The Morning Briefing: Baseball Mourns The Loss of Tommy Lasorda

2021 has Gotten off to a rough start with the death of Hall of Fame LA Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda.

by Richard Wachtel

Updated January 09, 2021

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Major League Baseball Top Story: Baseball Mourns The Loss of Tommy Lasorda

2021 has gotten off to a rough start, that's for sure.

Yesterday afternoon the LA Dodgers announced the passing of Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda's death.

"In a franchise that has celebrated such great legends of the game, no one who wore the uniform embodied the Dodger spirit as much as Tommy Lasorda," Dodger president and CEO Stan Kasten said. "A tireless spokesman for baseball, his dedication to the sport and the team he loved was unmatched. He was a champion who at critical moments seemingly willed his teams to victory. The Dodgers and their fans will miss him terribly. Tommy is quite simply irreplaceable and unforgettable."

Commissioner Rob Manfred issued the following statement:

"Tommy Lasorda was one of the finest managers our game has ever known. He loved life as a Dodger. His career began as a pitcher in 1949 but he is, of course, best known as the manager of two World Series champions and four pennant-winning clubs. His passion, success, charisma and sense of humor turned him into an international celebrity, a stature that he used to grow our sport. Tommy welcomed Dodger players from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Japan, South Korea and elsewhere -- making baseball a stronger, more diverse and better game. He served Major League Baseball as the Global Ambassador for the first two editions of the World Baseball Classic and managed Team USA to gold in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Tommy loved family, the United States, the National Pastime and the Dodgers, and he made them all proud during a memorable baseball life."

Read our full write up and about an exciting connection Lasorda had to the Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos.

Tributes have been pouring in from around the Baseball world and non-Baseball world. Many buildings in the LA region, including the Staples Center, LA City Hall, Banc of California Stadium, and the Santa Monica pier Ferris Wheel were lit up in blue in honor of Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda.

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On Monday, we will be releasing our latest "In the Clubhouse" episode. In this episode, Richard sat down with Kerrick Jackson, President MLB Draft League. In this episode, they discussed the MLB Draft League goals and what it was like for Kerrick to be a scout for the Washington Nationals. Make sure that you subscribe to the podcast so that you can listen to another great interview.