There are heroes and there are villains.
Then there are villains that you loathe in the moment of rooting for your
team but over time, you gain a level of respect for them. That person for
me is Tommy Lasorda, the face of the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a lifelong
San Francisco Giants fan, that would be “the hated Dodgers.”
Lasorda died on Thursday night at age 93 with 71 of those years being
deeply tied to the Dodgers franchise. The Dodgers released a statement that
Lasorda had suffered heart failure at his home in Fullerton, CA, and
resuscitation attempts while en route to the hospital were made before his
passing. Lasorda had heart problems in the past, including heart attacks in
1996 and 2012.
He had recently returned home after having been hospitalized since Nov. 8.
Less than two weeks earlier, Lasorda witnessed the Dodgers’ Game 6 win
over the Tampa Bay Rays in Arlington, TX, giving the Dodgers their first
World Series title since 1988.
The Dodgers have had many legendary names associated with the franchise:
Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Roy Campanella to name a few. I could
list enough names to measure a 330-foot home run down the leftfield line.
Lasorda, however, is the most identifiable Dodger not just of the modern
vintage but perhaps ever -- right up there with Dodgers broadcaster Vin
Scully, who retired after 67 years in 2016.
Most remember Lasorda’s 20-year career as the Dodgers’ field manager from
1976-1996, during which time he led the franchise to 1,599 wins, two
World Series championships (1981 and 1988), four National League
pennants and eight National League West titles. Keep in mind, for most of
Lasorda’s career, only division champions went to the postseason. Lasorda
was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997 and led the United States
baseball team to a gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Lasorda’s 61 postseason wins are fourth in Major League history. In
Lasorda’s tenure, the Dodgers had nine players win National League Rookie
of the Year honors. He was also a two-time Manager of the Year recipient.
Besides his on-field managerial career, Lasorda spent his career in various
capacities with the Dodgers: player, scout, minor league manager, third base
coach, vice president, and special advisor. The only thing he did not do was
drive the team bus.
As a Northern California sports fan, we are conditioned to despise teams
from Los Angeles. When Lasorda was managing, in the moment, I loathed
him because I wanted my Giants to beat his Dodgers. That rivalry is a West
Coast version of Yankees vs. Red Sox. However, as years passed and I got
older, I grew to appreciate his passion for not just the Dodgers but baseball
at large.
While I never met Lasorda, I found him relatable on a few levels. For openers,
he was the son of an Italian immigrant and came from a working class family.
Welcome to my family. Lasorda was emotional whether in acts of love or
discontent. Lasorda’s passion was infectious whether it was hugging his
players after good plays or waving his arms in the air after Dodger victories.
Lasorda’s managerial style was such that he knew which players needed a pat
on the back and which ones needed a kick to the rear end.
The Giants and Dodgers rivalry could get contentious. I remember vividly a
Giants-Dodgers game at Candlestick Park, which no longer exists. As the
Dodgers made their way from the tunnel on to the field, Giants fans were
lustily booing the Dodgers. In the process, Lasorda was smiling and blowing
kisses to the same fans booing and exclaiming profanity at him. That gesture
was a prime example of having perspective. Yes, it was a rivalry and the two
teams and fan bases oozed contempt for each other but there can be a fun
element.
The irony was that Lasorda’s personality was the polar opposite of his
predecessor, Walter Alston, for whom Lasorda served as a third base coach
for four years before taking over as manager. While Lasorda was loquacious,
Alston was more contained.
When I look at the success of people, I see the value of their journey. Lasorda
was an accomplished Triple A pitcher but had a short-lived Major League
career. However, it was not based on lack of effort.
When Lasorda’s playing career ended, he labored in the vines before eventually
taking over for the legendary Alston. That position is normally unforgiving
but all Lasorda did was carve out his own legacy.
As beloved as Lasorda was publicly, he was full of piss and vinegar behind
the scenes. The most notable pertained to a reporter asking Lasorda for his
opinion of Dave Kingman’s performance after the Chicago Cubs’ slugger hit
three home runs and drove in eight runs along with another pertaining to Kurt
Bevaqua after he referred to Lasorda as “that fat little Italian.” The comment
came after Dodgers pitcher Tom Niedenfuer was fined for hitting Joe Lefebve
with a pitch. Listen below, colorful language involved:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rUy9FmzsxY
Rants like these today would go over like a screen door in a submarine.
Lasorda’s appetite was also a source of irony. Some would refer to him as
“Tommy Lasagna.” Lasorda once said, “When we won, I’d eat to celebrate.
And when we lost games, I’d eat to forget.” When Lasorda’s waistline
expanded, he became a weight loss advocate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6LN9Kz8XO4
Regardless of sports fandom, Lasorda was one that I loathed because of the
team he managed but at the same time I respected deeply because I felt like
I had a lot in common with him. Maybe one day when I reach heaven, I can
enjoy an Italian meal with a glass of red wine or three with him.
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