Today I was inducted into the Ciuban Sports Hall of Fame.  This enshrinement marked my 16th Hall.  I played in Cuba in the 1950's for Almendares and Marianao.  I loved it then, and I love the Cuban people.

Here is the news release the Dodgers put out:

LASORDA TO BE INDUCTED INTO

CUBAN SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Induction tomorrow marks Lasorda's 16th Hall of Fame

LOS ANGELES - Hall of Fame Manager and Special Advisor to the Chairman Tommy Lasorda will be inducted into the Cuban Sports Hall of Fame tomorrow.  The induction ceremony will take place in Miami, Florida during a special ceremony.  The ceremony begins at 12:00 p.m. and will be held at the Big Five Club at 600 SW 92nd Avenue, Miami, FL. 

"I am very proud to be inducted into the Cuban Sports Hall of Fame," said Lasorda. "I loved my time in Cuba and am very fond of the Cuban people.  They are very passionate about their baseball and I was so proud to be a part of it."

Lasorda played in Cuba as a left-handed pitcher during the 1950s during Winter Ball.  He played for Almendares and Marianao and saw the Cuban government change hands twice. In 1952 he saw Fulgencio Batista overthrow Carlos Prio Socarrás and in 1959 he saw Fidel Castro overthrow Batista.  

This enshrinement marks Lasorda's 16th Hall of Fame.  Most recently, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame on November 12.  Last summer he was inducted into the Brooklyn Baseball Hall of Fame, the Inland Empire 66ers Hall of Fame and the Ogden Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.  He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on August 3, 1997 after managing the Dodgers for 20 years winning eight division titles, four National League pennants and two World Series championships (1981, 88). 

Lasorda has also been inducted into the Pacific Coast League HOF (2006), Canadian Baseball HOF (2006), Italian American Sports HOF (1989), California Sports HOF (2006), Montgomery County Coaches HOF (2002), South Atlantic League HOF (2001), Albuquerque Baseball HOF (2007), Louisiana Italian American HOF (1985), Cleveland Italian American HOF, Rhode Island Italian American HOF and the Philadelphia Sports HOF (2009). 

The Cuban Sports Hall of Fame houses athletes and executives from many sports.  Also enshrined in the Cuban Sports HOF are Special Advisor to the General Manager, Latin American Operations Ralph Avila (1996) and Dodger scout Mike Brito (2005).

The two-time defending National League West Division Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, pioneers in sport and world culture, have won more games, more pennants, and more World Series than any other club in the National League since moving to Los Angeles.  Since the start of the modern era in baseball, the Dodgers of Brooklyn and Los Angeles, combined, have a cumulative attendance of more than 184 million, the highest total in the history of baseball or any other sport.

Visit the Dodgers on the Internet at www.dodgers.com.

I love the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.  It is an outstanding foundation that does a lot of good for a lot of people, as well as preserving the heritage of the Italian American culture, a culture that was built on love of God, love of country and love of family. 

It honors excellence and perseverence, and I am proud ot be here in Chicago this weekend to support it.

Here is some history about the IASHOF:

In 1977, George Randazzo founded the Italian American Boxing Hall of Fame as a way to raise money for a struggling local Catholic youth program. Randazzo collected boxing photos and memorabilia, a hobby that inspired him to organize a fundraising dinner that brought together a list of boxing greats and celebrities. The dinner honored twenty-three former Italian American boxing world champions, including Rocky Graziano, Jake LaMotta, Sammy Angott, Willie Pep, and posthumously Rocky Marciano, Primo Carnera and Tony Canzoneri.

The results were so overwhelming that a friend and local businessman, Don Ponte, encouraged Randazzo to start a Hall of Fame to honor all Italian American athletes. One year later, the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame was founded as a non-profit, educational institution. The first induction ceremony and banquet was a star-studded event, as the Hall of Fame honored Lou Ambers, Eddie Arcaro, Charlie Trippi, Gino Marchetti, Dom DiMaggio and "The Yankee Clipper," Joe DiMaggio. Mrs. Vince Lombardi also accepted the posthumous induction of her late husband, Coach Vince Lombardi.

In the years that followed, celebrities from all walks of life have come to the annual induction ceremonies to pay tribute to outstanding Italian American sports champions and heroes. A special and uninvited guest took part in the 1980 induction ceremony, as Prisident Jimmy Carter offered his congratulations and addressed the crowd. In 1988 the Hall of Fame moved from its original headquarters in Elmwood Park to Arlington Heights.

