Il comandante parla

(Baseball legend and famous Italian Tommy Lasorda spoke Sunday night in Washington DC at the Italian Consulate, concurrent with the Dodgers playing the Nationals )

Thank you very much!  I have to say it's always a great pleasure to speak in front of so many great Italians, knowing all you do for us in America.  But anytime I'm in Washington DC, I always have to say a famous quote from this town, and if you don't mind a little Italian...

"Ora, io sono in controllo!"

(Everyone laughs)

You know, I've been in town all weekend with the Dodgers in town before speaking to you tonight.  And it's funny, after last season, I thought for sure this town would be fully behind the Nationals, but it's still a Skins town, huh?  Well, it has to be...because this morning I ran in to some residents from this town on my way to lunch.  They said "Wow, Tommy Lasorda, great to meet you!  I wish, if we ever got a team, you'd be a part of it."  And I said hey - you do have a team right now.  And the guy says back to me "I know."

(chuckles)

You know, I've coached a lot of great Italians over the years.  I insisted we draft, and I managed, Mike Piazza.  By the time he made the bigs he said to me "Tommy, I'm indebted to you.  What advice can you give me?"  I said kid, if you're catching, I need you to be a rock back there.  Just like Scioscia.  He said "Get strong and lift weights to stop everything?"  I said "No, EAT!  It worked for one Mike, it'll work for another!"

(Everyone laughs)

Now, I'd like to say something to our Italian friends.

Tutti ci hanno detto che a volte dopo l'all-star break.  Che abbiamo fatto.  Bene, la Dodgers show, spazzare i cittadini, e nonostante Matt Kemp realizzare ha pagato per essere feriti, continuiamo a distruggere tutti!

What I said was, you know, this weekend, everyone thought the Dodgers would flame out.  All-Star game...some of you here might have thought we'd end this slide.  Well, outside of Kemp forgetting how to fucking - huh?  Oh, excuse me.  We got through all the jams...sweep the Nats, and we're only a half game or whatever out of first.  Where's the "natitude" - is it

(Crowd begins to murmur)

Uh...in conclusion, Chiedo scusa, bene gli Italiani. Per brindare alla fine atleticità e ai grandi Italiani!

(applause)