Top Ten Tommy Moments 4 The Nose

In this new series, we will be celebrating the life and times of Tommy Lasorda. The man we consider as the most passionate Dodger ever. This series of articles are a tribute to our site namesake, and a celebration of all things Tommy Lasorda, as we declare this week, Tommy Lasorda Appreciation week. From the immortal question, to his rivalry with the nose, to his legendary run as manager, these are our top ten Tommy moments of all time. We honor the man the myth the legend, Tommy Lasorda.

Tommy Lasorda-Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Tommy once said that opinions were like noses, and everyone had one. Well one man nicknamed the nose had an opinion that caught the frustration of Lasorda many years ago. The man wrote for the New York Daily news, and his nickname was “The Nose”.

The Dodgers were playing a series in New York against the Mets, sometime in the early 1980’s. During the series, Tommy had a run-in with a columnist for the New York Daily News nicknamed “The Nose”. The Nose criticized Tommy for his penchant of hugging his players, and showing too much emotion on the field when the Dodgers won. This is something Tommy especially loved to do. He felt it made him closer to his players. Tommy deeply cared for each and every Dodger player who played for him, and put on a Blue uniform. That’s called passion.

Lasorda harshly lashed back at the columnist. His response was the stuff legends are made of. It makes me proud to be a Dodger fan. Nobody can stiffen Tommy’s Blue passion. Anyone who tries will feel his wrath. Listen below to Tommy’s response to the Nose’s comments. Once again, please be warned this recording contains a lot of profanity, so if that bothers you please don’t click play. I have also included the transcript below. (sound bite from Hark.com) This comes in as the number four Tommy moment of all time.

Lasorda: I’m happy, I’m grateful, I’m proud, I’m the happiest son of a bleep in the world. And that son of a bleep who writes under that Daily News, that bleeping guy they call the bleeping Nose, who say’s that bleep me jumping up and down is horsebleep. You ought to let him feel like I have. Who in the bleep is that bleepsucker anyway? (laughter from reporters) Some bleeping guy who writes for the New York Daily News called the bleeping Nose, he says ‘Lasorda jumping up and down’. That’s the bleeping way I feel when my team wins. And if I bleeping want to jump up and down when my bleeping team wins, and if I want to hug my bleeping players when they bleeping do good, I’m going to do it. I don’t give a bleep what the bleeping Nose says!

"“Opinions are like nose, everyone has one”"