20 Tommy Lasorda Quotes from the Baseball Legend

Check out these wise and funny Tommy Lasorda Quotes!

Thomas Lasorda was born in 1927 in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

He has a long list of accomplishments as a baseball pitcher and manager.

After graduating from high school, Lasorda became an amateur, professional baseball player when he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and began playing in Class D with the Concord Weavers.

He missed two seasons to serve in World War II. Returning to baseball, he played for several teams.

He was moved around several times before earning his major league debut for the Dodgers in 1954.

His professional career involved being traded to multiple teams and playing for the minor leagues.

However, after he retired from playing, the Dodgers organization hired him as a scout.

Lasorda went on to have a long and successful career as the Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

To learn more about the determination and grit of this man check out these Tommy Lasorda Quotes.

Also, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily wisdom. 

See the rest of our quote database for even more inspirational ideas and thoughts.

Tommy Lasorda quotes about loving what you do

When you love something, pursue it! The Tommy Lasorda quotes below show that Tommy Lasorda pursued what he loved.

1. “Everybody wants to win, but everybody doesn’t win.” ― Tommy Lasorda

You will also enjoy our article on Lost Boys quotes.

2. “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.” ― Tommy Lasorda

3. “Listen, if you start worrying about the people in the stands before too long, you’re up in the stands with them.” ― Tommy Lasorda

4. “Managing is like holding a dove in your hand. Squeeze too hard, and you kill it; not hard enough and it flies away.” ― Tommy Lasorda

5. “Eighty percent of the people who hear them (your troubles) don’t care, and the other twenty percent are glad you’re having them.” ― Tommy Lasorda

6. “I’ve never used one word of profanity in front of my wife, or my daughter, or my granddaughter… or anybody else’s wife.” ― Tommy Lasorda

7. “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.” ― Tommy Lasorda

8. “There are three kinds of people in this world: people who make it happen, people who watch what happens, and people who wonder what happened.” ― Tommy Lasorda

9. “I motivate players through communication, being honest with them, having them respect and appreciate your ability and your help.” ― Tommy Lasorda (Source: New York Times (May 17, 1982)

10. “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.” ― Tommy Lasorda

Life lessons with these Tommy Lasorda quotes

See some lessons that Tommy Lasorda learned throughout his life. Take a look below and see if you pick up anything new for your life.

11. “Sports has kept me on the straight and narrow path.” ― Tommy Lasorda

12. “You can wake up every day and make today better than the last.” ― Tommy Lasorda

13. “My theory of hitting was just to watch the ball as it came in and hit it.” ― Tommy Lasorda

14. “Baseball is like driving. It’s the one who gets home safely that counts.” ― Tommy Lasorda

15. “About the only problem with success is that it does not teach you how to deal with failure.” ― Tommy Lasorda

16. “The only way I’d worry about the weather is if it snows on our side of the field and not theirs.” ― Tommy Lasorda

17. “The best possible thing in baseball is winning the World Series. The second best thing is losing the World Series.” ― Tommy Lasorda

18. “I firmly believe that there is a God. I firmly believe that there is a Heaven. And I firmly believe that if you go there, it’s gonna be great.” ― Tommy Lasorda

19. “When we win, I’m so happy I eat a lot. When we lose, I’m so depressed, I eat a lot. When we’re rained out, I’m so disappointed I eat a lot.” ― Tommy Lasorda

20. “No matter how good you are, you’re going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are, you’re going to win one-third of your games. It’s the other third that makes the difference.” ― Tommy Lasorda

After reading the Tommy Lasorda quotes, who is your favorite baseball manager of all time?

Some of Tommy Lasorda’s accomplishments include winning two World Series championships as manager and twice being named the National League Manager of the year.

He also led the U.S. team to a gold medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Eventually, in 1997, Lasorda was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and his Dodgers’ uniform was retired the same year.

In addition, they renamed a Dodgertown street for him “Tommy Lasorda Lane.”

Lasorda was known for how well he treated his players because he would socialize with them as friends, not just as their manager.

Lasorda made many television appearances outside of baseball, including on shows like CHiPs, Hee Haw, Everybody Loves Raymond and American Restoration.

Which of the Tommy Lasorda quotes was your favorite?

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