by Robert Steadman

Created on: February 17, 2009   Last Updated: March 01, 2009

When you think about Major league Managers in baseball. You think of people Like Sparky Anderson, Joe Torre, Bobby Valentine, Dusty Baker, Bobby Cox, Jim Leyland, Earl Weaver. There are many other great managers.

My all-time favorite managers Tommy Lasorda. Tommy Lasorda started out as the third base coach, the manager then was Walter Alston. which he would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Tommy Lasorda became manager for the Dodgers on Sept 29,1976 upon Alston's retirement. Tommy compiled 1,599 wins and 1,439 losses record as Dodgers manager.

Tommy Lasorda has won two World Series Championships 1981 and 1988, four National League pennants, and eight division titles in Tommy's 20 year career as Dodgers manager. Tommy 16 wins in 30 N.L. Championship games managed were the most of any manager at the time of his retirement. Tommy's 61 post-season games managed ranks fourth all-time, behind Bobby cox, Casey Stengal, and Joe Torre. Tommy also managed four all-star games.

Tommy Lasorda managed nine players who won the National League Rookie of the Year award. The winners came in two strings of consecutive players. From 1979-1982, Tommy managed Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Howe, Fernando Valenzuela, and Steve Sax. From 1992-1995m Tommy also managed Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, and Hideo Nomo. Before Tommy retired during the 1996 season, Tommy also managed that year rookie of the year, Todd Hollandsworth.

Tommy Lasorda was forced to retire during the 1996 season due to health problems. Tommy suffered a heart attack on June 24th, day after they beat the Houston Astros 4-3.

Tommy Lasorda was inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. The Dodgers retired Tommy's uniform number #2 on Aug 15th, 1997, and renamed a street in Dodgertown as "Tommy Lasorda Lane".

In 2000, Lasorda came out of retirement to manage the United States baseball team. Tommy led the Americans to the Gold Medal, beating the heavily Favorite Cuba, which they have two straight gold medals.

In 2001, Tommy was the third base coach for the 2001 All-Star game. Vladimir Guerro broke his bat hitting Lasorda and causing him to flip head over heels, Tommy was not hurt, as a joke Barry Bonds gave Lasorda a chest protector to wear.

In 2008 during spring training. Joe Torre took a group of players to china for the series. The majority of the team stayed back in Florida, Tommy Lasorda took over the team to finish out the Grapefruit League season, till Joe Torre came back from China.

Tommy Lasorda will always be Dodger Blue. Dodger fans everywhere will always remember Tommy Lasorda. Tommy is a great Motivator to the Dodgers. He always told his players to wear the uniform with pride, and be proud that you are a Dodger. I am proud that I am a Dodger fan I will always be a Dodger fan.

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