Tommy Lasorda’s body began to fail him in recent months, but his passion for the Dodgers never wavered. The man who always claimed he bled Dodger blue out of loyalty to the organization had one last mission to accomplish, one more triumphant moment to experience.
He was granted that moment in October, when the Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series their first championship since he guided them to the title in 1988. “He willed himself to live this long and to watch that world championship,” former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser said. “He willed himself to stay active with baseball and to be impactful on a daily basis.
Tommy Lasorda, Renowned Dodgers Manager and Hall of Famer, Dies at 93
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TEST Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
January 8, 2021
LOS ANGELES (AP) Growing more and more frail, Tommy Lasorda looked on from a suite at Globe Life Field in Texas, watching as the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the World Series in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Surrounded by family and friends, Lasorda celebrated the team’s first championship in 32 years that October evening amid the coronavirus pandemic. While his mobility was slowed, his mind was still sharp.
Fittingly, it was the last game he ever attended.
“He always said he wanted 2 things, to live to be 100 and to see another championship brought to the city of LA,” Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner tweeted. “Although he fought like hell to hit triple digits, I couldn’t be more proud to know he got to see the Dodgers on top again, where he knew we belonged.”
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Tommy Lasorda, the colorful and cantankerous longtime manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers who led the team to four National League pennants and two World Series championships in the 1970s and ‘80s, has died. He was 93.
FILE PHOTO: Sep 20, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers former manager Tommy Lasorda attends the game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers defeated the Rockies 12-5. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
Lasorda, who spent more than 70 years in the Dodgers organization, suffered a sudden cardiopulmonary arrest at home Thursday night and was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, the team said in a statement on Friday.