A couple of weeks ago we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Hal McRae’s famous meltdown and the 30th anniversary of Lee Elia’s rant against the Cubs fans. Let’s mark the third in the Holy Trinity of Manager Meltdowns: 35 years ago today, someone asked Tommy Lasorda what he “thought of Kingman’s performance” after Dave Kingman hit three homers and drove in eight against the Dodgers. Tommy:
Audio of it -- and it is unedited and, of course, profanity-laced, can be heard here. If you play it at work and get fired it’s all on you.
“What’s my opinion of Kingman’s performance?” Lasorda said. “What the (expletive) do you think my opinion is of it? I think it was (expletive). Put that in. I don’t (expletive) care. What’s my opinion of his performance? (expletive). He beat us with three (expletive) home runs.
“What the (expletive) do you mean, ‘What is my opinion of his performance?’ How can you ask me a question like that? I’m (expletive) off to lose a (expletive) game, and you ask me my opinion of his performance?”
Audio of it -- and it is unedited and, of course, profanity-laced, can be heard here. If you play it at work and get fired it’s all on you.
A few years ago Lasorda gave his reaction to the fame his comments soon acquired. Even Burt Reynolds thought it was great. And in 1978, what Burt Reynolds thought about things mattered.
