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Tommy Lasorda

nowski

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Tommy was a Class Act!!!

Old buddy of mine was neighbors with Tommy for years. I got him to sign a baseball for my father in law that earned me the title of Son. RIP Tommy RIP...

Tommy's Curveball.jpg
Tommy's Fastball.jpg
 
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FROGMAN524

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Wow that blows. I grew up playing little league at Tommy Lasorda Field of Dreams in LA on Waterloo St.


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rivrrts429

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Dodger games and Tommy was my childhood with my grandfather. Brings back so many great times I had growing up.

I’m so bummed that another great character is gone.
 

cakemoto

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RIP Mr Lasorda

i am sure he is already rolling over in his grave based on whats happening in America. He was a very patriotic man.

He was a great American
As are my grandparents. People these days don’t give a shit what happens
 

RodnJen

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RIP Tommy. His house went up for sale in town a year or so ago. Probably downsized for care and convenience.
 

Mandelon

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Vin Scully may not be far behind, he is also 93.

I grew up with them and the 70's era Big Blue Wrecking Crew. My folks lived for baseball during those mid 70's years. Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Ron Cey, Reggie Smith, Dusty Baker, Bill Russel, Steve Yeager, Don Sutton, Bill Buckner, Tommy John, and later Fernando Valenzuela. I'm surprised I can remember that many. Vin Scully's voice boomed out on my mothers AM radio from the back shelf of the den. We made the trip from Pasadena to Chavez ravine several times each season. My dad was slow to like Lasorda as the manager when he started in 76. Dad said he was too blustery. My mother loved the show.

The memories of a steamy moist Dodger dog, and an icy cold Coca Cola. A bag or box of Cracker Jacks, and maybe a Carnation chocolate ice cream if I got lucky. My folks were more likely to pay the extra if the Dodgers were winning. I dutifully carried my little baseball glove. Got near a foul ball once, but not close enough.

The damn urinal gave me a fright though. When you're a young lad just getting your junk over the edge of the urinal is an effort. As I recall the pissers were round and communal. Everyone pissed facing each other. Like a circle jerk. It sucks when your not much taller than the midsection of all those beery old geezers pissing in your direction. LOL

RIP Tommy.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda has died at the age of 93, the team announced.

He suffered a sudden cardiopulmonary arrest at his home Thursday night and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

Lasorda was hospitalized on Nov. 8 with heart issues and didn't return home until Tuesday.

He managed the Dodgers from 1976 to 1996, winning two World Series titles, four National League pennants and eight division crowns. He was named NL Manager of the Year twice and won 1,599 career games.


Lasorda was born on Sept. 22, 1927, and he grew up in the blue-collar city of Norristown, Pennsylvania, located just outside of Philadelphia. In 1945, at the age of 18, the left-handed pitcher got his big break by signing with the hometown Phillies organization.

"I did not have a lot of ability, but I'll guarantee you one thing, when I stood on that hill of thrills, I didn't believe that there was any man alive who could hit me," Lasorda said in 1997. "And if they did hit me, which they did, I thought it was an accident."

Lasorda's baseball career was interrupted in 1946 and 1947 because of military service with the U.S. Army. Lasorda returned in 1948 and didn't miss a beat; on May 31 that year, he struck out 25 batters in Schenectady's 15-inning win over Amsterdam and singled in the deciding run. After that season, Lasorda was selected by the Brooklyn Dodgers in the minor league draft, beginning a longtime relationship with the franchise.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Tommy Lasorda loved the Dodgers and loved being Tommy Lasorda

Los Angeles Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda: Images and quotes
Lasorda reached the majors in 1954 and played with the Dodgers in 1954 and 1955. He also pitched for the Kansas City Athletics in 1956, but he never played in the big leagues again after that season. He retired from pitching in 1960.

With his playing career finished, Lasorda remained with the Dodgers. He was a scout for the team until becoming a minor league manager from 1965 to 1972. Seventy-five players Lasorda managed in the minors went on to play in the big leagues.

In 1973, Lasorda was the third-base coach for the Dodgers under Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston. When Alston retired in 1976, Lasorda was named his replacement.

Lasorda quickly found success in Los Angeles. In 1977 and 1978, he led the Dodgers to the National League pennant but lost to the Yankees in the World Series both seasons. In 1981, Lasorda finally got his first World Series title as the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in six games. The Dodgers also won the World Series in 1988 under Lasorda. He was in attendance for the team's Game 6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in October that sealed the Dodgers' first World Series championship since Lasorda's 1988 team.

