Legendary Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda died Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, at the age of 93. The Dodgers shared that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California.
Attempts to resuscitate Lasorda were made on route to the hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 pm Thursday.
He was a child of Italian immigrants and was born on September 22, 1927, in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
Lasorda was one of the best managers in baseball until his retirement in July 1996. He was involved with the Los Angeles Dodgers for over 50 years. He managed the team from 1976 to 1996. His retirement was due to a heart attack and he felt that to continue managing would be too stressful.
Lasorda was not the greatest pitcher during his time as a player but as a manager, for two decades he engineered a body of work that earned him a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Commissioner Rob Manfred had these words to say:
Tommy Lasorda was one of the finest managers our game has ever known. He loved life as a Dodger. Tommy welcomed Dodger players from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Japan, South Korea, and elsewhere — making baseball a stronger, more diverse, and better game. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest sympathy to his wife of 70 years, Jo, and their entire family, the Dodger organization, and their generations of loyal fans.
Manfred continues his comment stating how very honored and fortunate he was to have developed such a great friendship with Lasorda. He felt it was very appropriate that in Lasorda’s final months that he was able to witness his Dodgers win the World Series.
Written by Omari Jahi
Sources:
MLB News: Dodgers legend Lasorda dies at 93, Ken Gurnick
Variety: Tommy Lasorda, Renowned Dodgers Manager and Hall of Famer, Dies at 93, Ellise Shafer
StarAdvertiser: Tommy Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93, Associated Press
Feature Image Courtesy of Paul Martinez’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Los Angeles Fire Department’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
