Tommy Lasorda tribute includes singing ‘My Way’ & getting Justin Turner in a chokehold

The Dodgers’ second home game of the 2021 season featured a tribute to number two, Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda, who died on January 8.

Among the pregame tributes was Laura Lasorda, Tommy’s daughter, saying “It’s time for Dodgers baseball” just before first pitch. In addition, the Dodgers played this video of several players sharing their Lasorda memories.

The best story came from Justin Turner:

“My favorite Tommy story to tell is one of my first days here as a Dodger. I was actually in the hot tub one day at the end of spring, and Tommy comes in to get his late afternoon workout in, in the pool. I asked him what he was doing, and he said he had to get his workout in so he could stay strong. I kind of chuckled and laughed at him, and he said, ‘What do you think, I’m joking?’ and walked over to me in the hot tub and put me in a chokehold.

“Here I am, I don’t know, probably my third or fourth day in Dodgers camp, and I’m getting choked out by Tommy in the hot tub, and I didn’t know what to do. It was uncomfortable. Literally the thought went through my head: ‘Am I going to have to pull Tommy Lasorda into the hot tub to get out of this chokehold?’

“Then we both had a laugh, and then he picked up his right hand and said, ‘JT, do you know what this is?’ and I said, ‘No,’ then he said, ‘This is the hospital.’

“I said, ‘Alright Tommy,’ and then he held up his left fist and said, ‘Do you know what this is? This is the cemetery.’”

My way

Also before the game, the Dodgers played a video of Lasorda singing ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra from a few spring trainings ago, but set to highlights from Lasorda’s illustrious career.

Here’s a video of that from J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group: