Rat Myth Persists: Is 'Lasorda' a Three Rivers Resident? Is there a special rat lurking amid the dark, river-born murk of Three Rivers Stadium? Is this rat's girth distinguishable enough from other scurrying, nacho-nibbling nocturnals that he merits the nickname "Lasorda," after the former Los Angeles Dodgers manager who was renowned for his waistline (when he wasn't hawking Slim Fast)? It makes for a good urban legend, especially since most of the other news out of Three Rivers this year has been bad enough to make a beady-eyed, skittering, scratching critter a welcome addition to the lineup. Unfortunately, this prehensile tale is fraught with mystery. Some people have heard of this rat named Lasorda. Others claim they know nothing. Lasorda supposedly makes its home behind home plate and is spotted sometimes in the dugouts and sometimes in the pricey seats right behind the plate. Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy confirmed over the weekend that Lasorda was no legend, but he was out of town yesterday and couldn't be reached for elaboration. Don Colton, head of the grounds crew, said his workers have told him they've seen cats and skunks as well as rats and mice in the bowels of the stadium. How much of a surprise is that, considering you have a postgame food dump a few dozen yards from a riverbank? "I've seen 'em run when we move the seats, and if you see one, there's a hundred," Colton said. But what about "Lasorda?" Has anyone else seen him besides McClatchy? "It's true," said John Crisafi, 52, of the North Side, who has operated a radar gun for the Pirates since 1990. His job is to sit behind home plate and clock the speed of pitches for display on a scoreboard. The rat has been scarce this year, but he was spotted frequently last year, said Crisafi, who also works as a district manager for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette circulation department. "It ran between [batting coach] Lloyd McClendon's legs in the dugout one game and right across the feet of one of the batboys, Kiere Bulls." Crisafi claims he's the person who gave the rat its name. But he wouldn't bite when asked whether Lasorda's girth was the impetus. "It's just a baseball name," Crisafi said with a little laugh. "One of the times we spotted it was when the Dodgers were in town." Of course, Tommy Lasorda hasn't managed the Dodgers since the end of the 1996 season. But it would appear the memories live on. How do those who have seen Lasorda the Rat tell it apart from the others who lurk beneath the seats, waiting for previously owned hot dogs and nachos? "This one was a big guy," Crisafi explained. "Matter of fact, one guy [a stadium official] was mad about the thing. He didn't believe we'd seen one that big." The official claimed it must have been a cat. "I have three cats -- I know what a cat looks like," Crisafi said. Well, sports fans, there you have it. Another bewildering bit of news, live, from Three Rivers Stadium. Back to you in the booth. Source: Diana Nelson Jones, Post-Gazette Staff Writer Tuesday, September 26, 2000 http://www.post-gazette.com/ Copyright © 1997-2002 PG Publishing. All rights reserved.