Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, right, and Fred Claire, Dodger Vice President, hoist the World Series trophy following their team's 5-2 win over the Oakland Athletics in Oakland in this Oct. 20, 1988 file photo. Lasorda has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton.
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda cutout prior to a MLB baseball game on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 23, 2020. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)
Los Angeles Dodgers fan Michelle Santisteban carries flowers to place in front of a stadium sign outside of Dodger Stadium Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, in Los Angeles. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, left, argues with home plate umpire Fred Brocklander during the second inning of a National League baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia, in this Saturday, Sept. 6, 1986, file photo. Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. Resuscitation attempts were made on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
FILE - Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda laughs as he reaches out for fans' hands on as he is driven around Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles for a farewell lap following a ceremony in his honor, in this Friday, Sept. 7, 1996, file photo. Lasorda, who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. Resuscitation attempts were made on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday. (AP Photo/Susan Sterner, File)
FILE - Tommy Lasorda poses with his Hall of Fame plaque after his induction in Cooperstown, N.Y., in this Aug. 3, 1997, file photo. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. Resuscitation attempts were made on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday. (AP Photo/ Dave Jennings, File)
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda leaps from the dugout as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees, 8-7 to tie the World Series at two games apiece in Los Angeles, in this Saturday, Oct. 24, 1981, file photo. Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. Resuscitation attempts were made on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday. (AP Photo/File)
The retired number 2, in honor of former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, is shown at the Retired Numbers Plaza at Dodger Stadium Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, in Los Angeles. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Memorabilia, flowers and candles are placed outside of Dodger Stadium Friday in Los Angeles. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda autographs a baseball in the Dodgertown locker-room in Vero Beach, Fla. in 1990. Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93.
FILE - Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda waves to the crowd before a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, in this June 10, 2015, file photo. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, right, and Fred Claire, Dodger Vice President hoist the World Series trophy following their team's decisive 5-2 win over the Oakland A's Oct. 20,1988. (AP Photo/stf)
Los Angeles Dodgers former manager Tommy Lasorda waves to his team members from the press box, as their game against the Florida Marlins gets underway Wednesday, July 31, 1996 in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Damian Dovaranes)
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. Dodger greats Fernando Valenzuela ,top, and Tommy Larsoda during the final game between Japan and Korea in the World Baseball Classic at Dodger Stadium on Monday March 23, 2009 in Los Angeles. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)
LOS ANGELES — Tommy Lasorda looked on from a suite at Globe Life Field in Texas, watching as the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the World Series in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Surrounded by family and friends, Lasorda celebrated the team's first championship in 32 years that October evening amid the coronavirus pandemic. While his mobility was slowed, his mind was still sharp.
Fittingly, it was the last game he ever attended.
“He always said he wanted 2 things, to live to be 100 and to see another championship brought to the city of LA," Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner tweeted. “Although he fought like hell to hit triple digits, I couldn't be more proud to know he got to see the Dodgers on top again, where he knew we belonged.”
The Hall of Fame manager who was true to the Dodgers for more than seven decades died Thursday night after having a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California, the team said Friday. Lasorda was 93. He had just returned home Tuesday after being hospitalized since Nov. 8 with heart issues.
Brooklyn Dodgers' pitcher Tom LaSorda is seen in Vero Beach, March 2, 1954. (AP Photo/Jim Kerlin)
Lasorda had been the oldest living baseball Hall of Famer — that distinction now belongs to Willie Mays, who turns 90 in March.
Lasorda had a history of heart problems, including a heart attack in 1996 that hastened the end of his managerial career and another in 2012 that required him to have a pacemaker.
“It feels appropriate that in his final months, he saw his beloved Dodgers win the World Series for the first time since his 1988 team,” commissioner Rob Manfred said.
Lasorda spent 71 years in the Dodgers organization, starting as a player when the team was still based in Brooklyn. He later coached and then became its best-known manager for 21 years in Los Angeles, leading the franchise to two World Series championships. After stepping down in 1996, he became an ambassador for the sport he loved.
Alternately fiery, comforting, profane and full of flair, Lasorda used to say, “I bleed Dodger blue.”
He was a master motivator among his players, always knowing just the right amount of confidence or candor required to induce stellar performances.
“In a franchise that has celebrated such great legends of the game, no one who wore the uniform embodied the Dodger spirit as much as Tommy Lasorda,” said Stan Kasten, team president and CEO.
Lasorda served as special adviser to team owner and chairman Mark Walter for the last 14 years, and maintained a frequent presence at games sitting in Walter’s box.
