Former Dodger manager and late MLB hall-of-famer Tommy Lasorda will be honored through a stretch of the I-5 freeway in Orange County.

The sign for the Tommy Lasorda Memorial Highway will be unveiled Saturday, March 4, during the West Fullerton Little League opening day, with a ceremony featuring Lasorda family members and former Dodgers who played under Lasorda’s management.

“Fullerton held a very special place in Tommy’s heart, and we know how proud he would be to be standing here today,” Stan Kasten, President & CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers said in a statement.


While Lasorda spent much of his life in Los Angeles and coined the phrase to “bleed Dodger blue,” he also called Fullerton his “second home.”

Lasorda was beloved in the city, so much so that Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, who represents the 67th district via Orange County, presented the bill for the highway tribute.

“Tommy Lasorda embodied the spirit and love of the game of baseball, dedicating his life to the game by managing one of the most successful baseball franchises and encouraging the success of his players,” Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva said in a press release, Thursday. “It was Lasorda’s humanitarianism and spirit of goodwill towards kids everywhere that made him a legend. Because of Tommy Lasorda’s generosity to provide opportunities for kids, it is only fitting that we celebrate his recognition at the West Fullerton Little League Opening Day. He was an icon; a generous humanitarian with a boundless enthusiasm. I thank the Dodgers organization for working with my office and the state of California to honor a Dodger hero.”

The sign will be visible before the Lincoln Avenue southbound exit and the Ball Road northbound exit, which passes through the city of Anaheim.

Lasorda died in 2021 at the age of 93 and was survived by his wife Jo (who later died in September 2021), daughter Laura and god daughter Emily Tess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.