Posted on: Thursday, April 21, 2005
UH may honor baseball great Lasorda
Advertiser Staff
Here's a change-up: The University of Hawai'i-Manoa awarding an honorary degree on the pitcher's mound at Les Murakami Stadium?
"I sure hope they vote for it," Lasorda said. "That would be great."
The official recommendation states: "Mr. Lasorda will be expected to accept the degree in person at an event held on the Manoa campus in Spring 2005" but as of yesterday no one was able to say whether it would, indeed, take place on the pitcher's mound.
Although he said he never attended college — he signed a professional contract to pitch for the then-Brooklyn Dodgers out of high school — Lasorda, 77, has five honorary degrees and is a popular motivational speaker.
Lasorda, who inspired the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in 2000 at Sydney and led the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series championships, delivered Manoa's commencement address in December.
He has also addressed the Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy and the Naval Academy.
The request for Lasorda's degree came through Manoa Chancellor Peter Englert and Interim President David McClain.
Lasorda initially was invited to be a commencement speaker by then-UH president Evan Dobelle when they met during a 2003 baseball game in Boston.
The regents also have been asked to award an honorary doctorate to Kaoru Kashiwagi of Japan, who has been a major supporter of UH's program for foreign lawyers. Kashiwagi's degree would be awarded during the UH Law School commencement May 16.
Board policy permits the conferring of honorary degrees upon "individuals with distinguished accomplishments."
Pending approval by the school's Board of Regents today, Hall of Fame Major League manager Tommy Lasorda could receive an honorary doctorate in humane letters next month, and there has been a suggestion it be done during the Rainbows' final home series against Fresno State.
Tommy Lasorda
