Tom Lasorda the game I'll never forget: former Dodger manager recalls World Series matches against Yankees but most memorable feat was Kirk Gibson's winning homer against A's.

I COACHED FOR WALTER ALSTON before becoming manager of the Dodgers. We were two poles apart. He was a quiet man, and I did all the hollering and screaming.

We won the pennant in 1977, which was my first year as manager. Seventeen of the 25 guys on that team played for me in the minors. You'll never see that again.

I won with those guys in Rookie League, the Dominican Winter League and all the way up to AAA, so I believed we could win the World Series against the Yankees.

We won the second and fifth games of the Series, then Reggie Jackson hit three homers in three consecutive pitches to win it for the Yankees. Those things happen. You can't do anything about that.

The Dodgers and Yankees were back in the World Series in '78. We won the first two games 11-5 and 4-3, and it looked like we were going to win it. The Yankees came back with four straight wins and beat us again.

Graig Nettles, Bucky Dent and Brian Doyle beat us. We'd hit bullets that should have been doubles, and Nettles would turn them into double plays. After those two World Series, I'd pray "Dear God, if we ever get back to the Series, please let it be against the Yankees, and please let us beat them."

We met the Yankees again in 1981, and we finally beat them. This time the Yankees won the first two games, and we came back to win the final four games. Our first three victories were all by one run--5-4, 8-7, and 2-1. That was the year of Fernandomania, and Valenzuela went the distance and won Game 3.