Lasorda awoke to a busy Monday feeling under the weather. He helped ring the opening bell at the NASDAQ exchange and later bused from his hotel to the MLB Network studios in Secaucus, N.J. for the amateur draft, where he would represent the Dodgers. Friends noted Lasorda lacked his usual energy and, indeed, had broken into a sweat during the bus ride.
At others' urging, Lasorda rested in a conference room at the television studio. Paramedics were summoned after a short period. When Lasorda showed high blood pressure, his cardiologist – Dr. Tony Reid – was notified. (Lasorda suffered a heart attack in 1996, when he was forced to step down in his 21st season as Dodgers manager. A pacemaker was implanted last summer.)
.......
An iconic figure in Los Angeles, Lasorda won 1,599 games and two World Series championships in 21 seasons as Dodgers manager. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.
"The doctors confirmed I do bleed Dodger Blue," Lasorda said in a statement released by the club. "I'm looking forward to being back at the stadium to cheer on the Dodgers."
Get well soon Tommy.
