OCT 1988: TOMMY LASORDA, MANAGER OF THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS, AND OREL HERSHISER, PITCHER FOR THE DODGERS, HOIST THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY DURING THEIR 1988 CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION AS OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TEAM WATCH FROM BEHIND.
As former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda celebrates his 88th birthday on Tuesday, let's rewind the clock on the Dodgers' most recent World Series wins, both of which came with the legendary manager at the helm.
Since he retired from managing in 1996, Lasorda has been a fixture in the Dodgers franchise, serving as a living relic of the club's championship history.
Lasorda first became manager of the Dodgers at the very end of the 1976 season after Hall of Fame manager Walter Aston announced his retirement.
Los Angeles experienced immediate success with Lasorda at the helm, winning the NL West pennant and reaching the World Series in both of his first two years as manager.
The Blue Crew missed the postseason the following two seasons, but found new life when they made an improbable World Series run in 1981 with the help of the "Fernandomania" phenomenon.
While they fell within a game of elimination in both the NLDS and NLCS, the Dodgers held on for uplifting comebacks in both series, and took that momentum with them into the World Series against the Yankees.
Third time proved to be the charm for Lasorda against the Yankees.
After falling to New York in both the 1977 and 1978 World Series, the Dodgers emerged from an 0-2 start to the 1981 World Series to win their fourth title after moving to Los Angeles in 1958.
It would be another seven years until Lasorda reached the World Series again, but the Dodgers would make the most of it, and create one of the most memorable moments in baseball history in the process.
After winning their division thanks to a dominant pitching staff that included Cy Young winner Orel Hershiser, Tim Leary, and Tim Belcher, all of whom held a sub-3 ERA and won double-digit games, the Dodgers defied the odds and beat the heavily favored Mets to face the A's in the World Series.
Lasorda's Dodgers, who were again considered the underdog facing Oakland, were on their heels in Game 1 when they found themselves down in the bottom of the ninth.
Against all odds, injured left fielder Kirk Gibson stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter with two outs, and after working the count to 3-2, slugged a two-run walk-off home run to give the Dodgers a key victory in Game 1.
Los Angeles kept that momentum rolling into Oakland and won the series in five games, with Hershiser delivering another spectacular performance in the Dodgers' Game 5 win.
Lasorda coached two more pennant-winning teams before retiring during the 1996 season. He was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame the following year.
Despite eight playoff berths since 1988, the Dodgers have yet to return to the World Series in 27 years.
As the Dodgers head towards their third-straight postseason berth for the first time in franchise history, we'll discover just how magical the number 88 is.
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