By Samantha Caracoza, Staff Reporter
On Thursday, Jan. 7, Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda suffered a sudden cardiopulmonary arrest and was transferred to the hospital where he passed away at 10:57 p.m. He was 93 years old.
Lasorda made his major league debut in 1954 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, playing with them for two years before later playing for Oakland Athletics. After his years as a pitcher, Lasorda started his career as a coach with the Dodgers organization.
“Words can not express my feelings, a friend and mentor for 52 years is no longer with us," former player, coach, and Lasorda mentee Bobby Valentine said. "Tommy― no one will ever fill the void you left. Thank you for everything. R.I.P.”
Lasorda began his managerial career in 1976 and won the World Series with the Dodgers in 1981 and again in 1988. He officially retired in 1996 after coaching the Dodgers for 20 seasons.
His competitive attitude, energy, and determination is what propelled him to go from minor league pitcher to Hall of Fame manager.
After retiring from the Dodgers, he coached Team USA to gold in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Many told him he wouldn’t be receiving a gold medal. However, he didn’t care for himself; only for his team.
His love of his team and players was paid off again this past fall when the Dodgers captured their first World Series title since Lasorda stepped down as manager.
“He willed himself to live this long and to watch that world championship,” former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser said.
Lasorda was not a selfish man, although he was a boastful one. Once even teasing their number one rival, the San Francisco Giants, by blowing kisses to the fans when his team was playing their final games in the Giants’ new stadium.
Lasorda didn’t coach for himself nor for the fame; he coached for his team's dreams. He had a true love for his team.
There's a rule for managers to not associate with the players, but Tommy made sure to always hug them, respect them, and to communicate with them.
“I bleed Dodger blue," Lasorda once said. "And when I die, I'm going to the big Dodger in the sky."
Lasorda's death affected many fans' and rivals' hearts. He was a man you could not hate.
Tommy Lasorda did what he loved while he was alive. All he wanted was to help others achieve their dreams while he achieved his by coaching them.
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