Hall of Fame Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda passed away Thursday night, the Dodgers reported. He was 93.
The team reported on its social media accounts that the Dodgers manager of 21 years suffered a sudden cardiopulmonary arrest at his home at 10:09 p.m. Thursday night.
Lasorda was then transported to the hospital while paramedics attempted to resuscitate him. However, he passed away at 10:57 p.m.
He held a record of 1,599-1,439 as he managed the franchise to four pennants and two World Championships (1981 and 1988) stemming from 1976 until 1996.
He joined the Dodgers organization as a pitcher in 1954, where for two seasons he was a starter and reliever for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He would not factor in a decision, allowing 11 runs on 13 hits in 13 IP, including serving up three home runs, striking out nine and walking 11. His 7.62 ERA was nothing close to what he was known for. He moved on to play the following season for the Kansas City Athletics and went 0-4 with a 6.15 ERA.
Even more forgettable is that lone start for the Dodgers. He was removed after throwing an MLB-record three wild pitches against the Cardinals on May 5, 1955.
What he did after that was pure gold, serving as a scout for the team, a third-base coach for then-manager Walter Alston and then manager, winning numerous manager of the year honors, including Associated Press Manager of the Year in 1977 and Baseball America Manager of the Year in 1988.
Even after his retirement in 1996 Lasorda continued to be the team’s No. 1 ambassador, famously coining Dodger Stadium as “Blue Heaven on Earth.”
In 1998 he would serve as the team’s interim General Manager and then served as Senior Vice President.
Following the team’s sale in 2012, Lasorda took on a role as Special Adviser to the Chairman.
Thomas (“Tommy”) Charles Lasorda was born Sept. 22, 1927 in Norristown, Pa. He was the second born of five sons.
He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Jo, whom he met while he played for the Greenville Spinners, their daughter Laura and granddaughter Emily Tess.
The Lasordas resided in Fullerton, Calif.
Lasorda was the godfather to Thomas Piazza, the younger brother of Mike Piazza who was named after Tommy, and also to MLB catcher Alex Avila, whose grandfather Ralph was a friend of Tommy’s for over 50 years. Avila’s middle name Thomas is also in honor of Lasorda.
After being hospitalized on Nov. 8 for heart problems, including a report that he was in “serious condition” and staying in intensive care, Lasorda started to improve in early December, and was taken out of intensive care and famously fought his way back to normality. He was released from the hospital on Tuesday before returning Thursday and passing away.
In a difficult year, the Dodgers were able to win their first World Series championship in 2020, sending off their biggest fan and ambassador on top of the baseball world as he rests forever. It was the team’s first win since Lasorda’s Dodgers won it 32 years ago in 1988.