Tommy Lasorda Memorialized at Dodger Stadium Service
Former Dodgers manager was remembered Tuesday with a blue-and-white adorned service inside Dodger Stadium.
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Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda died on Thursday night after suffering cardiopulmonary arrest. He was 93.
Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda was memorialized during a private service Tuesday at Dodger Stadium before his burial.
Lasorda died Jan. 7 after a heart attack at age 93.
His casket, covered with a huge assortment of blue and white flowers, was placed on the pitcher's mound with a blue 2, signifying Lasorda's jersey number, on the back of the mound.
Lasorda's wife of 70 years, Jo, attended in a wheelchair, along with their daughter, Laura. The mourners stood socially distanced around the mound.
Former Dodgers catcher and Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia, retired player and major league manager Bobby Valentine, retired Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros, retired player and coach Mickey Hatcher, former Dodgers pitcher Charlie Hough, and former NBA coach Mike Fratello were among the 10 pallbearers. Each wore jerseys with Lasorda's No. 2 on the back.
Karros and Hatcher, along with Skechers president and co-founder Michael Greenberg, and personal friends Steve Brener and Chris Leggio spoke at the stadium and served as pallbearers, along with businessman Warren Lichtenstein. Wearing masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they carried Lasorda's casket to a white hearse parked in front of the dugout.
The national anthem was sung and Lasorda's image was projected on the stadium's videoboards.
NEW YORK, NY – 1956: Picther Tommy Lasorda #23 of the Kansas City A’s poses for a portrait prior to a game in 1956 against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York.
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1956 Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images
11 Jun 1995: Manager Tommy Lasorda of the Los Angeles Dodgers applauds his players during the Dodgers versus Philadelphia Phillies game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Mandatory Credit: J.D. Cuban/Allsport
VERO BEACH, FL – CIRCA 1981: Manager Tommy Lasorda #2 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on during spring training circa 1981 at Dodger Town in Vero Beach, Florida. Lasorda managed the Dodgers from 1976-96. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 1981: Manager Tommy Lasorda #2 of the Los Angeles Dodgers argues with an umpire during the 1981 World Series against the New York Yankees October 1981 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles California. Lasorda managed the Dodgers from 1976-96. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JUNE 1: Tommy Lasorda #2, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, before a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 1, 1988 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – 1980: Baseball Hall of Fame player and manager, Tommy Lasorda, poses during a 1980 Los Angeles, California, photo portrait session at Dodger Stadium. Lasorda managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1976 to 1996. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH – 1980’s: Manager Tommy Lasorda #2 of the Los Angeles Dodgers argues with umpire Lee Weyer during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium circa 1985 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
OCT 1988: TOMMY LASORDA, MANAGER OF THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS, SPEAKS TO FANS DURING THEIR 1988 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. MANDATORY CREDIT: MIKE POWELL/ALLSPORT.
CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 19: Chris Taylor #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers speaks with Tommy Lasorda prior to Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday, October 19, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty Images)
George Gojkovich/Getty Images
PITTSBURGH – CIRCA 1980: Manager Tommy Lasorda of the Los Angeles Dodgers smiles while leaning against a wall near the dugout prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium circa 1980 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 7: Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela #34 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is interviewed by his manager Tommy Lasorda #2 before the game against the Chicago Cubs on June 7, 1981 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
VERO BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 15, 1981: Manager Tommy Lasorda #2 clears the way for pitcher Fernando Valenzuela #34 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during spring training at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 26: Former Los Angeles Dodgers player and manager Tommy Lasorda throws the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game Three of the 2018 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 1981: Pedro Guerrero #28 pours champagne on Manager Tommy Lasorda #2 of the Los Angeles Dodgers after defeating the Houston Astros in the divisional playoffs at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 27: Magic Johnson and Tommy Lasorda of theLos Angeles Dodgers look on during game three of the 2018 World Series against the Boston Red Sox on October 27, 2018 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
CHICAGO – UNDATED 1986: Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox, Tommy Lasorda manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1976-1996 and George Brett of the Kansas City Royals look on before the MLB All Star game at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Boggs played for the Red Sox from 1982-1992. Brett played for Kansas City Royals from 1973-1993. (Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images)
VERO BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 1982: Tommy Lasorda #2 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during spring training at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
A motorcade traveled from the stadium to Rose Hills Memorial Park in nearby Whittier, where Lasorda was buried. The group had just arrived at the cemetery when they received word that Dodgers Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton died earlier Tuesday at age 75.
Lasorda spent 71 years in the Dodgers organization, starting as a player when the team was still based in Brooklyn. He later coached and then became its best-known manager for 21 years in Los Angeles, leading the franchise to two World Series championships. After stepping down in 1996, he became an ambassador for the sport he loved.
