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Sunday, January 14, 2007

MLBlogs: Lasorda: Bobby Kennedy

Was the Ambassador’s Ambassastelladora of Baseball®, actually the primary target that night?.....YOU DECIDE!

He was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 6, 1968. It just so happens that I was supposed to be at that dinner. My wife Jo, and I, ate lunch at the Ambassador that afternoon, and my good friend Zach Manasian, who was the food and beverage manager, told me that Kennedy wanted to meet me and talk to me, which was an invitation I was honored to accept.

...We decided to skip the dinner at the Ambassador. When we got home, we turned on the TV and saw that Kennedy had been shot.

It was a night of mixed emotions. While I was happy for Big Don (Drysdale), I was sad and angry about the assassination. No matter what your politics are, or which party you align yourself with, an assassination of any elected official, or national leader, is tragic.

Repoz Posted: January 14, 2007 at 05:01 AM | 59 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: dodgers, history

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1. The George Sherrill Selection Posted: January 14, 2007 at 05:22 AM (#2280289)

I wonder if Kennedy wanted to tell Lasorda that he sucked.

2. Kiko Sakata

Posted: January 14, 2007 at 05:26 AM (#2280290)

I was born the day Bobby Kennedy died. I have nothing further to add to this subject - just thought I'd throw that out there.

3. Rich Rifkin I Posted: January 14, 2007 at 05:48 AM (#2280295)

I was born the day Tommy Lasorda swore his head off and ate too much. I have nothing further to add to this subject - just thought I'd throw that out there.

4. Darren

Posted: January 14, 2007 at 05:50 AM (#2280296)

I was born in a crossfire hurricane. I have nothing further to add to this subject - just though I'd let you all know that it's alright now, in fact it's a gas.

5. Dr. Vaux Posted: January 14, 2007 at 06:08 AM (#2280304)

Inside he was chuckling his ### off, the ###.

6. Best Regards, President of Comfort, Esq., LLC Posted: January 14, 2007 at 07:11 AM (#2280319)

I was born on the day Ron Guidry made his first major league start. I have nothing further to add to this subject - just thought I'd throw that out there.

7. The George Sherrill Selection Posted: January 14, 2007 at 07:58 AM (#2280326)

I was born six days after the Red Sox traded Billy McCool to the Royals for Hawk Taylor. I have no idea what this means, and have never heard of either of those players.

8. scareduck Posted: January 14, 2007 at 08:06 AM (#2280327)

All the time, he was probably thinking about how he could get Kennedy to walk into his office naked.

9. Dan The Mediocre is one of "the rest" Posted: January 14, 2007 at 08:07 AM (#2280328)

I was born the day Bobby Kennedy died. I have nothing further to add to this subject - just thought I'd throw that out there.

Maybe you have his reincarnated spirit. Go to a scientologist and see if he can find the memories from your previous life. Maybe you'll be able to tell us if Marilyn Monroe was as good as advertised.

10. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: January 14, 2007 at 08:42 AM (#2280331)

I was born during the Battle of Hastings. I have nothing further to add to this subject - just thought I'd throw that out there. Somebody kill me, please.

11. Law Boy Posted: January 14, 2007 at 08:59 AM (#2280333)

Lasorda is just pissed because he missed a free meal.

12. Roy Hobbs of WIFFLE Ball Posted: January 14, 2007 at 09:34 AM (#2280335)

13. The Adam Dunn Effort #44 Posted: January 14, 2007 at 12:38 PM (#2280338)

Agree with 13. I was born without a silver spoon in my mouth, just thought I'd throw that in there. I have nothing further to add to the subject.

14. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: January 14, 2007 at 12:49 PM (#2280340)

No matter what your politics are, or which party you align yourself with, an assassination of any elected official, or national leader, is tragic.

Joke that was going around back in the 30s...

Every day this Wall Street banker would buy a newspaper from a newsboy, look at the cover, then throw it away. After a couple of weeks of that, finally the newsboy asked him, "What are you doing, mister? Every day you buy the paper, but you just throw it in the trash. What gives?"

"I'm reading the obituaries," replied the banker.

"But the obituaries are on the inside of the paper," noted the newsie.

"The S.O.B. I want dead would have his obit on the front page," growled the banker.

15. AndrewJ Posted: January 14, 2007 at 01:33 PM (#2280345)

A cousin of mine happened to be in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963. I have nothing further to add to this subject - just thought I'd throw that out there.