Lasorda compiled a 1,599-1,439 record as manager from 1977-96. He won World Series titles in 1981 and ’88, four National League pennants and eight division titles as the skipper.
Lasorda kept a bronze plaque on his desk reading: “Dodger Stadium was his address, but every ballpark was his home.″
FILE - Jo Lasorda, wife of Los Angeles Dodgers' manager Tommy Lasorda, leans up to give him a good luck kiss on the start of his 35th season with the Dodger organization, in Los Angeles in this April 4, 1984, file photo. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. (AP Photo/Lennox Mclendon, File)
He was elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1997 as a manager. He guided the U.S. to a baseball gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Lasorda was the franchise’s longest-tenured active employee since Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully retired in 2016 after 67 years.
“There are two things about Tommy I will always remember,” Scully said. “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.”
As a pitcher, Lasorda had a limited career at the major league level, going 0-4 with a 6.48 ERA and 13 strikeouts from 1954-56.
He made only one start for the Dodgers — in 1955, the only year they won the crown while in Brooklyn, he threw three wild pitches against the Cardinals and was pulled after the first inning.
Overall, he pitched eight games for the Dodgers and compiled a 7.62 ERA.
Who would've ever guessed then that he would wind up meaning so much to the franchise?
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda celebrates after the Dodgers beat the Montreal Expos for the National League title in Montreal, in this Monday, Oct. 19, 1981, file photo. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. (AP Photo/Grimshaw, File)
Born Thomas Charles Lasorda on Sept. 22, 1927, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, his pro career began when he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as an undrafted free agent in 1945. He missed the 1946 and ’47 seasons while serving in the Army.
Lasorda returned in 1948 and once struck out 25 in a 15-inning game. In his next two starts, he struck out 15 and 13, gaining the attention of the Dodgers, who drafted him from the Phillies. He played in Panama and Cuba before making his major league debut on Aug. 5, 1954, for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Although he didn’t play in the 1955 World Series, he won a ring as a member of the team.
Lasorda pitched for the Dodgers for two seasons but lost his roster spot when Brooklyn had to make room for another lefty — young Sandy Koufax.
The Kansas City Athletics bought Lasorda's contract and was traded to the Yankees in during the 1956 season. Sent down to the Triple-A Denver Bears, he was sold back to the Dodgers in 1957.
Lasorda stayed on with the Dodgers as a scout after they released him in 1960. That was the beginning of a steady climb through the Dodgers’ system that culminated in his 1973 promotion to the big league staff under longtime Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda wipes his eye Sunday, August, 3, 1997, at his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. (AP Photo/George Widman)
Lasorda spent four seasons as third base coach while considered to be the heir apparent to Alston, who retired in September 1976. Lasorda's 21 years as manager was second-only to Alston.
Lasorda's gregarious personality was in stark contrast to his restrained predecessor. He was known for his enthusiasm and outspoken opinions about players. He would jump around and pump his arms in the air after Dodgers victories and embrace players in the dugout after home runs or other good plays.
In L.A., Lasorda found many of the players he had managed in the minors, including Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, Bobby Valentine and Bill Buckner.
As beloved as Lasorda was publicly, behind the scenes he was known for cussing a blue streak with reporters, rendering many of his quotes unusable.
Some of his most memorable rants live on via the internet, notably one from July 1982 involving Kurt Bevacqua of the San Diego Padres, who called Lasorda “that fat little Italian″ after Dodgers pitcher Tom Niedenfuer was fined $500 for beaning Joe Lefebvre, Bevacqua’s teammate.
Lasorda denied ordering Niedenfuer to hit Lefebvre while unleashing a series of F-bombs.
“If I ever did,″ Lasorda said, his voice rising, “I certainly wouldn’t make him throw at a (expletive) .130 hitter like Lefebvre or (expletive) Bevacqua who couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a (expletive) boat.″
In 1978, Dave Kingman of the Chicago Cubs hit three homers and drove in eight runs in a 10-7, extra-inning victory over the Dodgers and a reporter asked Lasorda what he thought of Kingman’s performance.
“I think it was (expletive) (expletive). Put that in,″ Lasorda said. “He beat us with three (expletive) home runs. How could you ask me a question like that?”
Lasorda was known for his friendship with Frank Sinatra and other Hollywood stars. Sinatra sang the national anthem on opening day of the 1977 season to mark Lasorda’s debut as manager. The faux-wood paneled walls of Lasorda’s office were crowded with black-and-white autographed photos of his celebrity friends, the framed glass stained by red sauce from the pasta served in large foil trays after games.