The NIASHF enjoyed a new beginning in 1998 with the help of Phoenix Suns Chairman/CEO Jerry Colangelo. A 1994 Inductee and Chicago Heights native, Colangelo was asked by Randazzo to serve as Chairman of an ambitious new Hall of Fame building project in the heart of Chicago's Little Italy. Colangelo accepted, and has succeeded in bringing together civic-minded men and women from across the country in support of the project. In 2000 the new facility was dedicated as "The Jerry Colangelo Center," a tribute to his efforts and leadership.

There are now over 200 inductees enshrined in the Hall of Fame. To date, the organization has raised over 6 million for scholarships and charitable causes. In 27 years, the collection of sports memorabilia the Hall has amassed is second to none. The priceless artifacts include Mario Andretti's Indy 500 racecar, Rocky Marciano's first heavyweight championship belt, Vince Lombardi's last coat worn as coach of the Green Bay Packers, and swimmer Matt Biondi's Olympic Gold Medals.

Congratulations to Carl Erskine, one of the Boys of Summer, one of the greatest Dodgers of them all!

News Release

For immediate release

Editor's note: A ceremony to honor Carl Erskine is planned for the south atrium of the Indiana State House on March 2 at 11:30 a.m. Governor Daniels will lead the ceremony. 

Carl Erskine to receive 2010 Sachem Award

INDIANAPOLIS (February 26, 2010) - Governor Mitch Daniels will honor civic leader and legendary baseball player Carl D. Erskine of Anderson with the 2010 Sachem Award, the state's highest honor, at a ceremony next week. 

"As big a thrill as it is to give this award to one of my childhood sports heroes, it's not Carl's baseball career, it's the totality of the life he has lived, that made him a Sachem," said Daniels.  "Taken together, his character, his faith, his integrity in business, his marriage and his devotion to his community mark him as a great man and the kind of person we want our children to emulate."

The Sachem is given annually to recognize a lifetime of excellence and moral virtue that has brought credit and honor to Indiana. Previous recipients include college basketball coaching legend John Wooden, the Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame and world statesman, philanthropist Jane Blaffer Owen, gospel music singing and songwriting pioneers Bill and Gloria Gaither and businessman and civic leader Danny Danielson.

"Most of us who have 'so called' achieved anything in life are merely the end result of good mentoring. Most teachers, coaches and parents got more out of me than I thought I had in me.  I am overwhelmed," said Erskine.

Erskine, 83, was a pitcher for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers and member of the famous Boys of Summer teams in the 1950's.  During his career he accumulated 122 wins, pitched in five World Series, made the National League All-Star team, and threw two no-hitters.  After retiring from baseball at the age of 32, Erskine returned to his hometown of Anderson where he started a business and began a career in banking and community leadership that continues to this day.

Born and raised in Anderson, Erskine learned to play the game he loved in local park baseball programs and with his father and older brothers.  After graduation from Anderson High School in 1945, Erskine was drafted and served in the U.S. Navy during the closing months of World War II.  While in the Navy, he was scouted by the Dodgers and, upon his discharge, spent a year and a half in the minor leagues before making his major league debut in 1948.

Erskine, or "Oisk" as he was affectionately nicknamed, became the team's starting pitcher in 1951, playing alongside Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Preacher Row, Duke Snider and Carl Furillo.  He was a part of teams that won five National League pennants as well as the 1955 World Series.

"Carl Erskine is class personified.  Not only was he a great pitcher, he is a great person, which is why you live your life.  I played with Carl, and I've admired him for many years.  He's the best," said former Dodger teammate Tommy Lasorda, who is expected to attend the ceremony.

Today, Erskine is most known for his community involvement, advocacy and civic leadership. After starting his own insurance business, he later served as president and director of Star Financial Bank. Outside the office, he spent 12 years coaching the Anderson University baseball team, winning four conference championships. He also has served as a member of the board of trustees of Anderson University, St. John's Medical Center, Fellowship of Christian Athletes among other civic organizations.  His greatest contributions have been through his more than 40 years of service as a volunteer with the Special Olympics and as a supporter of the Hopewell Center, a not-for-profit agency that serves persons with developmental difficulties.

Erskine's contributions to the Anderson community are evident throughout the city.  At St. John's Medical Center, the Carl D. Erskine Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Center stands along with a bronze statue erected in his honor. The city also built Erskine Elementary on property he donated to the Anderson Community School System and the Carl D. Erskine Award of Excellence annually honors an outstanding member of the Anderson University baseball team.

In 1979, Erskine was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame.  He shares the Sachem with his wife Betty, to whom he has been married since 1947, and to whom he credits with all of his success. They have four children, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Sachem (Say-chum) background:

In 1970, Governor Edgar D. Whitcomb introduced the "Confederacy of the Sachem," a group of business, industry, publishing, banking and legal leaders, who served as state hosts, welcoming visitors to Indiana and promoting the state's culture and economy. The organization's name came from the Algonquin term applied to village leaders, implying wisdom, judgment and grace.

