Lasorda, "Tommy" (Thomas C.)
Baseball
b. Sept. 22, 1927, Norristown, PA
A left-handed pitcher, Lasorda spent most of his 14-year career in the minor leagues, appearing in only 26 major league games with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Kansas City Athletics. After retiring as a player, he became a scout for the Dodgers and then managed in the minor leagues.
Lasorda joined the Dodgers as a coach in 1972 and managed the team at the tail-end of the 1976 season, after Walter Alston announced his retirement. The Dodgers promptly won pennants under Lasorda's guidance in 1977 and 1978, but lost the World Series in six games each year.
Because of a player strike, the 1981 season was shortened and split into halves. The Dodgers won the first half, beat the Houston Astros in the division playoff, won the league championship series over Montreal, and then defeated the New York Yankees in a six-game World Series.
Los Angeles won the division in 1983 and 1985, but lost in the league championship series both years. In 1988, Lasorda took the Dodgers to another pennant and they then beat the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in a five-game World Series.
While the Dodgers were usually in contention for the rest of his tenure, they never won another pennant under Lasorda.
In late June of 1996, Lasorda underwent angioplasty after a mild heart attack. His former shortstop, Bill Russell, was named interim manager. A month later, Lasorda announced his retirement from managing to enter the team's front office and Russell became manager.
Lasorda briefly returned to the field to coach the U. S. team that won the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics.
A fiery leader known for his loyalty to the Dodger organization--he often exhorted his players to "bleed Dodger blue"--Lasorda was sometimes been derided by the press as a clown whose success resulted largely from having superior talent. But, like Casey Stengel, who once had a similar image, he's respected by baseball people for knowing the game and for his ability to handle and inspire players.