I always thought Tommy was a good guy, but for some reason I always think of this clip when I think of him. RIP Tommy.
Fletch
Fletch
FC: Tommy Lasorda has passed
- Thread starter NewEra 2014
- Start date
RIP Tommy. One of my favorite baseball Coaches. Guy just seemed to love life and bleed Dodger Blue.
Norristown’s own. RIP Tommy
I always think of him and the Phantic lol
I always think of him and the Phantic lol
When I was a lot younger my family and I ate every Friday night at Lasorda's Restaurant. It was his brothers place in Exton. I don't know if anyone here on the board knew of it back in the day or enjoyed eating there. The Italian food was top notch!
I'll always remember his tirade in the world series (was it 1978?) when Reggie stepped in front of the throw to break up the double play. As a Yankee fan I have no problem saying Tommy was right.
I ate there many times. Used to hit it after playing racquetball with buddies on Wednesday night for wings. Did that for about 20 years.
I’d see Tommy there a few times when he was in town during the off-season.
I knew this day was coming, but it is nonetheless very sad. Tommy was my favorite Dodger of all time, above even Sandy Koufax. He was the heart and soul of that club for YEARS.
i will never forget attending the final game at the Stick, which was, of course, a Dodgers-Giants game. Tommy made his grand entrance from the right field bullpen, walking across the entire field to a deafening chorus of boos while blowing kisses to the crowd the entire time. LOL.
It also marked what I believe was the final appearance at a Giants game of Crazy Crab, the Giants' one-time "anti-mascot." Crazy Crab got into the press box behind and above home plate during the seventh inning stretch, and leaned out to wave to the crowd. He was likewise greeted with deafening boos, at which point he grabbed the microphone for the PA system and proclaimed "I hope the Dodgers win!" I thought the place was gonna blow up. Good times.
RIP, Tommy, You will be missed.
i will never forget attending the final game at the Stick, which was, of course, a Dodgers-Giants game. Tommy made his grand entrance from the right field bullpen, walking across the entire field to a deafening chorus of boos while blowing kisses to the crowd the entire time. LOL.
It also marked what I believe was the final appearance at a Giants game of Crazy Crab, the Giants' one-time "anti-mascot." Crazy Crab got into the press box behind and above home plate during the seventh inning stretch, and leaned out to wave to the crowd. He was likewise greeted with deafening boos, at which point he grabbed the microphone for the PA system and proclaimed "I hope the Dodgers win!" I thought the place was gonna blow up. Good times.
RIP, Tommy, You will be missed.
He was part of that great era of 1970s managers, like Billy Martin, Earl Weaver, Whitey Herzog, etc.; they definitely added something to the game. Baseball managers these days are so different from these guys; in other words, they're boring.
P
Played a round of golf with his brother about 20 years ago, he was in a foursome that had been arranged. I wonder if it's the same brother you speak of. Looked a lot like him.
I had a chance encounter with Tommy in 1994 on a flight from SF to LA, after the baseball season had ended. As I boarded the plane I was shocked to walk past first class and see Tommy seated. I said "hi Mr. Lasorda", he said hello. I later found myself waiting for my luggage and Tommy was there as well, there was hardly nobody else around. We talked for 5 minutes and he could not have been nicer. He asked where I was from, and after telling him I was from Harrisburg he said he had relatives in King of Prussia area. Given all the prima donnas we hear about in sports, to experience a legend like Tommy having a normal conversation with an average guy, I never forgot that. He will definitely be missed.
Yep. Amazing how these guys could manage and succeed without the benefit of analytics experts telling them what moves to make.
Wandering Spectator
Well-Known Member
I had the pleasure of hearing him talk to a group at a fundraiser. The guy was absolutely hilarious and rivaled some of the best comedians I've seen live. Some of the old-time stories are just classic. I was never a fan of the Dodgers, but always loved Tommy. I was thrilled to meet him and even more thrilled to know he wasn't an arrogant SOB in person. A baseball treasure.
