Dodgers Legend Tommy Lasorda Faces Backlash After Suggesting V. Stiviano Should Be 'Hit With A Car'
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Former Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda continues to face a backlash Thursday after suggesting earlier this week that V. Stiviano, the woman in the middle of the Donald Sterling controversy, should be "hit with a car."
Some of the people Lasorda angered, in fact, are asking the Dodgers organization to cut all ties with the legend.
He made the comments to a Florida TV station.
Lasorda and Clippers owner Donald Sterling are longtime friends. About his friend he said, "He hurt himself. By talking too much."
But it was something that Lasorda said to that TV station that has raised some eyebrows.
"I don't wish that girl any bad luck," Lasorda said, matter of fact, "but I hope she gets hit with a car."
Even some longtime Lasorda fans were upset.
Terry Cannon, executive director of the Baseball Reliquary, said, "I was really startled to hear his comments."
Startled enough reports Juan Fernandez for KCAL9, that Cannon wrote an op-ed piece for the LA Daily News calling for the Dodgers to drop Lasorda.
"Those kinds of public comments by an official of a storied franchise like the Dodgers is beyond reprehensible. They're almost the kind of comments you'd expect to come from a lunatic," Cannon said.
At best, Cannon thinks the team will give Lasorda a simple slap on the wrist -- unless it starts to affect the bottom line.
"If it doesn't affect us financially in any way, we'll ride this out," he said.
At Dodgers Stadium, Fernandez found fan reaction was mixed.
Julie Anderson, a fan, wasn't bothered in the least.
"No, not at all. It's fine. Let him say what he wants to say," she said.
But Pita Rocha said she was taken aback.
"It's not good to make comments like that," she said, "But let what happened ride out. Let justice be justice."
Many fans also told Fernandez because the comment wasn't racial, they weren't paying that much attention to it or giving it that much weight.
Some also hoped that the next time Lasorda is asked about V. Stiviano, he gives a simple "No comment."