Tommy Lasorda: Dodger legend

Los Angeles Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda celebrating his team's World Series win in 1988.

Source: https://metsmerizedonline.com/dodgers-legend-tommy-lasorda-hospitalized/

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The memory is still clear in my mind – a silver-haired, middle-aged man in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform jumping for joy and rushing the field, his arms raised in triumph, celebrating as his team just won the 1988 World Series. In my lifetime and, especially growing up in the ‘80s, nothing so embodied the heart, history and legacy of the Los Angeles Dodgers more than its manager Tommy Lasorda.

Although he retired in 1996, and has been gone for three years now, his legacy lives on as the Dodgers attempt to win another World Series.

It’s his birthday today, and a great opportunity to look back at his most successful time – the 1980s.

Starting out
Tommy Lasorda played major league baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1954 to 1955, and the Kansas City Athletics in 1956. However, he played in the minors until 1960, when he was released in July from the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers top affiliate.

The Dodgers hired Lasorda as a scout in 1960. In 1965, he was named manager of the Pocatello Chiefs of the Pioneer League, a rookie league team in the Dodgers organization. The Chiefs moved to Ogden and became the Dodgers, and Lasorda managed them from 1966 to 1968. They won the Pioneer League championship all three years Lasorda managed them. In 1969, he was promoted to AAA to manage the Dodgers’ top affiliate the Spokane Indians of the Pacific Coast League. They won the league championship in 1970, moved to Albuquerque and became the Dukes in 1972, and won the league championship that same year.

Lasorda was promoted to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1973 when he was named third-base coach under legendary manager Walter Alston. Lasorda occupied the third-base box for four seasons, from 1973 to 1976. He was considered the logical successor to Alston, and turned down several major league managing jobs to stay with Dodgers.

Alston retired with four games left in 1976, and Lasorda assumed control of the team as interim manager. He managed the club those final four games, winning two and losing two, as the Dodgers finished second in the National League West Division.

Playoff bound
Lasorda became the full-time manager before the 1977 season. His first full season was a memorable one.

The major league playoff format was much different in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and into the ‘90s. There were four divisions – the National League and American League East and West – and only the regular season division champions made the playoffs. The East and West champions in each league played in the league championship series with the two winners advancing to the World Series.

In 1977, Tommy Lasorda’s first full year as manager, the Los Angeles Dodgers finished first in the National League West, with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses. They faced the National East Champion Philadelphia Phillies, dropping the first game but winning the next three straight to win the best-of-five National League Championship Series. They advanced to the World Series, where they were defeated by the New York Yankees in six games.

It was around this time I first heard of the Dodgers and Yankees in the World Series. I was in Grade 3 at St. Joseph’s School in Coaldale, and heard the score of a game on the radio, when I was on my way to school. I was reminded of it later on when I started watching baseball, and saw a highlight of Lasorda arguing a call in the 1977 World Series.

In 1978, the Dodgers repeated as National League West champions, with a record of 95 wins and 67 losses. The Dodgers again defeated the Phillies three games to one in the National League Championship Series, and again lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series in six games.

The Dodgers ended the decade with a record of 79 wins and 83 losses, good enough for third in the National League West in the 1979 season, and out of the playoffs.

As the ‘80s dawned, the Dodgers would rebound from that sub-.500 season and experience their greatest period of success under Tommy Lasorda.

Work stoppage to World Series
The Dodgers improved vastly in 1980, over the 1979 season, with a record of 92 wins and 71 losses, finishing second in the National League West, one game behind the division champion Houston Astros, who defeated the Dodgers in a one-game playoff.

The 1981 season would be like none other in Major League Baseball. A work stoppage halted play part way through the season. When it resumed, the league decided to do something different with the playoffs. The four teams that lead their divisions when play stopped, were declared first-half champions. Everyone then started with a new record. The leaders of each division would be declared second-half champions and play their first-half counterparts in a divisional best-of-five series. If the same team won both halves, the second-place team in the second half would play in the divisional series.

The Dodgers finished the first half with a record of 36 wins and 21 losses, good enough for first place in the National League West. Their record was 27 wins and 26 losses in the second half, but they had already locked up a spot in the divisional series. They again faced the Astros, but this time the Dodgers prevailed, going the distance and winning the series in five tough games.

Awaiting them in the National League Championship Series was my beloved Montreal Expos. The teams went back and forth, with everything coming down to a fifth and final game in Montreal. The Dodgers won it on a game-winning home run by Rick Monday, although the Expos did have their chances to tie the game.

Once more, the Dodgers would face their old nemesis the New York Yankees in the World Series. This time, the Dodgers prevailed, winning their first world championship since 1965, defeating the Yankees in six games.

Lasorda had taken his team to a world Series title in just his fifth season as manager.

Sporadic success
The Dodgers did not repeat as world champions in 1982, but still finished with a solid record of 88 wins and 74 losses, second in the National League West, one game back of the division champion Atlanta Braves.