Bylaws outlined that Sachems were to nominate and recommend Sagamore appointments to the governor. The Sagamore of the Wabash dates to the term of Indiana Governor Ralph Gates in 1945 and has been the state's highest honor bestowed by the governor.

Following Whitcomb's term, the Sachem project was not pursued, and the organization dissolved in 1989. Whitcomb visited Daniels in 2005 to acquaint him with the concept and to give him custody of remaining Sachem funds. Governor Daniels recreated the Sachem to underscore the importance of moral example; achievement alone without exemplary virtue does not qualify a person for this recognition.

Each Sachem honoree receives a specially-designed sculpture that captures the Native American heritage of the Sachem. All Sachem recipients will be selected by Indiana's governor.

For additional background information on Carl D. Erskine, contact our office. A digital photo of the Sachem sculpture may be found at: http://www.in.gov/gov/uploads/Sachem_award.jpg.

Photos of Erskine are available here: http://www.carlerskine.com/photo.htm.

Congratulations to coach Bob Zamora of Capistrano Valley High School and coach Manny Alvarado of Kennedy High School for winning the Tommy Lasorda Lifetime Achievement Award.

Last night, the Dodgers partnered with Farmers Insurance and the C.I.F. to host a reception for local high school baseball coaches. I'd like to thank Farmers for all their support as this event is one of my yearly favorites.

High school baesball coaches are the unsung heroes.  Not only are they responsible for teaching the game of baseball, they are are also responsible for helping to prepare their young players for college, and for the game of life.

Coach Zamora and coach Alvarado have done just that.  Zamora enters his 33rd season as head coach of Capistrano Valley with an overall record of 582-274-5, guiding the Cougars to 15 South Coast League titles and six C.I.F. championships. In 2009, he guided Capistrano Valley to a No. 1 ranking in California by MaxPreps Sports and a C.I.F. title. Under his leadership, 30 Capistrano Valley alumni have been drafted and signed by professional teams, while over 100 have played in the collegiate ranks.

Alvarado enters his 22nd year as head coach at John F. Kennedy High School, having won more than 400 games, more than a dozen league titles and five city championships. His teams have been recognized at both the state and national levels, finishing the 1996 season ranked No. 1 in California. Alvarado has coached numerous players who have gone on to play in the Major Leagues including Jon Garland, Garret Anderson and Terrmel Sledge.

Congratulations guys, and keep up the good work.

I had lunch the other day with the guys from Fire Station 11 in Downtown Los Angeles.

I know fire fighters have red trucks and wear yellow suits when they are out on calls, but these guys bleed Dodger Blue.

It was an honor to be invited to lunch, and while many of them look up to ball players, it is they who are the real heroes in our society.  They put their lives on line for our safety, and none of us can do enough to show our appreciation for their service and sacrifice.

Here are some pictures from our lunch together:

Congratulations to Whitey Herzog and Doug Harvey for being voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee on Manager and Umpires.  Both Whitey and Doug are very deserving of this honor as both men had distinguished careers and represented themselves to the highest degree of class, dignity and character.  Both men loved the game very much and spent their lives giving back to the game that gave so much to them.

Congratulations Whitey and Doug.  I'll see you in Cooperstown.

Congratulations to Mike Scioscia and Jim Tracy for winning the AL and NL Manager of the Year Award.  I won the AP Manager of the Year award three times ('77, '81, '83), and the BBWAA NL Manager of the Year award twice ('83 and '88).

Here are some pictures of Mike and Jim from their Dodger days:

My Godson, Paul Mainieri, is the head coach at LSU.  He is an outstanding baseball coach, and fter reading the article below I konw he is setting up his program from many years of success.

LSU Reloads Again

Tigers' recruiting class stands out

By Aaron Fitt of Baseball America
November 19, 2009

Dan Canevari knows a little something about recruiting in the wake of a national championship. As an assistant under Skip Bertman, Canevari hit the recruiting trail shortly after Louisiana State won titles in 1997 and 2000. So he knew exactly what was in store for LSU recruiting coordinator David Grewe after the Tigers won their sixth national championship in June.

"He came into my office and said, 'Hey, it's a lot harder this year, isn't it?' " Grewe said. "I said, 'Yeah, it's way harder.' "

Conventional thinking suggests recruits should be knocking down the door after teams win the College World Series. Grewe said the reality is much different.

"A lot of coaches used it against us: 'If you go to LSU you're not going to play. Have you seen their team? They're stacked,' " he said. "So I had to work harder to make kids understand where our program is at. This is the next phase of our program. This class will keep LSU at the elite level. After we won the national championship, I said, 'We have got to meet every single need. We've got to recruit the best players in the country so they know we can win the national championship here and they know we're turning to a new era here.' "

That message has been delivered loud and clear. Louisiana State was perhaps the biggest winner from the early signing period, which began Nov. 11 and ended yesterday. The Tigers officially signed five members of Baseball America's Top 100 prospects from the high school class of 2010, and they'll have a sixth when the football team announces the commitment of two-sport star Zach Lee (No. 50).

