Phillies

Today in Sports History: Tommy Lasorda vs. the Phillie Phanatic

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Aug 28th, 2020 · 9:25 AM EDT

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Ali vs. Frazier.

Federer vs. Nadal.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.

Sporting history has graced us with some amazing 1v1 battles. High on the list is Norristown native Tommy Lasorda vs. the Phillie Phanatic, and would you believe it, this video clip was filmed 32 years ago today:

Today In 1988: Los Angeles #Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda fights the Phillie Phanatic! #MLB #Phillies #Baseball #History pic.twitter.com/gKsPh5ITBq

— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) August 28, 2020

Classic.

Lasorda, who will turn 93 years old next month, said this about the incident years later:

“I was always upset about him always taking my shirt and putting it on some dummy and then running over it. I didn’t particularly like that, and I told him. I said, ‘I don’t want you to do that anymore.’ The next time I saw him he still put my shirt on, so I went after him and I bopped him down a little bit. And I said, ‘If there weren’t all these people here I’d really rip ya.'”

I believe it, too. I do believe Tommy Lasorda would have really let the Phanatic have it if children were not present at Veterans Stadium that day. In his book, he wrote that he hates the Phillie Phanatic and thinks that mascots take away from the game on the field, so there you go. He just was not a fan of the furry green guy.