Top 102 Quotes & Sayings by Tommy Lasorda - Page 2

I don't like the pitch count! How are you gonna develop your arm? If you're a track man you say, "Hey, you can't run too much." Or if you're a boxer you say, "Hey, you can only box three rounds." It's not right!

Managing is like holding a dove in your hand. Squeeze too hard and you kill it; not hard enough and it flies away.

You give loyalty, you'll get it back. You give love, you’ll get it back.

When I was interviewed after I got hired to replace Walter Alston, a future Hall of Famer, I was asked: “Don’t you feel pressure on you?” I said: “Want to know something, I’m worried about the guy who’s going to have to replace me.”

My God, look at the words people use today. They use profanity like it's nothing. Christ almighty.

All last year we tried to teach him (Fernando Valenzuela) English, and the only word he learned was million.

He (Darryl Strawberry) is not a dog; a dog is loyal and runs after balls.

I've been Catholic all my life, and there's one thing I've never understood. Why didn't the Corinthians write back?

I've never used one word of profanity in front of my wife, or my daughter, or my granddaughter or anybody else's wife.

The gym teacher's name was Mr. Caruso. Mr. Caruso did not speak English. He spoke 'Gym.' One day I was playing basketball and Mr. Caruso told me I would have to get an athletic supporter. He didn't express himself exactly that way, though. He said, 'Hey, you, one day you're gonna go up for a rebound and the family jewels aren't gonna go with ya.' I had no idea what he was talking about. Next day I showed up for practice without my watch and my mezuzah. He said, 'Did ya take care of the family jewels?' I said, 'I left 'em in my locker.' Took us a half hour to revive Mr. Caruso.

I walk into the clubhouse today and it's like walking into the Mayo Clinic. We have four doctors, three therapists and five trainers. Back when I broke in, we had one trainer who carried a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and by the 7th inning he'd already drunk it.

The worst team in baseball's history won only 55 games. The best team ever won 110 out of 160, so you're virtually guaranteed to win 1/3 of the time and lose 1/3 of the time. The difference is the 1/3 in the middle. You don't know what bucket the game you're playing falls into, so if you're smart, you'll fight like everything for all of them.

I motivate players through communication, being honest with them, having them respect and appreciate your ability and your help.

When we lose, I eat. When we win, I eat. I also eat when we're rained out.

I managed the Dodgers for 20 years. It's hard to believe that there are only four guys in the history of baseball who managed the same team for 20 years or more. One was owner of the team, Connie Mack. Another was part owner of the team, John McGraw. Then there was my predecessor, Walter Alston, and me. It's amazing. In the 20 years I managed the Dodgers, 210 managers were fired.

The best possible thing in baseball is winning The World Series. The second best thing is losing The World Series.

The saddest day of the year is the day baseball season ends.

Nothing succeeds like - failure.

I was fortunate enough to coach the US Olympic team in Australia. The parks were full at all times. How can they take away a sport like that?

There are parents out there screaming as if their kid is going to be in the big leagues someday. C'mon. I chew them out if I see that. Maybe they've got their own idea how to do things, but it's wrong. Just be with the kids. Let 'em make errors. Give them all a chance. It's not about winning. It's spirit, togetherness.

Everybody makes mistakes, that's why they put erasers on pencils

Pressure is a word that is misused in our vocabulary. When you start thinking of pressure, it's because you've started to think of failure.

When you're not playing up to your capability, you gotta try everything, to motivate, to get them going. All of them have to be on the same end of the rope to pull together. It's playing for the name on the front of the shirt, not the back. Individualism gets you trophies and plaques. Play for the front, that wins championships. I try to remind them of that.

When you say you're a padre, people ask when did you become a parent. When you say you're a cardinal, they tell you to work hard because the next step is pope. But when you say you're a Dodger, everybody knows you're in the Major Leagues.

Bruce Benedict is so slow he'd finish third in a race with a pregnant woman.

I'm sick and tired of people saying that taking drugs is a sickness. When you put something of your own free will in your own body knowing that it's harmful against the body, it's against the law and all it will do is lead you down the path of destruction, that is a weakness.

I was glad to see Italy win. All the guys on the team were Italians.

It's still the best game in town because you don't have to be big to play, and everybody plays. Even your grandmother probably played baseball.

My wife tells me one day, 'I think you love baseball more than me.' I say, 'Well, I guess that's true, but hey, I love you more than football and hockey.'

If he raced his pregnant wife he'd finish third.

It is a great honor to be inducted into the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame. When you honor me with this distinction, you really honor the players who put me there. All of the honors I receive became a reality only through the contributions of my players. In addition to myself, you also honor my family and the Dodger organization. I accept this recognition with pride and gratitude.

I'm so excited I had a seven-car police motorcycle escort. I've had escorts before, but nothing like this... I'm really in awe, coming here and seeing so many cars, so much enthusiasm.

Say 'Dodgers' and people know you're talking about baseball. Say 'Braves' and they ask, 'What reservation?' Say 'Reds' and they think of communism. Say 'Padres' and they look around for a priest.

I've been able to dine with presidents, with leaders of corporations, traveled for 14 years with (financier and philanthropist) Michael Milken, who has taught me so much about life. Hanging around with them, it's nothing I could have believed in grade school. I could be with all of them? Milton Berle, Don Rickles, Dean Martin ... this former third-string pitcher from the Norristown High baseball team and the son of an Italian immigrant? I really am in awe when I think that has happened to me. What a life.

Caltech honored me -- they named an asteroid after me. There's only two of them up there with names. One of them is Walter Cronkite. The other is Tommy Lasorda.

I was told to stay away from pasta and bread for two weeks. Not eating pasta? That'll kill me. Anything else, but why pasta?

Think about each pitch like you think about women, then select one which is particularly appealing.

A second-guesser is one who doesn't know anything about the first guess, and he's one who needs 2 guesses to get one right.

If you'd see my schedule, you'd know I have no time to slow down.

I wasn't quite sure how a player got to the big leagues. As far as I knew, he was just there one day.

You have got to love what you're doing. No matter what it is. Whatever you undertake in life, if you don't love it, and you don't enjoy it, you are making a big mistake. You have got to love what you are doing. You have to appreciate what you are getting, and you have to do it to the best of your ability.

Ernie Banks was a great great player and when he no longer could play, he became a great ambassador for the game. He represented the game with the highest of class and dignity. Everybody loved Ernie Banks. He enjoyed baseball, life and people. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. We have truly lost a baseball giant.