In 1953, in my ninth minor league season, I went 17-8 in Montreal, which was the home of one of the Dodgers' Triple-A teams. In those days we had three Triple-A teams, and over 700 minor league players. And all of us were competing for a spot with the big club in Brooklyn.

At the end of Spring Training in 1954, general manager Buzzie Bavasi summoned me into his office and told me I was going back to Montreal. Fuming, I told Buzzie I quit, at which point he told me he could arrange a job for me at a local brewery driving a truck for $125 a week. I was never good at math, but I knew that was a lot less than the $10,000 the Dodgers wanted to pay me in 1954.

So, it was back to Montreal I went.

On August 4, 1954 our catching coach, Dixie Howell, told me that if I pitched good that night I was going to Brooklyn. I quickly replied, "OK, well I'm packing my bags then," and we went on to beat Toronto 5-0. As soon as the game ended I was told I was on my way to Brooklyn.

Being with the Brooklyn Dodgers was a dream come true. As far back as I could remember, I always wanted to be a ballplayer. Now that I had my chance, I sure wasn't going to ruin it. Starting that night for the Dodgers was the great Preacher Roe. Preacher was a great pitcher and a great Dodger, and I did not think I was going to get into the game with him on the mound. However, as fate would have it, Preacher got knocked out early, and as he walked off the field he tossed his glove into the stands. When he got into the dugout, he picked up his windbreaker and tossed that into the stands too. Erv Palica replaced Preacher, and he got knocked around as well.

When I was summoned from the Dodger bullpen, I felt outstanding. I was nervous, but I had pitched at Ebbets Field before in exhibition games and feeling the unmistakable passion from the Brooklyn faithful was a tremendous help. I got the first two batters out, and as Gus Bell stepped up to the plate, I saw Ted Kluszewski on deck. Big Klu had already hit three home runs that day, and I knew one thing: I did not want him to hit his fourth off me in my Major League debut.

Sure enough, Gus Bell hit a one-hopper to the old reliable Gil Hodges. I thought that would be the third out, but he booted it, and up came Kluszewski.

At that point Jackie Robinson walked to the mound, put his arm around my shoulder and said, "Now don't worry about that. You just have to bear down and get this guy."

Jackie had a way of making you try harder; he had a way of making you win. After his talk, I thought, "Let me try to pick Bell off first, and I'll balk. When they advance him to second, I can walk Kluszewski."

I tried three or four pick-off moves, and balked every time, but the umpire did not call a single balk. I had to pitch to him, and I threw a fastball inside that he hit back to me. I threw it to first and that was the end of the inning.

"Hey son," the umpire hollered to me as I was walking off the field. "You know you were balking, but since this was your first game in the Majors, I let you get away with it."

As always, my Pop was right.

Dodgers senior vice president and Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda is in his 55th year with the Dodgers organization and ninth as vice president. Lasorda compiled a 1,599-1,439 record and won two world championships, four National League pennants and eight division titles in an extraordinary 20-year career as the Dodgers' manager. He managed the 2000 United States Olympic Baseball Team to a Gold Medal just five days after celebrating his 73rd birthday.

In his current front-office capacity, Lasorda spends much of his time scouting, evaluating and teaching minor league players as well as spreading baseball goodwill to thousands as he makes more than 100 speeches and appearances to various charities, private groups and military personnel each year.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.