Caltech to honor Dodger Lasorda

Tommy Lasorda, the longtime manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and a current senior vice president, will visit Caltech on Friday, February 7, for “An Evening with Tommy Lasorda.” The event will feature a conversation between Lasorda and Tommy Hawkins, the Dodgers’ vice president of external affairs, as well as appearances by former general manager Buzzie Bavasi, former Brooklyn Dodger Rod Dedeaux, and former Dodgers president Peter O’Malley. Jo Lasorda, his wife of 51 years, will also attend.

In his 20 years as manager, Lasorda led the Dodgers to eight division titles and two world championships, making his name synonymous with the baseball franchise. But his association with the team goes back 50 years, during which he worked as scout, coach, manager, and executive. His commitment and love for the Dodgers is so profound that he’s said that he “bleeds Dodger Blue.”

Lasorda was once a promising pitcher himself. As a 20-year-old southpaw from Norristown, Pennsylvania, he made a splash in 1948 when, as a Schenectady Blue Jay, he struck out 25 Amsterdam Rugmakers during a 15-inning game. That display of pitching prowess was enough to set a professional record (which has since been broken) and raise the eyebrows of more than a few baseball fans.

“An Evening with Tommy Lasorda” is free and open to the public. Every attendee will receive a Tommy Lasorda bobblehead doll as a memento. This event is sponsored by the Caltech Employees Federal Credit Union, the Caltech Management Association, the Caltech Y, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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