Tommy Lasorda Comes To Washington

Today they hung Tommy Lasorda in the National Portrait Gallery, and if you can believe it, the portrait is bigger than he is.  It was a wonderful event for a wonderful guy, who is a true American hero and one of our most inspirational leaders.

This was a totally non-Washington event.  Admiral Mullen (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for those of you in Rio Linda), a personal friend (Tommy went to Iraq with him, an event that almost brought Tommy, recalling it, to tears), was there, but for the most part it was Italians from Pennsylvania (family mostly) and baseball people, including the commissioner.

During the tributes to Tommy, one of his most famous slogans was quoted, and it’s so good we should all memorize it:

There are three kinds of people.

Those who make things happen;

Those who watch things happen;

And those who wonder what happened.

Tonight we went to the ballgame with him, and I was reminded once again that just being with Tommy Lasorda is a treat and an honor.  Even for a Yankee fan, ahem.