16. Edmundo got dem ol' Kozma blues again mama

Posted: January 14, 2007 at 02:02 PM (#2280348)

On August 28, 1951, the Braves sell P Johnny Sain to the Yankees for $50,000 and a young pitcher named Lew Burdette. I have nothing further to add to this subject - just thought I'd throw that out there.

17. McCoy Posted: January 14, 2007 at 03:17 PM (#2280365)

It burns when I urinate, and when I have to go I scream "D..amn you Kennedy boys!" I have nothing further to add to this subject - just thought I'd throw that out there.

18. b Posted: January 14, 2007 at 03:18 PM (#2280366)

I was born the day Paul McCartney and Wings released "Live and Let Die". I have plenty more I could add to the subject - this is more than just throwing it out there.

19. Dan The Mediocre is one of "the rest" Posted: January 14, 2007 at 03:26 PM (#2280371)

I have nothing further to add to this subject - just thought I'd throw that out there.

20. CraigK Posted: January 14, 2007 at 03:39 PM (#2280376)

I was born on the day that...uh... ####, nothing happened on that day.

Damn you, February 13, 1987!

21. Boots Day Posted: January 14, 2007 at 03:47 PM (#2280381)

I know Lasorda is the all-time name dropper, but I'm calling ######## on this.

It's not just that there's no absolutely reason why Bobby Kennedy would ask to meet Lasorda. It's also that Lasorda, a pure nobody, was supposedly summoned to meet with one of the most famous and powerful men in America -- and blew him off because his shoes didn't fit right!

This is the bull####iest piece of bull#### that has ever been bull####ed.

22. Howie Menckel Posted: January 14, 2007 at 03:53 PM (#2280384)

"It was a night of mixed emotions. While I was happy for Big Don (Drysdale), I was sad and angry about the assassination. No matter what your politics are, or which party you align yourself with, an assassination of any elected official, or national leader, is tragic."

Scoreless innings streak vs serious contender for the Presidency murdered.
"A night of mixed emotions."

That could inspire a contest, all with the same theme.

"It was a night of mixed emotions. While I was happy for my cat finally getting rid of that hairball once and for all, I was sad and angry about the tsunami that killed 250,000 off the coast of Japan. No matter what your ethnic roots are, or which country you align yourself with, the mass drowning of a quarter-million people in a single wave of water is tragic."

I have nothing further to add to this subject - just thought I'd throw that out there.

23. BDC

Posted: January 14, 2007 at 03:54 PM (#2280385)

Why would Bobby Kennedy have wanted to meet Tommy Lasorda in 1968?

I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.

24. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: January 14, 2007 at 04:08 PM (#2280390)

Hmmm, In 1968 Tommy was managing in Ogden, UT where he led the team to three straight "pennants" in the Pioneer League. The team played 64 games that season. The season typically began the first week of June.

I am not the Google master, but I would imagine an industrious soul could figure out whether Ogden played that day. Or before or after. I seriously doubt that LaSorda could get from Ogden, UT to LA in a day's time with travel being what it was back then.

Just a thought.....

25. Misirlou cut his hair and moved to Rome Posted: January 14, 2007 at 04:40 PM (#2280395)

I seriously doubt that LaSorda could get from Ogden, UT to LA in a day's time with travel being what it was back then.

Actually, it was probably easier in the pre-deregulation days. The Gummint required and subsidized numerous specific profitless city pairings. One of the biggest complaints of pending de-regulation in the late 70's was that one would no longer be able to fly nonstop from Wichita Kansas to Boise Idaho anymore. I'm sure in the 60's there was at least one non-stop between SLC and LAX.

26. Dan The Mediocre is one of "the rest" Posted: January 14, 2007 at 04:49 PM (#2280398)

I am not the Google master, but I would imagine an industrious soul could figure out whether Ogden played that day. Or before or after. I seriously doubt that LaSorda could get from Ogden, UT to LA in a day's time with travel being what it was back then.

I'm trying, but no one seems to have the schedule or results listed anywhere. I'd use Retrosheet, but I can't seem to find minor league games on there.

27. BFFB

Posted: January 14, 2007 at 04:57 PM (#2280401)

He wanted to swap Pasta recipies.

28. Dan The Mediocre is one of "the rest" Posted: January 14, 2007 at 05:03 PM (#2280403)

In a history of Ogden, UT, they talk about the home opener, which came after a 3 day road trip. There is a footnote that attributes it to the June 26 Ogden Standard-Examiner. This is the best evidence I have, which points to a June 21 or June 22 start, but it's too shaky to go on.

29. McCoy Posted: January 14, 2007 at 05:04 PM (#2280404)

If you have paperofrecord just look up the Sporting NEws for the scores or even the schedule.

