La Jornada – Dodger icon Tommy Lasorda dies

Angels., Tommy Lasorda, the passionate Hall of Fame manager who led the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Championship titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved, died at the age of 93.

The Dodgers announced that Lasorda had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California. Medics attempted to save him while he was being transported to hospital, where he was pronounced dead late Thursday.

Lasorda had heart problems, including a heart attack in 1996 that ended his managerial career and one in 2012 that forced him to wear a pacemaker. He had returned home on Tuesday after being hospitalized since 8 November.

The legendary coach was present at the Dodgers’ World Series 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rise on October 27 in Texas which secured the Los Angeles team their first league title since 1988.

“It seems fitting that in his last months he saw his beloved Dodgers winning the World Series for the first time since his team in 1988,” said Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Lasorda has been a private advisor to the Dodgers owner and boss Mark Walter for the past 14 years. “He was a great ambassador for the team and baseball, a mentor to players and coaches, and he always had time to give an autograph and a story to many of his fans; Walter said. We’ll miss him a lot.”

LaSorda has been a player, recruiter, manager, and CEO on the Board of Dodgers, starting with his roots in Brooklyn.

He played in Panama and Cuba before his league debut on August 5, 1954 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Although he did not participate in the 1955 World Series, he did get the championship ring as a member of that team.

He had a training record of 1,599 wins and 1,439 losses, won the World Series titles in 1981 and 1988, four National League pennants, and eight division titles who led the Dodgers from 1977 to 1996.

He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 as a manager and led the US baseball team to win gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics after defeating Cuba.

As a coach, he has nine National Junior League award winners, including Mexican Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Sacks, Steve Howe, Mike Piazza, Eric Carus and Hideo Nomo.

Your connection with him Toro Valenzuela and the 1981 World Championships they won together yesterday are remembered on social media. Active and retired Major League Baseball players, as well as Mexican Major League Baseball and other countries, have joined the duel for Lasorda.