Tommy Lasorda had kind words for the Bakersfield College 2010 baseball team Jan. 23 at the Kern County Fairgrounds during the 22nd annual Hot Stove Dinner hosted by George Culver.
“Possibly, in the year 2010, I may speak in front of a million people,” he said. “And I’m going to tell a million people how brutal they are, how lazy they are [if they don’t win]. So boys, I’m going to spread the word. It’s either going to be good, mediocre or bad.”
Lasorda is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and is one of only four in Major League Baseball’s history to manage the same team for at least 20 years.
Lasorda, former manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is well known by many baseball fans, and is now well known by the attendees of the Hot Stove Dinner and the players of the Bakersfield College baseball team.
Lasorda gave a powerful speech filled with many jokes and eye-opening mentions of his time as a pitcher, in which Lasorda said to the crowd that when he was a young boy, he dreamed of playing at Yankee Stadium and how he saw himself later warming up in the bullpen at Yankee Stadium years later as a professional baseball player. Lasorda simply told the crowd to follow their dreams, possibly aiming his remarks toward the BC baseball team.
Lasorda was more serious at moments. So serious, in fact, he stopped in the middle of his speech to yell at the people in the back who were being loud.
However, Lasorda had words of wisdom for the BC baseball team. “Remember, play for the name on the front of your shirt, not on the back of your shirt,” he said.
Lasorda spoke privately to the BC baseball team before his speech at the dinner.
“Those young men, I spoke to them today. I wanted them to know. I said, everybody who puts on a uniform wants to win. Some win and some don’t. The ones that win know how to win. The ones that don’t win, they’ll never learn to win.”
Lasorda added, “I told them what it was going to take for them to win. I want them to sit there and believe that they’re going to finish number one. If they believe they’re going to finish number one, they will practice like a number one team, and if they practice like a number one team, then they will perform like a number one team.”
The crowd, with a standing ovation, applauded Lasorda’s last words before he left the stage.
“So when you say your prayers tonight, if you have any compassion in your heart, you say a prayer for Tommy and the Dodgers.”
Lasorda, who is still highly involved with the Dodgers’ organization as special advisor to the chairman, is not concerned with the Dodgers’ future.
“The owner [Frank McCourt] of the team, he thinks the team will be OK. We’ve got a great team. We’ve got a great bunch of players. I think we’re going to win.”
Lasorda added, “You might say, ‘You say that all the time.’ Well, I believe it all the time. I believe this team’s going to win.”
BC pitcher Wesley Quattlebaum was in attendance and appreciates the Hot Stove speakers. Quattlebaum spoke about last year’s dinner.
“Last year was fun. Every time I come to this, I look forward to hear everybody speak just because I take it to heart and I love baseball and I know these guys do, too.”
Quattlebaum talked about preparing the freshmen for the annual dinner.
“We try to tell them that the people who speak here and are honored here, they’ve been through the same thing we have. It’s something to look forward to, and it’s something to look up to. Make sure and respect these guys because maybe one day you get to speak at something like this.”
Quattlebaum added about the upcoming baseball season.
“The older guys on this team have helped the younger guys a lot – with school, with baseball, with everything. Everybody seems to be helping each other out, which is a great thing to see on this baseball team.”