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda goes through congratulatory mail after the Dodgers won the 1981 World Series is in his office in Los Angeles, in this Oct. 29, 1981, file photo. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. (AP Photo/Rasmussen, File)
Lasorda’s appetite for winning and eating was equally voracious. His weight ballooned throughout his years as manager, and he explained, “When we won games, I’d eat to celebrate. And when we lost games, I’d eat to forget.″
Lasorda managed nine National League Rookie of the Year winners, including Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Sax, Steve Howe, Mike Piazza, Eric Karros and Hideo Nomo.
“You have to know who to pat on the back, when to pat him on the back, when you have to kick them in the butt and when you have to stroke them a little bit,” said Mike Scioscia, former Dodgers catcher and major league manager. “And Tommy had that gift, to know what players needed what.”
Lasorda managed in four All-Star games. He was serving as third base coach in the 2001 game when he tumbled backward while trying to avoid the shattered barrel of Vladimir Guerrero’s bat in a comical scene.
In 1998, Lasorda became interim general manager after Fred Claire was fired in the middle of the season. He resigned from that job after the season and was appointed senior vice president. After the team was sold in 2004 to Frank McCourt, Lasorda became special adviser to the chairman.
He is survived by Jo, his wife of 70 years. The couple lived in the same modest home in Fullerton for 68 years. They have a daughter Laura and a granddaughter Emily. The couple’s son, Tom Jr., died in 1991 of AIDS-related complications.
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
FILE - Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda laughs as he reaches out for fans' hands on as he is driven around Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles for a farewell lap following a ceremony in his honor, in this Friday, Sept. 7, 1996, file photo. Lasorda, who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. Resuscitation attempts were made on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday. (AP Photo/Susan Sterner, File)
Lasorda remembered at Dodger Stadium
Los Angeles Dodgers former manager Tommy Lasorda waves to his team members from the press box, as their game against the Florida Marlins gets underway Wednesday, July 31, 1996 in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Damian Dovaranes)
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda goes through congratulatory mail after the Dodgers won the 1981 World Series is in his office in Los Angeles, in this Oct. 29, 1981, file photo. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. (AP Photo/Rasmussen, File)
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda celebrates after the Dodgers beat the Montreal Expos for the National League title in Montreal, in this Monday, Oct. 19, 1981, file photo. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. (AP Photo/Grimshaw, File)
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
The retired number 2, in honor of former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, is shown at the Retired Numbers Plaza at Dodger Stadium Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, in Los Angeles. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda autographs a baseball in the Dodgertown locker-room in Vero Beach, Fla. in 1990. Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93.
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. Dodger greats Fernando Valenzuela ,top, and Tommy Larsoda during the final game between Japan and Korea in the World Baseball Classic at Dodger Stadium on Monday March 23, 2009 in Los Angeles. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
FILE - Tommy Lasorda poses with his Hall of Fame plaque after his induction in Cooperstown, N.Y., in this Aug. 3, 1997, file photo. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. Resuscitation attempts were made on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday. (AP Photo/ Dave Jennings, File)
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, left, argues with home plate umpire Fred Brocklander during the second inning of a National League baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia, in this Saturday, Sept. 6, 1986, file photo. Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. Resuscitation attempts were made on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda leaps from the dugout as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees, 8-7 to tie the World Series at two games apiece in Los Angeles, in this Saturday, Oct. 24, 1981, file photo. Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. Resuscitation attempts were made on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday. (AP Photo/File)
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
Memorabilia, flowers and candles are placed outside of Dodger Stadium Friday in Los Angeles. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93.
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
Los Angeles Dodgers fan Michelle Santisteban carries flowers to place in front of a stadium sign outside of Dodger Stadium Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, in Los Angeles. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda cutout prior to a MLB baseball game on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 23, 2020. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)
Column: Baseball a better game because Lasorda was in it
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. 91 year-old Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, left, poses for pictures outside of the Vin Scully Press Box prior to a MLB baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, June 20, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)
Column: Baseball a better game because Lasorda was in it
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. Former Los Angeles Dodgers and Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, right, with Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda during the Old-Timers game after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-2 during a Major league baseball game on Saturday, May 10, 2014 in Los Angeles. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)
Column: Baseball a better game because Lasorda was in it
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, seen arguing with home plate umpire Larry King during the Old-Timers game in 2013, passed away at the age of 93.
