The Chattanooga Lookouts announced Tuesday that former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda and former Lookouts and Minnesota Twins manager Cal Ermer will be the inaugural inductees into the AT&T Field Hall of Fame.
Lasorda arrived Tuesday night during Chattanooga's 12-5 loss to West Tenn and will stay through Friday's series finale, which will be preceded by a Hall of Fame ceremony. Sunday will be one year since Ermer died at the age of 85.
"With the history of baseball in Chattanooga, we thought we should have one," Lookouts owner Frank Burke said. "Right now, it's the AT&T Field Hall of Fame, but I think down the road we'll put people in it who played in Chattanooga, period. These two are kind of not debatable."
Ermer managed the Lookouts to a 484-445 record in six seasons from 1952 to '57, the longest consecutive stint in franchise history, and led the Twins to a 145-129 mark in '67-68 before being replaced by Billy Martin. He was a regular at Lookouts games in his final years, and Lookouts officials named the AT&T press box for him late in the 2008 season.
Burke said Lasorda has been "very instrumental in bringing the Dodgers here and very supportive of it." Plaques of Ermer and Lasorda, who turns 83 next month, will be located on the brick facade outside AT&T's main gate.
The Lookouts entered Tuesday's game with the worst earned run average in the Southern League and did nothing to improve it. Starting pitcher Timothy Sexton allowed eight runs on eight hits before being pulled with one out in the third inning.
Mario Alvarez replaced Sexton and walked in two runs before allowing an RBI single to Johan Limonta that made it 9-2. Guillermo Quiroz roughed up Sexton and Alvarez in a 4-for-5, five-RBI night.
Chattanooga (17-20) will welcome Jesus Castillo back in the rotation tonight. Castillo was 4-6 with a 2.64 ERA when he was promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque, and he was sent back down Monday.