30. Starring RMc as Bradley Scotchman Posted: January 14, 2007 at 05:30 PM (#2280409)

I stood in the front row of the ballpark with the "ceremonial first pitch" ball in my hand. Just thought I'd throw it out there.

Incidentally, the 1968 Odgen Dodgers won the pennant by half a game...because they played one more game than did the Idaho Falls Angels. Conspiracy?

31. Captain Joe Bivens, Pointless and Wonderful Posted: January 14, 2007 at 05:40 PM (#2280412)

I bet Tommy LaSorda never even met Sandy Koufax.

32. AndrewJ Posted: January 14, 2007 at 05:57 PM (#2280417)

"It was a night of mixed emotions. While I was happy for Big Don (Drysdale), I was sad and angry about the assassination.

That's the best contrast I've seen since this line of dialogue spoken by the unfairly cute Kate Beckinsale in Pearl Harbor:

"Rafe, I'm pregnant... I didn't even know until the day you turned up alive... and then all this* happened..."

*"This," of course, being the deaths of 2,403 US servicemen and 68 civilians, whom we're asked to believe perished on the morning of December 7, 1941 so that Beckinsale and Ben Affleck could have a "meet-cute."

33. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: January 14, 2007 at 07:02 PM (#2280438)

"well that puts a damper on even a Yankee win"

34. AndrewJ Posted: January 14, 2007 at 07:18 PM (#2280445)

#38 is worthy of a Primey.

35. knucklehead7 Posted: January 15, 2007 at 12:31 AM (#2280497)

In a history of Ogden, UT, they talk about the home opener, which came after a 3 day road trip. There is a footnote that attributes it to the June 26 Ogden Standard-Examiner. This is the best evidence I have, which points to a June 21 or June 22 start, but it's too shaky to go on.

That's probably really accurate.

Thissite indicates that the '66 season started on June 25 and the '67 season on the 22nd. I don't see a date for the '68 season, but there is a story about Lasorda teaching Bobby Valentine how to grow chest hair.

36. John (You Can Call Me Grandma) Murphy Posted: January 15, 2007 at 12:58 AM (#2280502)

but there is a story about Lasorda teaching Bobby Valentine how to grow chest hair.

How? By lycanthropy?

37. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: January 15, 2007 at 01:33 AM (#2280506)

Fabulous link, knucklehead7, and kudos to the historian.

How? By lycanthropy?

Well, seeing as it was Lasorda, it would come as little surprise to you to hear that lipids were prescribed.

38. JMM Posted: January 15, 2007 at 01:42 AM (#2280512)

but there is a story about Lasorda teaching Bobby Valentine how to grow chest hair.

See, it's things like this that made Tommy Jr. a homo.

39. Len Lansford, Carney Barker Posted: January 15, 2007 at 02:24 AM (#2280524)

I share a birthday with Mark Wohlers, Alan Embree, Reggie Ritter and.... Charlie Spikes. I have no better talent to add to this subject - just thought I'd throw that out there.

40. AndrewJ Posted: January 15, 2007 at 02:37 AM (#2280526)

In August 1997 my great-aunt and (now deceased) great-uncle were visiting Paris. Late one evening they were driving back to their hotel when they came across police cars at the entrance to a tunnel -- a gendarnme quickly motioned them away. The next morning when they saw the wall-to-wall TV coverage, they realized they'd been passing by the wreckage of Princess Diana and Dodi's car only minutes after the crash.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

41. 185/456(GGC) Posted: January 15, 2007 at 02:41 AM (#2280529)

The day that I was born: Victor Neiderhoffer, who later became a lieutenant of George Soros, made a pile of money, wrote a book about how good he was, then lost the money, won the national squash championship with a partner.

Bo Belinsky left the Astros training camp because they wouldn't let him stay out until 3 AM with Jo Collins; a former Playmate of the Year. They wound up suspending him, then shuffling him off to the White Sox. But Bo got the bunny and they lived happily... until 1975, when they divorced.

Dan Sikes pulled away Jack Nicklaus on Sunday with a 66 to pick up the $23,000 winner’s check at the Citrus Open in the shadow of the under construction Walt Disney World in Orlando.

The My Lai massacre took place the day before; although no one outside of the villagers or the boys in Charlie Company knew about it yet.

42. 185/456(GGC) Posted: January 15, 2007 at 02:46 AM (#2280530)

Collins had a part in some movie called Sergeant Dead Head. Just thought that I'd throw that out.

I wonder if that's where the Dead fans got their name from.

