Athletes - Tommy Lasorda

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	Athletes - Tommy Lasorda

Thomas Charles Lasorda (born 22 September 1927 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) was a Major League baseball player and manager. In 1999 he marked his 50th year of involvement, in one capacity or another, with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest tenure of any individual in the Dodgers baseball organization (with Vin Scully joining the Dodgers a year later).

Playing career

Lasorda broke into the major leagues in 1954 as a left-handed pitcher with the Brooklyn Dodgers. After two seasons in Brooklyn, he was traded to the Kansas City Athletics (1956). Playing in abbreviated stints, however, Lasorda never established himself as a major league-calibre player and didn't see major league player time after the 1956 season.

Managing career

Lasorda became Los Angeles's manager 29 September 1976 after Walter Alston's retirement and led the team to consecutive National League championships in 1977 and 1978. Over 20 years at the helm of the Dodgers, he also led the team to two World Series championships (1981 and 1988). Although most do not regard Lasorda as a great strategist, there is no doubt that he was able to inspire teams with his rah-rah style. He was not always the best judge of talent either. In 1993 Lasorda questioned whether then-Dodger Pedro Martinez, because of his slight build, had the size and stamina to be a starting pitcher in the major leagues. Lasorda's views led the Dodgers to trade Martinez to the Montreal Expos where Pedro began to build his hall-of-fame numbers. Many also blame Lasorda for over-working pitchers (especially Fernando Valenzuela) and eventually shortening their careers.

His final game was a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros, at Dodger Stadium (att. 35,467), on 23 June 1996. The following day (24 June) he drove himself to the hospital complaining of abdominal pains, in fact he was having a heart attack. He officially retired on 29 July, having compiled a 1599-1439 record as a manager. His 1599 career wins ranks 15th all-time in MLB history.

Stats

Total games: 3,040
Wins: 1,599
Losses: 1,439
Percentage: .526

Life outside of baseball

Lasorda was equally famous for his colorful personality and outspoken opinions regarding players and other personnel associated with baseball. He had a number of obscenity filled tirades, a number of which were taped and became underground classics. The most famous of these is his "Dave Kingman" tirade (see below). Many considered Lasorda a boorish figure who was simply out to promote just one person -- himself. A classic name-dropper, he befriended Frank Sinatra (a well-known baseball fan) and other entertainment personalities during his career.

For years, Lasorda appeared in TV ads for Slim Fast diet shakes.

After retiring, Lasorda became an executive with the Dodgers. Lasorda was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 as a manager. He was the manager of the gold medal United States Olympic team in 2000. Lasorda is the godfather to major league All-Star catcher Mike Piazza (also from Norristown).

Tommy Lasorda and his wife presently live in Fullerton, California.

Lasorda's only son, Tommy Lasorda Jr., died on June 3, 1991. The cause of death is publicly rumoured to have stemmed from AIDS, something which Lasorda still refuses to openly acknowledge. According to former Dodger Glenn Burke, the first major league player to declare his homosexuality, Lasorda could not accept his son's sexual orientation.

Quotes

"What's my opinion of Kingman's performance!? What the fuck do you think is my opinion of it? I think it was FUCKING HORSESHIT. Put that in, I don't fucking care. Opinion of his performance!!? Jesus Christ, he beat us with three fucking home runs! What the fuck do you mean, 'What is my opinion of his performance?' How could you ask me a question like that, 'What is my opinion of his performance?' Shit, he hit three home runs! Fuck. I'm fucking pissed off to lose the fucking game. And you ask me my opinion of his performance! Shit. That's a tough question to ask me, isn't it? 'What is my opinion of his performance?'" -- in response to a question from reporter Paul Olden about slugger Dave Kingman
's hitting of three home runs during a June 4, 1976 11-0 victory by the Mets over the Dodgers

" Bevacqua couldn't hit water if he fell out of a fucking boat!" – 1984

"And I guaran-fucking-tee you this, when I pitched and I was gonna pitch against a fucking team that had guys on it like Bevacqua, I'd send a fucking limosine to get the fucker to make sure he was in the mothefucking lineup because I'd kick that fucker's ass any fucking day of the week. He's a fucking motherfucking bigmouth, I'll tell you that."

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