Thomas Charles Lasorda (September 22, 1927 – January 7, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher and manager.

[1] Lasorda signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1945 and began his professional career that season with the Concord Weavers of the Class D North Carolina State League.

On May 31, 1948, he struck out 25 Amsterdam Rugmakers in a 15-inning game, setting a professional record, and drove in the winning run with a single.

Lasorda then played for Almendares of the Cuban League in Havana, Cuba in 1950–52 and again in 1958–60, compiling a 16–13 record in four seasons, including 8–3 with a 1.89 ERA in 1958–59.

Lasorda made only three more appearances for the Dodgers, was optioned back to Montreal on June 8, and was replaced on the major league roster by Sandy Koufax.

[1] To inspire confidence in his players at Ogden, he would have each of them write a letter to the LA Dodger that played their position everyday in the big leagues, informing the regular that they would be replacing him one day.

[17] In 1973, Lasorda became the third-base coach on the staff of Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston, serving four seasons.

[18] He was widely regarded as Alston's heir apparent and turned down several major league managing jobs elsewhere to remain in the Dodger fold.

The 1981 Major League Baseball season saw a unique split-season setup in which the leaders of each division at the time of the strike (which lasted from June to July) guaranteed them a playoff spot.

The Dodgers, as champions of the first half (by less than a game over Cincinnati), would be matched up against whoever led the NL West after the season re-started.

The Dodgers were matched against the Houston Astros, who narrowly beat out the Reds to win the West and play in a National League Division Series.

But with three games remaining all in Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles would turn the tables and dominate in pitching (holding Houston to two runs combined) to win three straight and reach the NLCS.

In the best-of-five 1981 National League Championship Series, the Dodgers would split the two games in Los Angeles before having to go to Montreal for the next three.

A fiery motivator, Lasorda was known for firing up his players when the moment could come up, such as his tirade prior to Game 4 of the 1988 World Series when NBC broadcaster Bob Costas praised the Dodger pitching but criticized the batting as one of the worst seen, with Lasorda exclaiming to the clubhouse, "You hear what Costas said?

He said you’re the worst offensive team ever!” The Dodgers, labeled as underdogs against the defending world champion Oakland Athletics, proceeded to win the Series in five games.

He received a clean bill of health from his doctor, but he took into account seeing Don Drysdale die in a hotel room a few years prior with a similar ailment, stating "I got to thinking about my little 9-month-old granddaughter, and how I'd like to be around when she goes to school.

"[24] On July 29, Lasorda formally announced his retirement, thus making Russell only the third man to manage the Dodgers in 43 years.

[28] After the season, he helped find a permanent replacement for Claire and was made senior vice president of the Dodgers.

While at the plate, Vladimir Guerrero broke his bat while swinging and it flew towards Lasorda, causing him to fall backwards.

The Dodgers retired his uniform number (2) on August 15, 1997[38] and renamed a street in Dodgertown as "Tommy Lasorda Lane".

He explained in an essay he wrote for Tim McCarver’s compilation volume Diamond Gems that he wanted to break a mold by ending a longstanding unspoken taboo against managers socializing with their players off the field.

In 1996, Lasorda voiced the role of Lucky Lasorta, a Black and White Havanese commentating the baseball game in the film Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco.

A Boca Raton, Florida-based company, Modami Services, acquired Lasorda Foods Holding Corp Inc. in August 1993.

[58] Approximately one year later, on August 23 1989, the Montreal Expos' mascot, Youppi, was taunting Lasorda and performing stunts on top of the Dodger's dugout that annoyed Lasorda so deeply he asked third base umpire Bob Davidson to eject Youppi from the game.

[60] In June 2005, President George W. Bush asked Lasorda to serve as a delegate to the U.S. National Day at the World Exposition in Aichi, Japan.

[61] In 2008, the government of Japan conferred upon Lasorda the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, which represents the fourth-highest of eight classes associated with the award.

A gymnasium and youth center in Yorba Linda, California were named in memory of their son Tom Jr. on September 7, 1997.

[79] He was buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park alongside his son, Tom Jr.[80] On September 21, 2021, the Dodgers announced on Twitter the death of Lasorda's widow, Jo, at age 91.

[81][82] In March 2023, a stretch of the Interstate 5 was named in his honor as "Tommy Lasorda Dodger Legend Memorial Highway," located in his former residence of Fullerton between Lincoln Avenue and Ball Road.