LOS ANGELES, CA – 1980: Baseball Hall of Fame player and manager, Tommy Lasorda, poses during a 1980 Los Angeles, California, photo portrait session at Dodger Stadium. Lasorda managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1976 to 1996. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
Former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda died Thursday at the age of 93 and was mourned across baseball and beyond.
In a statement released Friday, former President George W. Bush said that he and his life Laura are saddened by Lasorda's death.
"The baseball great was full of life throughout his 93 remarkable years," Bush said. "He was a good player, a smart manager, and a fine ambassador for our National pastime."
Lasorda managed the Dodgers from 1976-96. He most recently served as advisor to the Dodgers during his 71 years of service to the franchise.
"I'll never forget his energy leading his beloved Dodgers - or stepping in as third base coach for a tee ball game on the South Lawn of the White House," Bush said. "I believe he loved only his country, his wife Jo, and his family more than baseball."
