MLB

Hall of Fame manger Lasorda dies at 93

By Sports Desk January 08, 2021

Tommy Lasorda, who led the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and became one of the franchise's most beloved and iconic figures, died on Thursday at the age of 93. 

The Dodgers announced Lasorda's death on Friday in a statement. According to the team, he suffered a sudden heart attack on Thursday, just two days after being released from a long hospital stay. 

Lasorda spent 71 years with the Dodgers organisation as a player, scout, coach, manager and front office executive. He retired from managing in 1996 after a 21-year run highlighted by World Series championships in 1981 and 1988. 

"In a franchise that celebrated such great legends of the game, no one who wore the uniform embodied the Dodger spirit as much as Tommy Lasorda," team president and CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement. "A tireless spokesman for baseball, his dedication to the sport and the team he loved was unmatched. He was a champion who at critical moments seemingly willed his team to victory. The Dodgers and their fans will miss him terribly. 

"Tommy is quite simply irreplaceable and unforgettable."

Lasorda had a short major-league career as a left-handed pitcher with the Dodgers and Kansas City Athletics from 1954-56 before retiring as a player in 1960 and joining the Dodgers as a scout the following year. He later managed several of the organisation’s minor league teams before being promoted to serve as the major league club's bench coach under Hall of Famer Walter Alston in 1973. 

He took over managerial duties following Alston's retirement near the end of the 1976 season and began one of the longest tenures with one team in major league history. He is one of only four skippers, along with Alston and Hall of Famers Connie Mack and John McGraw, to manage the same team for 20 consecutive seasons or more. 

A two-time National League Manager of the Year, Lasorda compiled a 1,599-1,439 overall record and led the Dodgers to seven National League West titles and eight playoff appearances while reaching the World Series four times. He later guided the United States to a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. 

Lasorda moved into a role as the Dodgers' vice president following his retirement in 1996 and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. He had served as a special advisor to the team since 2004 and was present at Texas' Globe Life Field for the Dodgers' Game 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in October that clinched the franchise's first World Series title since his 1988 squad. 

"It feels appropriate that in his final months, he saw his beloved Dodgers win the World Series for the first time since his 1998 team," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest sympathy to his wife of 70 years, Jo, and their entire family, the Dodger organisation and their generations of loyal fans."

Lasorda had been plagued by health issues in recent years. A heart attack led to his retirement from managing in 1996 and he suffered another in 2012. He was admitted to a California hospital with heart-related problems in November and spent several weeks in intensive care before being released earlier this week.  

A native of Norristown, Pennsylvania, Lasorda is survived by his wife, Jo; his daughter, Laura and one granddaughter.

Related items

  • Ohtani helps Dodgers rally to win season opener Ohtani helps Dodgers rally to win season opener

    Shohei Ohtani had two hits in his official Los Angeles Dodgers debut, including an RBI single during a four-run eighth inning that helped his new team rally for a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea in Wednesday's opener of the 2024 MLB season. 

    Mookie Betts also had two hits and an RBI as the Dodgers got a season of sky-high expectations off to a successful start, though they faced a 2-1 deficit entering the eighth before the offence came to life against San Diego's bullpen.

    The Dodgers loaded the bases with none out on a pair of walks and a Teoscar Hernandez single before Enrique Hernandez drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly. Gavin Lux then reached base on a ground ball that went through the web of Padres first baseman Jake Cronenworth's glove, with Teoscar Hernandez scoring on the error for a 3-2 lead.

    Betts and Ohtani followed with RBI singles to extend the lead to 5-2 before relievers Joe Kelly and Evan Phillips held the Padres scoreless over the final two innings.

    Los Angeles received a total of four scoreless innings from four relievers after another of its big-ticket offseason acquisitions, Tyler Glasnow, allowed two runs over five innings.

    Glasnow did issue four walks in his Los Angeles debut, including free passes to Manny Machado and Korean native Ha-Seong Kim to start the bottom of the fourth with the game tied at 1-1. Jurickson Profar followed with a bunt single to load the bases before Machado crossed the plate on a double-play grounder that put San Diego ahead.

    The Dodgers had tied the game in the top of the fourth when Teoscar Hernandez reached on an error and later scored on Jason Heyward's sacrifice fly. 

