Raptors blue: Ogden will renew its ties with Dodgers

OGDEN — The town, he said, has changed. The old ballpark is now a Sam's Club. Buildings have sprouted up and the highway to Salt Lake is a lot more significant than it was 34 years ago.

Though it doesn't look the same, Ogden still has a special spot in Tommy Lasorda's heart. It bleeds Dodger blue, just like him.

"I have so many wonderful memories, great memories," he said. "The fans loved the Dodgers. They loved the association we had."

Thursday at Lindquist Field, a new union was formed. And Lasorda, who guided Ogden to three consecutive Pioneer League titles from 1966-68, was on hand for the official announcement.

For the next four years, the Dodgers will supply players for the Ogden Raptors.

"I was so happy to hear that because of the three years of experience I had here," said Lasorda. "I could never say one bad word about the city."

The former major league manager, who won a couple of World Series titles with the Dodgers before guiding the United States to an Olympic gold medal, fondly recalls his summer home at the historic Ben Lomond Hotel downtown. Lasorda lived there with his team, paying $2 a day for a room. Down the street, the guys were regulars at Chuck-A-Rama and its $1.25 all-you-can-eat buffet.

"It was a great bunch of guys with outstanding talent," said Lasorda, whose Ogden squads included future major leaguers Steve Garvey, Bill Buckner, Tom Paciorek and Bobby Valentine. Another player of note was BYU product Gary Pullins.

"The people in this city loved the Dodgers. We brought them good, solid, exciting baseball in the three years that I was here," said Lasorda. "A whole lot of those guys (went on) to play in the big leagues."

For Ogden, it was a golden era — something the Ogden Raptors would like to recapture. When the opportunity came for the city to re-affiliate with the Dodgers for the first time since 1973, Raptors president David Baggott didn't hesitate.

"Sometimes to go forward you do have to take a couple of steps back. So, we're going back to 1966 here and seeing if we can recreate some things on our 10-year anniversary for the Raptors," said Baggott. "It's all falling into sync. It's going to be an incredible season next year."