heard that side of her husband. Lasorda’s deviant rant when a reporter asked what he thought of Dave Kingman after the Cubs slugger hit three home runs and drove eight runs in a 1978 Dodgers loss, remains a classic.
“What do I think of Kingman’s performance?” Said Lasorda. “What the [expletive] do you think my opinion is on that? I think it was … [expletive]. Put that in there. Not me [expletive] care. What is my opinion of his performance? [Expletive.] He beat us with three [expletive] home run.
“What the [expletive] you mean what’s my take on his performance? How can you ask me such a question? Im [expletive] off to a [expletive] game, and you ask me my opinion on his performance? “
Lasorda’s last game came on June 23, 1996, a 4–3 win over the Astros. The next day he drove himself to the hospital, where he learned that he had a heart attack. He retired five weeks later.
Lasorda came out of retirement to lead the US national team to a gold medal in the 2000 Olympics, beating the much-loved team from Cuba. He is the only man to lead a team to a World Series title and an Olympic gold medal.
Thomas Charles Lasorda was born on September 22, 1927 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, the second of five brothers of Sabatino and Carmella Lasorda.
He was a childhood friend of Vincent Piazza, the father of Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza. Lasorda is the godfather of Thomas Piazza, Mike’s younger brother, and it was Lasorda who lobbied for the Dodgers to capture the unknown Mike Piazza in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft, the 1,390th player selected.
Lasorda is survived by his wife of 70 years, Jo, a daughter, Laura, and a granddaughter. His son, Thomas Jr., died in 1991.
A tireless supporter of several charities, Lasorda spent many of his off-season travels from coast to coast raising money. While charging five-digit speaking fees from corporate clients, he said he “never took a penny” from churches or schools.
“I feel like I owe people something,” he once said. “I want to get out and spread the word about the Dodgers and baseball. … You could say it’s like putting something back in the jar. I have a lot to be thankful for. “