RIP Tommy Lasorda

[BobbyVCP]

I was born in Columbus and family moved to LA when I was 5...my father was in the clothing business and he became very friendly with Tommy when he was a 3rd base coach for Walt Alston. Went to the game and after my dad takes me down to the Dodger locker room where we are outside of course and Tommy comes out with Steve Garvey and Ron Cey to meet me....what a thrill because both gave me bats and signed pics, etc...I was amazed on the size of Garvey's forearms.

Fast forward and Tommy is now the manager and one day I am at home and my dad calls me from work, has me on the speaker phone. My father says he has someone here that wants to talk to me. Of course it is Tommy and he asks who is my favorite team...I am about 11 and tell him "Cincinnati Reds", he asks what can he do to convert me to the Dodgers. I told him that getting me an autograph ball of Johnny Bench would be a good start....about a month later went to the game and that day it was Dodger family day. I get invited down into the dugout with all the other families as they played a 1 inning game for fun. While there, Tommy comes up to me and behind his back he pulls out that autograph ball personalized to me from Johnny Bench.

So many other great memories of going to the World Series and sitting with his family...

[perezfan]

Two great Lasorda stories, Bobby....

You can probably count on the fingers of one hand, the number of major leaguers who would go that extra mile. Amazing!

[brian1961]

Thanks Mark (dealme), my fellow Hoosier, and BobbyVCP. Great posts and very supportive of those of us really hurting over the passing of the great Tommy Lasorda. --- Brian Powell

My tiny, tiny little memory is when the Dodgers played the first game of the '88 World Series. One of my parishioners was a lonely old lady who liked baseball. I went to see her and she invited me to watch the World Series. I stayed 'til the last out, though many of you know there wasn't a last out, but Kirk Gibson's walk off the field home run! They had one of the cameras on Tommy Lasorda to watch his reaction-----he threw up his arms and began whooping it up and and ran with the rest of his boys to congratulate the virtually lame Kirk Gibson. I guess I just remember his massive enthusiasm for what was obviously a magical Dodger moment.

No baseball man had a larger "Joie de vivre" than Tommy Lasorda. "Joie de vivre" is a French phrase pronounced "ZHWAH DE VEEV" and expresses a cheerful enjoyment of life and an exultation of spirit---from Wikipedia encyclopedia) than Tommy Lasorda. RIP dear sir. You're being sorely missed already!!! --- Brian Powell

[ocjack]

A little late to the remembrance, but it took a minute to dig out this picture. One of my favorites of Tommy.