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Tommy Lasorda had some vulgar advice for Dave Roberts heading into Game 7

Chris Cwik
Staff writer

The Los Angeles Dodgers actually pulled it off. Down 3-2 to the Houston Astros in the World Series, the Dodgers somehow got to the previously unbeatable Justin Verlander and forced a Game 7.

That’s actually a pretty significant accomplishment. Since Verlander joined the Astros, the team had not lost a single game he started. He went into the World Series clincher in the middle of one of the best stretches his career, and the Dodgers beat him 3-1 in Game 6.

Impressive, right? Not if you’re Tommy Lasorda. The 90-year-old former manager of the Dodgers made sure to pull aside current manager Dave Roberts before he started his press conference after the win. Lasorda needed to share some pretty vulgar advice, and thankfully for all of us, he yelled it loud enough for everyone to hear.

What wisdom did Lasorda impart on Roberts? “You haven’t done s— until you win tomorrow,” he yelled. Thanks a lot, Tommy.

In fairness, we guess Lasorda would know. He was the team’s skipper in 1988, the last time the Dodgers won the World Series. So if he says Game 7 is the only game that matters, who are we to argue?

We get it, of course. You play to win the World Series every year. If you lose, you don’t matter. That’s a harsh way to look at the game, but it’s true. Only the winning team gets remembered.

Tommy Lasorda let Dave Roberts know what he had to do on the eve of Game 7. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Tommy Lasorda let Dave Roberts know what he had to do on the eve of Game 7. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Lasorda’s example takes things to the extreme, though. Fans are allowed to appreciate both teams for simply making the playoffs. That’s OK in our book, apparently not in his.

After dropping Game 5, the Dodgers were confident in their ability to come back and send things to a decisive Game 7. We’re not sure if Lasorda’s comments will put more pressure on the team to perform, or only add to the loose atmosphere surrounding that helped the club win Game 6.

We’ll have our answer soon. And we can’t wait to see if the Dodgers matter or not after Wednesday’s game.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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