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A Night with Tommy Lasorda!
I just got back from a fundraiser this evening at Seton Catholic Preparatory High School. This wasn’t your ordinary Catholic fundraiser of Bingo or Casino Night. Tonight, they hos…
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Instinct. Notice none of them seemed like really intelligent guys either. They were like baseball savants.
The consummate bullshit artist. A good natured and lovable one to be sure, and an outstanding baseball man, but a bullshit artist nonetheless. When my uncle (who had worked with the Dodgers as spy-in-the-sky) introduced me to him, he immediately hit me with the "infielder's hands" flattery. And I will never forget after game 2 of the O's-Phils World Series, in the parking lot of old Memorial Stadium, after the place had long since cleared out of "regular fans", laughing while watching him hit on these two young women with the "which way to Philadelphia?" line. I also loved how he played along with the Phanatic.
Also, probably my absolute favorite image of Tommy was when he ran out of the dugout when Gibson hit the HR to win G1 of the A's series. What was absolutely hilarious was how he was "jumping" all of about an inch and a half, but simultaneously throwing his arms up in the air, which created the same optical illusion of height that ballerinas use in dance. Except this ballerina was a little chunky, and not quite pulling it off.
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I was at a MLB baseball scout's holiday banquet about 15 years ago and Tommy was the speaker. Everyone was shit faced to begin with and he had guys falling out of their chairs and pissing themselves......he was the funniest guy, not so much what he said, it was his delivery. Baseball will sorely miss him......we need characters like that in the game.
Wandering Spectator
Well-Known Member
I couldn’t agree more. Listening to him tell stories was like listening to Art Donovan years ago.
I couldn't attempt to reconstruct it, but he had a good routine about Steve Sax throwing the ball into the stands.....
Tommy did an incredible job winning the World Series in 1988. He had to beat the Mets and the As, two outstanding teams, with a lineup that had Mickey Hatcher batting cleanup. Once Gibson went down, there wasn't a decent hitter in the entire lineup. Of course he had Hershiser, who he brought in as a closer to win the series.
Best managerial/coaching job ever.
I was at the Vet the day that happened, right behind the Dodger dugout. The Phanatic was dragging the doll behind his four wheeler. Tommy was really pissed.
As Jethro Gibbs would say, I think it's called your gut. And I bet if anyone checks, I bet it's right more times than a computer.
Lasorda was a super guy. After he was done managing, he did some informal scouting work for Dodgers while he was appointed as one of their VPs. Around 1996, I saw him in the stands at one of the Dodgers' AA team's games in San Antonio. While the teams were at-bat he was left alone to do his work, but in between the tops and bottoms of innings he would have a line of people 50 deep wanting his autograph and he graciously signed every one and looked as though he was enjoying himself while doing it. I still have the San Antonio Dodgers program from that game with his autograph in it. He was already legendary at that time, but you would never know it from the way he acted.
I met Mr Lasorda many times in Hazleton in the 70’s, where he was the speaker for many benefits. He had a lot of friends in Hazleton, Ray Saul, sports editor from the Standard Speaker, Fred Barletta, and others. He was always approachable, & very cordial. He always paid it forward. That’s the way it should be, right? Welcome to paradise Tommy. Job well done.
He went to the same church that my mom & dad did in Vero Beach, Florida.
I, personally, thought that he was more of a jerk than the LA and MLB media ever pointed out.
They protected his rep.
And yes, despite what TOMMY and others said; he DID...DID EXPECT his pitchers to throw at other players!
It was an unwritten rule and clearly understood in the clubhouse.
Jim Leyland knows this all too well.
RIP Tommy!
You find someone who loves his job and considers himself lucky to have it and you’ll find a happy man.
LOL. Throw at batters. That was real baseball. Not the shit you see today. Batter didn't have all the padding they wear today to take away the inside of the plate. You want to lean into the strike zone you paid for it.
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