Lasorda, Swisher honored with Bob Feller Award

WASHINGTON — “Is it OK to applaud the anthem singer?”

That was one of the moments of levity Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda brought to the nearly three-hour Bob Feller Act of Valor Award ceremony, which honored three people at the Navy Memorial Theatre Wednesday night.

This was the second year for the award in honor of the former Major League great and naval service member. It’s given to one active major leaguer, one naval chief petty officer and one Hall of Famer who reflect Feller’s values of service and support for our nation’s military. On Wednesday, Lasorda joined Indians outfielder Nick Swisher and senior chief petty officer Carl Thompson were the 2014 honorees.

Feller was known as one of the greatest pitchers of his generation, perhaps the greatest player in Indians history. He led the American League in wins six times, but finished with career totals lower than one might expect. That’s not because of the quality of his pitching, but as a result of his sacrifice — he gave up three years in the prime of his career, from age 24-26, to serve in the armed forces during World War II.

After leading the AL in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched in three straight seasons from 1939-41, Feller went to his local recruitment office the day after the Pearl Harbor bombings in December 1941. He returned to the major leagues after the war to enjoy 12 more seasons in the bigs, including four All-Star campaigns. But that type of sacrifice, which cost him three crucial seasons and could have cost him his life, is hard to imagine any professional athlete making these days.

It’s fitting, though, that Lasorda should be honored with an award bearing Feller’s name. The longtime Dodgers’ manager not only idolized Feller but considered him a good personal friend.

“It means a great deal to me because Bob and I have been great friends for years,” said Lasorda in an interview at WTOP Tuesday night. “What a brilliant man he was. I always admired him, and when I was with him, I always looked up to him as a role model for me.”

Lasorda also served in the military, serving on active duty in the Army from 1945-47, including a stint at Fort Meade. Since his retirement from managing in 1996, Lasorda has become a special advisor, representing the Dodgers franchise at over 100 speaking engagements per year, many for military groups and personnel.

Swisher has also been a strong supporter of the military during his playing career. He and his wife, JoAnna, took their honeymoon to travel to Afghanistan in 2010 to visit thousands of forward-deployed troops. Swisher has also been active in the Wounded Warrior Project, helping injured service members as they acclimate back to civilian life. He also works closely with Operation Homefront, which is dedicated to providing support for the family members of deployed and wounded service members.

“The only thing I’ve ever wanted to do in my life is just help, do whatever I can to help,” said Swisher. “With where professional athletes are put on a pedestal in some people’s eyes, you can use that to help people. For me, I just try to do the best as I can as an athlete, as a person, and as an American.”

Thompson’s acceptance speech was perhaps the most touching of the night, his voice trembling as he thanked his parents for the way they raised him and his wife for her support for the past 16 years. It was a humanizing reminder — one that was touched upon several times throughout the ceremony — that the one hardship baseball families and military families share is distance, of long days and weeks and months spent on the road.

But it was Lasorda who stole the show, as he is wont to do, regaling the crowd with jokes and stories, punchlines still landing in step, even at age 87. Baseball is, after all, our richest game when it comes to its history. And much like the military, the game is passed down the generations through stories. One such story that Lasorda told — perhaps his only one with a serious tone — embodied the night and the spirit of the award perfectly.

Lasorda recalled being asked to coach the 2000 U.S. Olympic baseball team in Sydney, Australia. Despite not knowing 23 of the 24 players on the roster, he delivered an impassioned speech to his roster, a collection of minor leaguers, about representing their country and bringing the gold medal back to America where it belonged. When they did just that, beating Cuba 4-0 for the gold medal, and the National Anthem played as the American flag was raised, the normally gregarious Lasorda broke into tears. He called the championship the greatest honor he had ever achieved, above his two World Series titles.

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