Piazza: ‘Tommy was the one person who believed in me’

Mike Piazza fondly recalled his biggest believer Friday.

The Hall of Fame catcher expressed his sorrow following the death of Tommy Lasorda, his first MLB manager and a close family friend. Lasorda, 93, had battled various illnesses in recent years.

“Tommy took a chance on me and went to bat for me time and time again,” Piazza wrote on Twitter. “In a room full of doubters, Tommy was the one person who believed in me.”

At the behest of Lasorda, the godfather of Piazza’s brother, the Dodgers selected Piazza in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft. Piazza beat the odds and became a star, eventually landing with the Mets, where he emerged among the most recognizable players in franchise history.

“[Lasorda] taught me a lot about the game, but most importantly about life,” Piazza wrote. “My love and utmost appreciation for Tommy Lasorda is deeper than baseball. He was an inspiration to so many and I know I am lucky to have had that opportunity to spend so much time with him.”

Bobby V will miss mentor

Bobby Valentine remembered Tommy Lasorda’s joy. He remembered his passion and fire. His outgoing personality and everyman temperament.

Most of all, on the day the world found out that the legendary Dodgers manager passed away at the age of 93, he fondly thought back to this past Oct. 28. It was that night Lasorda’s Dodgers won the World Series — their first crown since Lasorda managed them to the title 32 years earlier — and he was there to soak it all in.

“I don’t know how that chapter could’ve been written any better, and the Dodgers did what they needed to do, they got Tommy to stand up on his own when the last out was made, put his hands up over his head and say, ‘We did it,’ ” Valentine, the former Mets, Rangers and Red Sox manager who now serves as the Sacred Heart University athletic director, said over Zoom on Friday. “It was very special.”

Lasorda, a mentor to Valentine, was in attendance at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and so were some former Dodgers players, guys like Eric Karros and Rick Honeycutt. Lasorda, who led the Dodgers to two world championships, four National League pennants and eight division titles in 20 seasons, was able to fly to the game on friend Warren Lichtenstein’s private plane. Everyone got tested for COVD-19 before entering the suite, and the Dodgers prevailed, making it an unforgettable night.

“It was an amazing situation,” Valentine said.