Lasorda had the Dodgers back on top in 1983, going 91-71, and winning the National League West by three games over Atlanta. However, they ran into a rejuvenated Philadelphia Phillies team who defeated Los Angeles in four games in the National League Championship Series.

However, Lasorda was rewarded for the job he did with the 1983 National League Manager of the Year award.

In 1984, the Dodgers plummeted to fourth place in the National League West, and out of the playoffs, with a record of 79 wins and 83 losses.

Yet, in 1985, Lasorda had the Dodgers back on top again, going 95-67 to win the National League West, but falling in six games to the St. Louis Cardinals after jumping out to a 2-0 series lead. This was the first season the National League Championship Series expanded to a best-of-seven format.

The up and down performance of the Dodgers continued in 1986, as they dropped to fifth place in the National League West with 73 wins and 89 losses.

Things weren’t much better in 1987, as Los Angeles finished with the same record of 73 wins and 80 losses, but this time it was good enough for fourth in the National League West.

Things would then change dramatically for Tommy Lasorda and the Dodgers in a season that was memorable for one dramatic play.

I can’t believe what I just saw…
The Dodgers were again the best in the National League West in 1988 with a record of 94 wins and 67 losses. They faced the New York Mets, who were two years removed from winning the World Series. The teams went the distance before the Dodgers defeated the Mets in seven tough games in the National League Championship Series.

They were heavy underdogs in the World Series, playing an Oakland A’s that had won 104 games in the regular season and swept the Boston Red Sox four straight in the American League Championship Series. The A’s had everything – hitting; defence; power; and Dennis Eckersley, the best reliever in baseball.

The World Series pivoted on Game 1. The A’s led going into the bottom of the ninth, and brought in Eckersley to close the game. He easily got out the first two batters, but then the Dodgers sprang to life. They worked a walk, then Lasorda made perhaps the most famous move in his career.

He brought in pinch hitter Kirk Gibson, who was battling injury, and barely able to walk. After fouling off a number of pitches, including one off his injured leg, he launched a home run into the seats.

Announcer Jack Buck described the situation best when he said, “I can’t believe what I just saw…;”

Improbably, the Dodgers won the game and deflated the A’s. Los Angeles would go on to win the World Series in five games. It was Lasorda’s fourth World Series appearance as manager, and second win. He also won his second National League Manager of the Year award in 1988.

The Dodgers would close out the decade, falling to fourth in the National League West in 1989 with a record of 77 wins and 83 losses.

The years after
Tommy Lasorda would keep on managing the Dodgers until 1996, resigning part way through the season. He took the Dodgers to two more National League West first place finishes. In 1994 Los Angeles finished first but the season was cancelled because of a players’ strike. In 1995, the divisions realigned from two to three and the playoffs were expanded to four teams, with the three division champions joined by a wild card. The Dodgers finished first again in the National League West, but lost in the new divisional series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Lasorda ended his career with a record of 1,599 wins and 1,439 losses. He also won 31 games and lost 30 in the postseason.

He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.

Memories
There are a few interesting memories of Tommy Lasorda. Wikipedia reminded me of something I actually recall from his time as manager. The Dodgers for generations have had a deep farm system to develop players. I knew this in part because I regularly took in games of their rookie league team the Lethbridge Dodgers, who sent several players to the major leagues. Lasorda managed nine players who were named National League Rookie of the Year – Rick Sutcliffe in 1979; Steve Howe in 1980; Fernando Valenzuela in 1981; and Steve Sax in 1982. He then had another string with Eric Karros in 1992; Mike Piazza in 1993; Raul Mondesi in 1994; Hideo Nomo in 1995; and Todd Hollandsworth in 1996.

I had always heard Lasorda was a players’ manager. They liked him because he took an interest in their lives, learned the names of their wives and children, asked about them regularly, and socialized with his players.

He also spoke Spanish, which enabled him to communicate with the Latin American players. That was an area the Dodgers had developed a lot of players from. It was also a big part in the ascendance of Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. Lasorda routinely talked to him in Spanish, interpreting for him with the media too.

Another interesting thing about Lasorda was the way he seemed to be the unofficial spokesman for fallen Dodgers. Whenever a Dodger great died, the media always seemed to ask Lasorda for comment, and he gave some good ones.

When pitcher Don Drysdale died, Lasorda shared this story. The manager instructed Drysdale to intentionally walk a batter. Drysdale responded, “Why don’t I just hit him instead and save three pitches.”

Catcher Roy Campanella had been paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident. When he died, Lasorda said, “I know Roy is up there now, walking with the Lord.”

Parting thoughts
Tommy Lasorda will always be one of my favourite characters in baseball. He was a manager who could not only get the most out of his players, but they wanted to play for him.

I can still hear Vin Scully’s voice when Lasorda chose to send in an injured Kirk Gibson to pinch-hit in the bottom of the ninth inning, with two out in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.

“Lasorda is choosing to roll the dice…”

Yes, he did, and the result was one of the most iconic moments in baseball history.

That’s the kind of manager Tommy Lasorda was.