Tommy Lasorda, who for more than two decades managed the Los Angeles Dodgers and for twice that long lent his simmering, feisty, in-your-face temperament to the iconic franchise, died Friday. He was 93.
The team announced that he “suffered a sudden cardiopulmonary arrest at his home.”
In a loud rasp and with a sparkle in his eyes, Lasorda regularly declared that his blood ran blue for the Dodgers and challenged anyone to disprove it.
After a brief major league career as a left-handed pitcher, then as a minor-league manager, scout and big-league third-base coach, Lasorda replaced the legendary Walter Alston as Dodgers manager in 1976.