Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda (September 22, 1927 – January 7, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher and manager. He managed the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 through 1996. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 1997.
For the Chrysler executive, see Thomas W. LaSorda.Tommy Lasorda
Lasorda played in MLB for the Dodgers in 1954 and 1955 and for the Kansas City Athletics in 1956. He coached for the Dodgers from 1973 through 1976 before taking over as manager. Lasorda won two World Series championships as manager of the Dodgers and was named the Manager of the Year of the National League (NL) twice. His uniform number 2 was retired by the Dodgers.
Early life[edit]
Thomas Charles Lasorda was born on September 22, 1927, in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Lasorda graduated from Norristown High School in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in 1944, where he excelled in baseball.[1]
Professional career[edit]
Minor leagues[edit]
Lasorda signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1945 and began his professional career that season with the Concord Weavers of the Class D North Carolina State League.[2] He missed the 1946 and 1947 seasons because of a stint in the United States Army. He served on active duty from October 1945 until spring 1947.[3] Lasorda returned to baseball in 1948 with the Schenectady Blue Jays of the Canadian–American League. On May 31, 1948, he struck out 25 Amsterdam Rugmakers in a 15-inning game, setting a professional record, and drove in the winning run with a single.[4] He played with Schenectady from 1948 through 1950.
Lasorda then played for Almendares of the Cuban League in Havana, Cuba in 1950–52 and again in 1958–60, compiling a 16–13 record in four seasons, including 8–3 with a 1.89 ERA in 1958–59. Lasorda also pitched for Marianao, a league rival of Almendares also in the Havana area.
Coaching career[edit]
Minor leagues[edit]
Al Campanis, the Dodgers' scouting director, hired Lasorda as a scout in 1960. In 1966, he became the manager of the Pocatello Chiefs in the rookie leagues, then managed the Ogden Dodgers from 1966 to 1968.[1] To inspire confidence in his players at Ogden, he would have each of them write a letter to the LA Dodger that played their position everyday in the big leagues, informing the regular that they would be replacing him one day.[14] He became the Dodgers' AAA Pacific Coast League manager in 1969 with the Spokane Indians.[15] He remained manager of the AAA team when it became the Albuquerque Dukes in 1972. His 1972 Dukes team won the PCL Championship.[16] Lasorda was also a manager for the Dominican Winter Baseball League team Tigres del Licey. He led the team to the 1973 Caribbean World Series title in Venezuela.[17]
Dodgers' third-base coach[edit]
In 1973, Lasorda became the third-base coach on the staff of Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston, serving four seasons.[18] He was widely regarded as Alston's heir apparent and turned down several major league managing jobs elsewhere to remain in the Dodger fold. He later returned to the third-base coach's box on a temporary basis while managing the Dodgers.[19]
Personal life and death[edit]
Lasorda was born and raised with four brothers. His father, Sabatino was an Italian immigrant from Tollo the region of Abruzzo (Italy). His mother was Carmella (Cavuto) Lasorda. He was second born of five sons. A practicing Roman Catholic, he and his wife Jo, a Baptist, were married in 1950. Lasorda would have a priest come to Dodger games on Sundays to offer Mass for Catholic players.[58] The couple met in Jo's hometown of Greenville, South Carolina while Lasorda was playing there for the Greenville Spinners. They resided in Fullerton, California, for more than 50 years and had two children. They named a gymnasium and youth center in memory of their son, Tom Jr., in Yorba Linda, California on September 7, 1997.[59][60] In 1991, Tom Jr. (known as "Spunky") died of complications related to AIDS.[61] Lasorda denied that his son was gay;[62] according to sportswriter Bill Plaschke, he insisted his son died of cancer.[63]
Lasorda was the godfather to Thomas Piazza, the younger brother of Major League Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza, both of whom are also from Lasorda's
hometown of Norristown, Pennsylvania. Thomas was named after Lasorda and it has been widely misstated by Steve Staats that Lasorda is Mike's godfather.[64] Lasorda was also the godfather to Alex Avila, a catcher with the Washington Nationals. Alex's grandfather, Ralph Avila, is a former scout with the Dodgers and friend to Lasorda of over 50 years.[65] Alex's middle name of Thomas was given for Lasorda.[66]
On June 3, 2012, at age 84, Lasorda was hospitalized in New York City after suffering a heart attack which was not considered very serious.[67] On November 8, 2020, Lasorda was hospitalized for heart problems and reported to be "in serious condition" in intensive care.[68][69] The Dodgers did not make the announcement public about his hospitalization until a week later.[69] On December 1, 2020, Lasorda was moved out of intensive care as his condition improved.[70] After being released from the hospital, he went into sudden cardiac arrest at his home two days later on January 7, 2021. He was rushed back to the hospital, where he died that night at the age of 93.[71][72] Numerous buildings in Los Angeles were illuminated in blue in tribute to Lasorda, including City Hall, Staples Center, and Banc of California Stadium; at Dodger Stadium, flags were flown at half-staff.[73] He was buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park alongside his son, Tom Jr.[74]
On September 21, 2021, the Dodgers announced on Twitter the death of Lasorda's widow, Jo, at age 91.[75][76]
In March 2023, a stretch of the Interstate 5 was named in his honor as "Tommy Lasorda Dodger Legend Memorial Highway," located in his former residence of Fullerton between Lincoln Avenue and Ball Road.[77]