Column: Baseball a better game because Lasorda was in it
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, right, with Maury Wills (30) and Bill Buckner (22) during the Old-Timers game prior to a baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, June 8, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)
Column: Baseball a better game because Lasorda was in it
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda and former Dodger great and current Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach Kirk Gibson (23) share a moment before a game at the Ballpark at Camelback Ranch on Wednesday, March 10, 2010, in Glendale, Arizona. Lasorda and Gibson will forever be linked to the 1988 game one World Series game winning home run. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)
Column: Baseball a better game because Lasorda was in it
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. Los Angeles Dodgers former manager Tommy Lasorda during a moment of silence for former Dodger Willie Davis who passed away Tuesday before a game at the Ballpark at Camelback Ranch on Wednesday, March 10, 2010, in Glendale,Arizona. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)
Column: Baseball a better game because Lasorda was in it
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. Former Los Angeles Dodger Tommy Lasorda during the Old Timers game prior to a Major League baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, June 10, 2017 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)/The Orange County Register via AP)
Column: Baseball a better game because Lasorda was in it
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. Tommy Lasorda with Joe Torre as the Phillies beat the Dodgers 5-1 to win the National League pennant during a National League Championship Series baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday October 15, 2008, at Dodger Stadium. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)
Reaction to the death of Tommy Lasorda
Hall of Fame and former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93. Former Los Angeles Dodger manager Tommy Larsorda before a baseball game between Korea and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch Stadium on Thursday March 12. 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
FILE - Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda waves to the crowd before a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, in this June 10, 2015, file photo. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton.
Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
FILE - Jo Lasorda, wife of Los Angeles Dodgers' manager Tommy Lasorda, leans up to give him a good luck kiss on the start of his 35th season with the Dodger organization, in Los Angeles in this April 4, 1984, file photo. Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. (AP Photo/Lennox Mclendon, File)
Vin Scully honored by Dodgers
Former Los Angeles Dodgers Sandy Koufax, left, and Tommy Lasorda unveil broadcaster Vin Scully's plaque on the Los Angeles Dodgers Ring of Honor during an induction ceremony prior to a baseball game between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, May 3, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Manny Ramirez, Tommy Lasorda
Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda greets the teams newest player, Manny Ramirez on his way to a news conference before the Dodgers baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Jim Tracy signs on
The Los Angeles Dodgers' new manager, Jim Tracy, center, holds his new jersey with vice president Tommy Lasorda, left, and general manager Kevin Malone during a news conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2000, where the team announced Tracy's promotion. Tracy, formerly the bench coach, succeeds Davey Johnson, fired Oct. 6 after two years on the job. (AP Photo/Lee Celano)
Lasorda choked up in Cooperstown
Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda wipes his eye Sunday, August, 3, 1997, at his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. (AP Photo/George Widman)
LASORDA
Tom Lasorda answers questions during a news conference in Los Angeles Monday, July 29, 1996, where he announced his retirement as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Lasorda leaves the dugout
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda and his wife, Jo, leave Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles Monday, July 29, 1996, after a news conference where Lasorda announced his retirement as club manager. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
Ronald Reagan with The Dodgers 1988
Pres. Ronald Reagan, left, takes a bat in hand that was given to him by members of the 1988 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, as they met with Reagan in the White House Rose Garden, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1988, Washington, D.C. At center is manager Tommy Lasorda and right is pitcher Oral Hershiser. The rest of the group is unidentified. (AP Photo/Scott Applewhite)
Fred Claire and Tommy Lasorda rejoice in 1988
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, right, and Fred Claire, Dodger Vice President hoist the World Series trophy following their team's decisive 5-2 win over the Oakland A's Oct. 20,1988. (AP Photo/stf)
Tom Lasorda, Kirk Gibson, Pedro Guerrero
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda hold court for Kirk Gibson, center, and Pedro Guerrero before their game with the Minnesota Twins on Friday, March 4, 1988 in Vero Beach, Florida. Gibson the object of a practical joke on Thursday, left the field and didn’t play against Japan’s Chunichi Dragons. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Fonda Lasorda
Jane Fonda (44) leads Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, center, not wearing cap, and baseball players and camp participants in stretching exercise at the team's Dodgertown training facility in Vero Beach, Fla., Nov. 13, 1986. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Dodgers vs Giants NL Playoffs 1977
The Los Angeles Dodgers shower manager Tom Lasorda, center, with champagne following their 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants to clinch the NL West, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 1977, San Francisco, Calif. The rest of the players are unidentified. (AP Photo)
Tom Lasorda Dodgers
Tom Lasorda, right, talks with newsmen on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 1976 in Los Angeles after he was named manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, succeeding Walter Alston, left, who announced his retirement on Monday. Lasorda was previously a coach with the Dodgers. (AP Photo/David F Smith)
Young Tom LaSorda A.K.A Tommy LaSorda
Brooklyn Dodgers' pitcher Tom LaSorda is seen in Vero Beach, March 2, 1954. (AP Photo/Jim Kerlin)
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