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Tommy Lasorda Returns to Brooklyn on August 16th

August 10, 2009 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Brooklyn Cyclones News Release


Brooklyn, NY, August 10, 2009 - Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda is a baseball icon, and perhaps the most prominent ambassador of the game. His major league career began in 1954 when, as a 26-year-old left-handed pitcher, he made his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

On Sunday, August 16th, Lasorda will return to Brooklyn, and will be honored by the Cyclones in a special pre-game ceremony, starting at 4:30pm, in which he will be inducted into the Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Fame. In addition, the first 1,500 fans (ages 15 and over) in attendance will receive a Tommy Lasorda photo baseball. The photo ball features an image of Lasorda as a Brooklyn Dodger, a current image of the baseball legend, his number 2, some of his managerial highlights, and a quote from Lasorda.

"I am excited and honored to be inducted into the Brooklyn Dodger Hall of Fame," said Lasorda. "I made my Major League debut with them, formed life-long friendships with the guys on the team, made life-long memories in Brooklyn, and realized my dreams of playing in the big leagues. I was then, and am still privileged to be a Dodger, and being inducted into the Brooklyn Dodger Hall of Fame is special."

Lasorda also holds another connection with Brooklyn baseball history. On June 8th, 1955, he was optioned to the minor leagues by the Dodgers to make room on the roster for another southpaw -- an up-and-coming youngster by the name of Sandy Koufax.

Lasorda pitched in the majors for just three seasons, but went on to make his mark as one of the greatest managers in the history of the game. Known for his fondness of pasta and pitching, the jovial Lasorda led the Dodgers to eight division titles and two World Championships in 21 seasons as manager. After his retirement, he became a Dodgers executive, and his association with the club has spanned six decades. He also managed the United States to its first-ever gold medal in baseball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Lasorda became the Los Angeles manager in 1976, and compiled a 1,599-1,439 record, won two World Series championships in (1981 and 1988), four National League pennants and eight division titles. His 16 wins in 30 NL Championship games managed were the most of any manager at the time of his retirement. His 61 post-season games managed ranks fourth all-time behind Bobby Cox, Casey Stengel and Joe Torre. He also managed in four All-Star Games.

2009 marks his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous (he played one season with the Kansas City Athletics) tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully by a single season.

Tommy Lasorda was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 -- his first year of eligibility.

The Brooklyn Cyclones are a Short-Season Class A affiliate of the New York Mets. In its first eight seasons of play, the team has led the New York-Penn League, and the entire Short-Season classification, in attendance each year, drawing nearly 2.5 million total fans to Coney Island's KeySpan Park. The Cyclones have advanced to the postseason five times, and won a league championship in 2001.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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