Remembering Hall of Fame Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda – KCRA Sacramento

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MICHELLE: LASORDA BEGAN HIS CAREER IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AS A PITCHER BUT IT WAS HIS REMARKABLE TWO-DECADE STENT AS MANAGER OF THE DODGERS THAT MADE HIM A LEGEND OF THE GAME. LASORDA MAINTAINED A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FRANCHISE FOR 71 YEARS. EVEN AS HE BEGAN SLOWING DOWN WITH AGE, LASORDA CONTINUED TO BE PRESENT AT SPRING TRAINING, AND ALWAYS IN FULL UNIFORM HE WOULD GO ON TO WIN JUST UNDER 1600 GAMES WITH THE DODGERS. IN 1997, 1 YEAR AFTER RETIRING DUE TO HEART TROUBLES, LASORDA WAS INDUCTED INTO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME AS A MANAGER >> IT’S UNBELIEVABLE. THIS IS THE GREATEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME IN MY LIFETIME. MICHELLE: HE ON RETIRED IN 2000 TO COACH A RAGTAG U.S. OLYMPIC BASEBALL TEAM MADE OF RISING MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS AND AGING EX-MAJOR LEAGUERS. WHEN THE U.S. STUNNED CUBA TO WIN THE GOLD MEDAL, BASEBALL PUNDITS CALLED IT THE MIRACLE ON GRASS. >> TO ME, I THOUGHT THAT WAS GREAT. I THOUGHT THAT WAS MAYBE IN MY OPINION THE GREATEST UPSET SINCE DAVID SLEW GOLIATH. MICHELLE: HE DEBUTED AS A BROOKLYN DODGERS IN 1 54 AND PITCHED THREE SEASONS IN THE MAJORS. HE LATER BECAME A DODGERS SCOUT, A MINOR-LEAGUE MANAGER, DODGERS THIRD BASE COACH, AND THEN TOP OF THE HEAP — MANAGER. HE BECAME PALS WITH STARS SUCH AS FRANK SINATRA AND A PITCH MAN, BUT THE BULK OF HIS LIFE WAS DEDICATED TO THE DODGERS. OFTEN BY HIS SIDE, HIS WIFE. THEY MARRIED IN 1950 AND HAD T CHILDREN. LASORDA BOASTED HE BLED DODGER BLUE AND SAID WHEN HE PASSED, HE WOULD GO TO THE BIG DODGER IN THE SKY. >> HE’S GOING TO CALL ME ONE DAY, AND