Add in athletic outfielder Marcus Davis, who just missed the Top 100 cut; promising righthanders Josh Burris, Kurt McCune, and Ryan Eades; and physical two-way talent Kevin Koziol, and LSU's class has the kind of quality depth that could rival its watershed 2007 crop. That class--head coach Paul Mainieri's first in Baton Rouge--ranked second in the nation and served as the foundation for two Omaha teams.

"With the rules they have today, you can't have cornerstone classes that take your program to the next level every year," Grewe said. "The last two years have been good classes with several impact players, but this is the next group of LSU players. I personally think it's as good as anybody in the country could have gotten."

Of course, there is always risk when signing elite talents, a lesson that was reinforced this summer when top recruits Slade Heathcott, Zack Von Rosenberg and Brody Colvin signed pro contracts for a combined $4.1 million, decimating LSU's recruiting class.

But Grewe said he feels good about LSU's chances to sneak most of the players in this class through the draft and onto campus. It helps that the two highest-ranked players in the group--flamethrower Kevin Gausman (No. 7) and multi-talented infielder Garin Cecchini (15)--would both be draft-eligible as sophomores at LSU. It's worth noting that the highest-drafted high player to attend college in 2009--Rangers first-rounder Matt Purke--will be draft-eligible as a sophomore at Texas Christian.

"If they get $2 million out of high school, I'll tell them to take it," Grewe said. "But I'll try to convince them, 'Hey, do you want to spend two years in minor league baseball or two years of minor league baseball at LSU?' "

But even if the Tigers lose Gausman and Cecchini, their class should not lack for star power. Cam Bedrosian (28), the son of former big leaguer Steve Bedrosian, can reach 94 and throws a power breaking ball, but his control is still a work in progress. Smooth-swinging shortstop Jacoby Jones (38) has a skill set that evokes former LSU star D.J. LeMahieu, but he could be hampered in the spring by arm and labrum injuries suffered in football. And Austin Southall (81), a Baton Rouge native, gives this class a physical, powerful corner bat.

One thing they all have in common is that they're all big-time LSU fans.

"We're going to fill our team with players who want to be here and won't worry about what position they play and where they bat in the lineup," Grewe said. "I think that's why last year's team won a national championship--those were 35 kids that were diehard LSU boys.

"I'll spend more time recruiting these kids now that they've signed with us than I will all the (high school underclassmen). We'll educate the young kids, but we won't mass recruit all the young kids. These kids are the ones I'll spend the majority of our time recruiting, because they're the future of LSU baseball."

Tonight Larry Bowa and I will be inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.  I would like to congratulate Larry on this great honor, and I would like to thank all the people who made this possible.

I grew up in Norristown, PA, which is just outstide of Philadelphia.  I'll never forget going to Shibe Park for the first time to watch an actual Major League game.  I found out that the nuns were going to take the local crossing gaurds to see a Phillies game so I became a crossing gaurd.

I stood out in the cold snow, sleet and hail to help kids cross the street.  Finally we go to the game and we saw the Phillies play the New York Giants.  The nuns took five of us.  I bought a program for 10c.  Can you imagine a program costing only ten cents? 

I also made up a book for autgraphs.  In the old Shibe Park there was a twenty foot stretch where the visiting team players would have to walk with the fans to get back to the clubhouse.  I asked one player for his autograph and he pushed me out of the way. 

I was heartbroken.  Major Leaguers were my heroes.

I looked up his number in the program and read his name: Buster Maynard.

Years later I was pitching in Sally League in South Carolina and the PA announcer said the next batter's name: Buster Maynard.

That's the rat who pushed me out of the way and wouldn't give me an autograph!

He stepped into the box and with the first pitch I dumped him.  He got up, brushed himself off and got back in the box.  I dumped him again.  He yelled at me to stop throwing at him, and with the third pitch he went down again, but this time when he got up he came charging out after me.

I cleaned his plow in the free-for-all.

After the game was over someone came to our clubhouse asking for Tom Lasorda.  I wanted to know who it was and the person identified himself as Buster Maynard.  I told him that I cleaned his plow on the field and that I'd do it again.  But he didn't want to fight.  He just wanted to know why I was throwing at him.

I told him the story, and he couldn't believe it.  When I became the manager of the Dodgers I would tell my players the same story about old Buster with the moral being that if a kid asks for your autograph you better sign it because he may grow up and come back to get you.