Guest Author - David Landry

Tommy Lasorda had a very brief career as a major league pitcher and went on to a Hall of fame career as a manager with the Dodgers. He led the Dodgers to two World Series victories and four pennants during a career that spanned from 1976 to 1996. He has the 15th most wins among major league managers, with a final record of 1599 wins and 1439 losses.

Tommy was a larger than life and made as many enemies as friends. My favorite Lasorda story is the time he attacked the Phillies mascot, the Phillie Phanatic, because it stomped on a doll wearing Dodger blues. It’s not clear who got the best of whom.

Love him or hate him, he’s produced a lot of great quotes. Here are some of my favorites among the ones that are printable.


About players
Fernando Valenzuela:
- “He wants Texas back!”
- “All last year we tried to teach him English and the only word he learned was million.”

Daryl Strawberry:
- “He is not a dog. A dog is loyal and runs after balls.”

Kurt Bevacqua:
- "He couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat!"

About the Dodgers
- “I bleed Dodger blue and when I die, I'm going to the big Dodger in the sky.”
- "Say 'Dodgers' and people know you're talking about baseball. Say 'Braves' and they ask, 'What reservation?' Say 'Reds' and they think of communism. Say 'Padres' and they look around for a priest."
- “I leave you with a saying: in this country, if you don’t pull for the Dodgers, there’s a good chance you may not get into heaven!”


About managing
- “Managing is like holding a dove in your hand. Squeeze too hard and you kill it, not hard enough and it flies away.”
- “I motivate players through communication, being honest with them, having them respect and appreciate your ability and your help.”
- “People say you can't go out and eat with your players. I say why not.”
- “If you start worrying about the people in the stands, before too long you're up in the stands with them.”

Others

“About the only problem with success is that it does not teach you how to deal with failure.”

“No, we don't cheat. And even if we did, I'd never tell you.”

“When we win, I'm so happy I eat a lot. When we lose, I'm so depressed, I eat a lot. When we're rained out, I'm so disappointed I eat a lot.”

“Pressure is a word that is misused in our vocabulary. When you start thinking of pressure, it's because you've started to think of failure.”

"I walk into the clubhouse and it's like walking into the Mayo Clinic. We have four doctors, three therapists and five trainers. Back when I broke in, we had one trainer who carried a bottle of rubbing alcohol and by the seventh inning he had drunk it all."

“Always give an autograph when somebody asks you.”

“Baseball is like driving, it's the one who gets home safely that counts.”

“Guys ask me, don't I get burned out? How can you get burned out doing something you love? I ask you, have you ever got tired of kissing a pretty girl?”

“I love doubleheaders. That way I get to keep my uniform on longer. “

“My theory of hitting was just to watch the ball as it came in and hit it.”

“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination.”

“There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happens.”