Tommy Lasorda, the former Dodger manager, has passed away.
He suffered a sudden cardiopulmonary arrest at his home Thursday night and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
Lasorda came up to the major leagues as a pitcher. From 1954-56 he pitched for Brooklyn and then the Kansas City A's, where he had a career record of 0-4. In 1955, he had no record of 13.50 ERA.
In 1961, Lasorda became a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a scout until 1965. In 1966, he became a minor league manager in the Dodgers system. He won three straight Pioneer League titles with Oregon. From 1969-72, he was the team's triple-A manager, first with Spokane and his last season the team played in Albuquerque.
In 1973 he became the Dodgers third base coach under the iconic manager Walter Alston. He took over the team in 1976.
Under Lasorda, the Dodgers won 8 division titles, 4 NL Championships, and two World Series titles (1981 and 1988). He also managed the 2000 Olympic Gold Medal in Sydney.
Lasorda was replaced as manager in 1996, with 1599 wins. Second most in Dodger history, at the time, the 11th most wins all time. He now stands at 22nd.
Under Alston and Lasorda, the Dodgers won six World Series titles, and both men were synonymous with Dodger Blue, and one of my favorite managers growing up.
Lasorda was 93.