After 20 seasons, Lasorda retired as Dodgers manager in 1996 because of health concerns. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997 by the veterans committee, but Lasorda remained active in the sport. He served various roles with the Dodgers and he was manager of the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 over favored Cuba. Lasorda was also the official ambassador of the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009.


Tommy Lasorda managed the Dodgers for 20 years and led the team to two World Series titles. George Rose/Getty Images
"His passion, success, charisma and sense of humor turned him into an international celebrity, a stature that he used to grow our sport," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement Friday. "Tommy welcomed Dodger players from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Japan, South Korea and elsewhere -- making baseball a stronger, more diverse and better game."

Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, who was the voice of the Dodgers for 67 years, fondly remembered Lasorda's energy and effort.

"There are two things about Tommy I will always remember," Scully said in a statement. "The first is his boundless enthusiasm. Tommy would get up in the morning full of beans and maintain that as long as he was with anybody else.

"The other was his determination. He was a fellow with limited ability and he pushed himself to be a very good Triple-A pitcher. He never quite had that something extra that makes a major leaguer, but it wasn't because he didn't try. Those are some of the things: his competitive spirit, his determination and above all, this boundless energy and self-belief. His heart was bigger than his talent, and there were no foul lines for his enthusiasm."

A distant relative of Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza, and the godfather to Piazza's brother Tommy, Lasorda was instrumental in influencing the Dodgers to select Piazza in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft. Piazza went on to become a 12-time All-Star with a .308 career batting average, one of nine NL Rookies of the Year to play for the Dodgers under Lasorda. Piazza finished with 427 home runs, including a record 396 as a catcher.

In 2009, Lasorda had his portrait hung in the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery. Lasorda's No. 2 was retired by the Dodgers in 1997 and the main street that leads to the entrance of the Dodgers complex in Vero Beach, Florida, was renamed Tommy Lasorda Lane that year.

"Fifty years from now, we're still going to know Tommy Lasorda as a great ambassador to baseball," said former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser, who spent 14 of his 18 seasons playing under Lasorda. "And I think that's going to be the No. 1 t
hing on his résumé."
 

lake p.a.l.

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Never been a Dodgers fan but always admired his managerial style and his persona. RIP
Sad to see a true baseball man pass but he had a great run
 

Fastdadtsmith

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I sat as an 11 year old kid glued to the TV watching the '74 world series. Jim Wynn has an injured shoulder, Joe Ferguson, the back up catcher who played anywhere he was needed, makes arguably one of the best plays ever. Tommy was a great and colorful personality as a base coach, manager, and person. RIP
 

HOOTER SLED-

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RIP Tommy...he had a good run. Shit...just read yesterday that he just left the hospital. Was kinda expecting it soon. Scully getting up there too. His wife just died as well. I believe she had ALS. Was hoping the Doyers would have a WS and surprise us with Vin calling a game. 😧
 

boatpi

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RIP, he and most of the crew signed a baseball for me when I worked the dugout during WS. Classy guy. He loved everyone.
 

DILLIGAF

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RIP Tommy...he had a good run. Shit...just read yesterday that he just left the hospital. Was kinda expecting it soon. Scully getting up there too. His wife just died as well. I believe she had ALS. Was hoping the Doyers would have a WS and surprise us with Vin calling a game. 😧

Its good Tommy got to see the LADs win the WS title. Maybe after that he said...."I am good"
 

HB2Havasu

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RIP Tommy. 93 years is a good run for a scrappy kid from Pennsylvania. Enjoy Blue Heaven - You deserve it Sir !
 

D19

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Used to see him pop in at JD Allisons Bar
Every time I think of Tommy, I think of this...


 

Dirtbag

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I am extremely fortunate to be an Alumni of Long beach St and tommy wass an honorary "Dirtbag" I have been lucky enough to spend many nights sitting around the table breaking bread and have a few cocktails with Tommy. There is no better story teller that i have ever come across. The whole story leading up to Kirk Gibsons HR off Eckersley is something i will never forget. Tommy told it with such passion. The pregame, the game, the thought process of getting him up to the plate the whole scenario was just crazy.

The greatesst part of tommy imo was his outright hatred for anything San Francisco Giants. To say this man bled Dodger Blue isnt enough.

We were sitting around the table and one of our guys from San Fran had never been around Tommy. He reaches out to shake Tommys hand and says "I grew up watching the Giants play the dodgers and being from San Francisco it was a pleasure watching you manage." Tommy Looks up at him, looks him dead straight in the eyes and yells " FUCK YOU you god damn giant faggot." the room lost it. It was absolutely hilarious. The Only person not laughing was Tommy. He was dead serious.

