Tommy Lasorda was born on Sept. 22, 1927 in Norristown, Pa. A baseball lifer, he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as an undrafted free agent in 1945.
Minor League career
Lasorda was assigned to the Concord Weavers of the North Carolina State League later that year. He struggled on the mound, going 3-12 with a 4.09 ERA in 121 innings pitched. Lasorda found more success at the plate, collecting 57 hits in 208 at-bats (.274 batting average).
Lasorda enlisted in the United States Army in October 1945, serving on active duty for a year and a half. He returned to baseball in 1948, appearing in 58 games for Phillies’ Minor League affiliate, Schenectady Blue Jays.
Lasorda struck out 25 batters in a 15-inning game that season, which at the time set a professional record. At the end of the year, he was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1948 Minor League Draft.
Lasorda spent the next four seasons with the organization before being purchased by the St. Louis Browns in February 1953. His stint in the Midwest was brief, as he returned to the Dodgers a month later.
Lasorda spent three additional seasons in the Dodgers organization before latching on with the Kansas City Athletics in March 1956. Four months later, he was traded to the New York Yankees for Wally Burnette.
In May 1957, the Dodgers once again purchased Lasorda from the Yankees. He spent the final 3.5 seasons of his career with the organization, which included the Dodgers’ inaugural campaign in Los Angeles in 1958.
Major League career
Lasorda made his MLB debut on Aug. 5, 1954, against the St. Louis Cardinals, yielding six hits and three runs in three innings pitched. In four overall appearances that season, he posted a 9.00 ERA, 5.84 FIP and 1.44 WHIP across nine innings of work.
Lasorda again saw limited time at the Major League level in 1955. In just four games (one start), he allowed six runs in four innings pitched and walked more batters (six) than strikeouts accumulated (four).
Lasorda received his biggest workload the following year with the Royals, appearing in 18 games and making five starts. He went 0-4 with a 6.15 ERA, 6.03 FIP and 1.88 WHIP in 45.1 innings, striking out 28 batters against issuing 45 walks.
The 1956 season was Lasorda’s last in the big leagues. After retiring in 1960, he rejoined the Dodgers organization as a scout — a position he would hold from 1961-65.
Lasorda later went on to become a Minor League manager and third base coach for the Dodgers under skipper Walt Alston. Alston abruptly announced his retirement in September 1976, paving the way for Lasorda’s promotion to Dodgers manager.
Tommy Lasorda Managerial career
Lasorda led the Dodgers to a 2-2 record to close out the 1976 season. He propelled the organization to back-to-back National League pennants in his first two full seasons at the helm.
In his two decades as Dodgers manager, Lasorda compiled a 1,599-1,439 record, leading the franchise to eight NL West division titles, four NL pennants and two World Series championships (1981, 1988).
Lasorda retired from managerial duties in July 1996 due to health issues. After stepping down, he went on to hold multiple positions in the Dodgers front office, including vice president (1996-98) and interim general manager (1998).
Lasorda was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Dodgers subsequently retired his No. 2 jersey as well.
Lasorda briefly came out of retirement to manage the United States team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Under his leadership, the USA won the gold medal over Cuba.
Lasorda also served as a third base coach in the 2001 MLB All-Star Game. Since the 2011 season, he has held the position of special advisor to the chairman and can be frequently spotted at Dodger Stadium.
The 2019 season was Lasorda’s 70th in the Dodgers organization, which represents the longest stint in club history.