43. knucklehead7 Posted: January 15, 2007 at 02:46 AM (#2280531)

I think Lasorda has some other things a little off as well. Drysdale didn't pitch on the evening of June 5th(or June 6th for that matter).

June 5th

June 6th

44. Andere Richtingen

Posted: January 15, 2007 at 02:49 AM (#2280532)

I sold drugs to Tommy LaSorda in the early 1980s.

Okay, I worked in a pharmacy in the city where he lived, but still...

45. knucklehead7 Posted: January 15, 2007 at 02:59 AM (#2280534)

I think Lasorda meant the 4th which makes more sense for the timeline. I can see how he got the dates mixed up, my bad.

46. Dan The Mediocre is one of "the rest" Posted: January 15, 2007 at 04:28 AM (#2280549)

I think Lasorda meant the 4th which makes more sense for the timeline. I can see how he got the dates mixed up, my bad.

You knucklehead!

47. JMM Posted: January 15, 2007 at 05:13 AM (#2280560)

On the day I was born, the Universal Postal Union decides to recognize the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate Chinese representative, effectively expelling the Republic of China administering Taiwan.

Yes, I did just cut and paste that.

48. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: January 15, 2007 at 02:55 PM (#2280617)

So a man who worked in Ogden, UT just happened to be in LA at the scene of the crime, but earlier in the day. A man who has never missed a meal decided to skip dinner because his shoes pinched his feet.

Everyone knows that the Nixon presidency was particularly trying on Walt Alston, causing him to retire at the age of 64.

Sirhan now has his reasonable doubt.

49. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: January 15, 2007 at 03:09 PM (#2280623)

Why would Bobby Kennedy have wanted to meet Tommy Lasorda in 1968? The guy was a nobody at that time. A crap pitcher with an 0-4 career record that didn't begin his wildly successful Pacific Coast League managing career until the following season. I know Lasorda is the all-time name dropper, but I'm calling ######## on this.

Why is this so hard to believe? Presidential candidates always meet with middling relievers before they kick their campaign into high gear. Haven't you heard about Barack Obama's meeting next week with Rich Garces? Or John McCain's meeting with Mike Trombley? Surely you've seen the publicity surrounding the Clinton-Alan Mills meet-up?

50. and Posted: January 15, 2007 at 03:11 PM (#2280625)

I'm pretty sure Bobby had been tipped and was looking for a shield. Even in 68, Lasorda's cross section was substantial.

51. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: January 15, 2007 at 03:13 PM (#2280626)

Also, I was born on the day the Braves signed Bob Horner. I have nothing further to add to the subject, just thought I'd throw that out there.

52. Repoz

Posted: January 16, 2007 at 02:35 AM (#2280940)

Looks like you smartasses sorta made the L.A. Times...sorta.

...just thought I'd throw that out there.

53. 185/456(GGC) Posted: January 16, 2007 at 02:42 AM (#2280943)

Looks like you smartasses sorta made the L.A. Times...sorta.

...just thought I'd throw that out there.

Damn, I was hopign that would be about my reminiscing about Victor Neiderhoffer.

Tony C hit a Spring Training homerun on my birthday, but his comeback attempt would have to wait another year. Just thought that I'd mention that.

54. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: January 16, 2007 at 02:53 AM (#2280945)

Repoz:

Funny. Gracias.

One thing that has me wondering is Tommy's political affiliation in 1968. See, back in the 60's there was a significant transition of Democrats to Republicans. Early in the 60's it was Southern Dems who felt betrayed by Lyndon Johnson over civil rights. But later in Hollywood big names moved from the Democratic to the Republican party. Guys like Ronald Reagan and Frank Sinatra started out as believers in the New Deal but over time changed their views.

I wonder if LaSorda was one who changed his loyalties? If so, it's POSSIBLE that in 1968 he was still a nominal Dem. And therefore it's POSSIBLE that because of his various LA connections might have had a minute in Senator Kennedy's company.

I don't know. Just trying to give the codger the benefit of the doubt. My memory fails me regularly so I am reluctant to cast too many stones.

Still can't get past the fact that he managed in Ogden, UT that year. Even if the season didn't start until later he would have been busy prepping. The Dodgers were one of the most organized clubs in baseball at the time. They had a plan for EVERYTHING.

55. Boots Day Posted: January 16, 2007 at 05:56 PM (#2281241)

Haven't you heard about Barack Obama's meeting next week with Rich Garces? Or John McCain's meeting with Mike Trombley?

And Mike Crudale.

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MLBlogs: Lasorda: Bobby Kennedy

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