Will miss ya Skip. RIP
 

DILLIGAF

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We were sitting around the table and one of our guys from San Fran had never been around Tommy. He reaches out to shake Tommys hand and says "I grew up watching the Giants play the dodgers and being from San Francisco it was a pleasure watching you manage." Tommy Looks up at him, looks him dead straight in the eyes and yells " FUCK YOU you god damn giant faggot." the room lost it. It was absolutely hilarious. The Only person not laughing was Tommy. He was dead serious.

Will miss ya Skip. RIP


haha....I am a Giants fan and I love this.....Great story and a different time and place. Lasorda just got a little more respect from me and he was already at the top of the scale. Thanks for posting that
 

monkeyswrench

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93, a good life at that.
The All-Star Game, or Field Of Dreams, will be happy to see him again.

I'm sad to see another memory from my youth fade a little more...
 

DaveC

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As a life long Giants fan who fucking hates the doyers I have to say the following:

Tommy Lasorda was a gentleman and a mans man. Much respect for the man. May he rest in peace.

I won’t forget when the giants fan Brian Stow was beat up by doyer fans in the parking lot, it was Lasorda who contributed money to his relief fund.

Tommy was a class act. Bless him and his family
 

Havazoo

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As a longtime Dodger fan and longtime Giants heater, lol. Thank you for your classy post.
 

DaveC

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I am a child of the 1980’s.

My old man worked a Candlestick Park (SF) in the 70’s and 80’s. I have been watching Giants balls games since I was ten. I would go to games for free back then. I remember as a kid watching the Dodgers coming to town in the 80’s and them kicking our ass. As a teen and young adult at Fridays nights partying at the Stick watching Friday nights games against the Dodgers.

The Dodgers coming to town was a big deal. Golden times for sure. Lasorda was a mainstay.

When the Giants played the Dodgers back then Lasorda would come out of the dugout to the the sounds of boos from the home crowd. He would turn and blow a kiss to the home crowd at Candlestick. Classic. Then go about his business. The crowd would boo more. Lol

Good times of a time gone by.............

We will miss the man. He was a gentleman
 
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DILLIGAF

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I am a child of the 1980’s.

My old man worked a Candlestick Park (SF) in the 70’s and 80’s. I have been watching Giants balls games since I was ten. I would go to games for free back then. I remember as a kid watching the Dodgers coming to town in the 80’s and them kicking our ass. As a teen and young adult at Fridays nights partying at the Stick watching Friday nights games against the Dodgers.

The Dodgers coming to town was a big deal. Golden times for sure. Lasorda was a mainstay.

When the Giants played the Dodgers back then Lasorda would come out of the dugout to the the sounds of boos from the home crowd. He would turn and blow a kiss to the home crowd at Candlestick. Classic. Then go about his business. The crowd would boo more. Lol

Good times of a time gone by.............

We will miss the man. He was a gentleman

Were you there when Bobby Bonds hit the grand slam in the bottom of the 9th to beat the LADs? I hope I am remembering that correctly

RIP Lasorda
 

DaveC

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Do you mean Barry Bonds or Bobby Bonds?

I am too young to have watch Bobby

I have seen Barry kick the Doyers asses many times

Were you there when Bobby Bonds hit the grand slam in the bottom of the 9th to beat the LADs? I hope I am remembering that correctly

RIP Lasorda
 

DILLIGAF

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Do you mean Barry Bonds or Bobby Bonds?

I am too young to have watch Bobby

I have seen Barry kick the Doyers asses many times

Bobby....his father One of my favorite ball players of all time
 

DaveC

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You need to talk to my dad. He was born and raised in SF. He worked for the Giants from the late 1950’s until about 1997. He has some tales.

From Seal stadium to Candlestick.

Barry went to Serra High school here in San Mateo. They lived in Belmont. My business partner went to school with Barry.


I am too young to have seen Bobby play in SF.

Bobby....his father One of my favorite ball players of all time
 

DILLIGAF

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You need to talk to my dad. He was born and raised in SF. He worked for the Giants from the late 1950’s until about 1997. He has some tales.

From Seal stadium to Candlestick.

Barry went to Serra High school here in San Mateo. They lived in Belmont. My business partner went to school with Barry.


I am too young to have seen Bobby play in SF.

Got ya
 
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