    San Diego recorded the first run of the season in the third when Xander Bogaerts singled in Tyler Wade, who drew a lead-off walk before advancing on Glasnow's wild pitch.

    Bogaerts accounted for two of the Padres' four hits.

    San Diego starter Yu Darvish worked the first 3 2/3 innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits while walking three and striking out three.

    The game drew an announced crowd of 15,952 at the Gocheok Sky Dome for the first regular-season MLB game played in South Korea. The Dodgers and Padres will play again at the venue Thursday, with Los Angeles sending former Japanese league star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound for his anticipated MLB debut. 

  • ‘Fantastic experience’ promised as MLB returns to London this summer ‘Fantastic experience’ promised as MLB returns to London this summer

    Former World Series champion Chase Utley has promised a “fantastic experience” when Major League Baseball returns to London this summer.

    The 2024 MLB season officially gets under way on Wednesday with a two-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres in Seoul before the regular season begins on March 28.

    This summer, on the weekend of June 8-9, the latest MLB London series will take place when the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies go head-to-head in England’s capital.

    London Stadium will host two matches between the sides in what will be the third time the sport has been taken to Britain after previous series in 2019 and last year.

    Utley, who helped Philadelphia claim 2008 World Series success, said: “You’ll have the Phillies and Mets, two fantastic teams, two rivals in the same division.

    “They’ve been rivals for around like 70 years and you’ll see some of the best players in the world.

    “You’ll see fireworks, activities on the field in between innings, live music, you’ll have American-standard baseball food, which consists of hotdogs, nachos and burgers!

    “Overall, it’s just a fantastic experience.”

    Utley was in Brent Cross last week at The 108, a state-of-the-art dedicated indoor baseball facility, and put England white-ball captain Jos Buttler through his paces before he learned some of the key principles of cricket.

     

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Jos Buttler (@josbuttler)

     

    The sporting crossover occurred due to cricket heading across the pond this summer when the T20 World Cup is hosted in America and West Indies during the same time of the latest MLB London series.

    Former second baseman Utley retired in 2018 and splits his time between the United States and his new London home as part of his ambassador role for MLB Europe.

    The 45-year-old feels cricket is slowly starting to break through in the USA, adding: “It’s probably as much as baseball penetrates here in the UK, so a bit, yes.

    “Here, obviously football, from what I’ve seen in a short amount of time, is the sport that for sure everyone watches and then cricket is second place to that.

    “In America, you have American Football and then you have basketball or you have baseball that are kind of bounced back and forth.

    “It’s exciting to see that cricket is going to the United States to play because I’ve seen some amateurs playing in the park. You’re starting to see it more and more over the last few years that I was there.”

    The next goal for Utley is to actually watch a cricket match live after brushing up his knowledge with Buttler last Wednesday when the meaning of ‘Bazball’ alongside the difference between Test and white-ball cricket was discussed.

    “I’ve watched a fair share but I still haven’t seen it in person,” Utley said.

    “At some point I need to see it in person. I’ve watched it on TV and it took me a little while, but I imagine it’s the same for watching baseball.

    “It takes you a while to understand the nuances, the terminology and actually what is going on in the moment, but once you can wrap your head around it and make some sense, it’s very entertaining.”

    New York Mets will play Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB World Tour: London Series 2024 on June 8-9 at London Stadium. Tickets are on sale now at ticketmaster.co.uk/MLB

  • Giants sign LHP Blake Snell for two years, $62M Giants sign LHP Blake Snell for two years, $62M

    The San Francisco Giants and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell have agreed to a two-year contract worth $62million, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

    Snell will reportedly have the ability to opt out of the deal after one season and become a free agent again.

    The left-hander won his second career Cy Young last season with the San Diego Padres after going 14-9 with a league-leading 2.25 ERA.

    Snell, 31, won the AL Cy Young in 2018 after going 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA for the Tampa Bay Rays.

    Singing Snell is the latest move in a busy offseason for the Giants as they try to catch up with their biggest rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the NL West.

    Earlier this offseason, the Giants spent over $250million in free agency to acquire South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, third baseman Matt Chapman, right-hander Jordan Hicks and slugging outfielder Jorge Soler.

    In January, San Francisco traded for left-handed starter Robbie Ray, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and could pitch later in 2024.

    In 191 career starts, Snell is 71-55 with a 3.20 ERA and has 1,223 strikeouts in 992.2 innings pitched.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.