Thomas “Tommy” Charles Lasorda will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his contributions to baseball and sportsmanship from Loyola Marymount University on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4:30 p.m. in the Life Sciences Building Auditorium.
Lasorda began his career in baseball in 1945 when he signed with Philadelphia Phillies as an undrafted pitcher. Now in his 66th year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lasorda has won two World Championships, four National League pennants and eight division titles in his 20-year career as the Dodgers’ manager. He ranks 17th in Major League Baseball history with 1,599 wins and 16th with 3,038 games managed. In 1997, he became the 14th manager and 52nd Dodger inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Currently serving as the Special Advisor to the Chairman, his responsibilities include scouting, evaluating and teaching minor league players, and acting as an ambassador for the Dodgers’ international affiliations. Lasorda also represents the Dodger franchise at more than 100 appearances a year.
In addition to his work for the Dodgers organization, Lasorda has been a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and regularly visits patients at the Tommy Lasorda Heart Institute at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood.
“Tommy Lasorda is a legendary member of the sports world and has been an outstanding contributor to Los Angeles community for decades,” said Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D., president of LMU. “He has been an inspiration to generations of young people in what it means to be a true leader by exhibiting the highest level of honesty, pride and commitment to his team and its individuals and his community.”
