Dodgers Legend Manny Mota Suffers Stroke, In Recovery

Los Angeles Dodgers legend Manny Mota suffered a stroke Monday night, the team announced.

The Dodgers say Mota is “in recovery, where he is responsive to commands and is resting comfortably.”

Mota, 87, debuted in Major League Baseball in 1962 with the San Francisco Giants. He joined the Dodgers midway through the 1969 season, and would spend the rest of his career in Los Angeles.

Mota was an All-Star in 1973, and spent 13 seasons with the Dodgers, hitting .315 with an OPS of .765. 

Across his 20-year career, he hit .304 with 31 home runs, 438 runs batted in, 125 doubles, and an OPS of .744.

Mota retired from playing at the age of 44. The Dominican Republic native was a coach for the Dodgers from 1980 until 2013, beginning as a player-coach.

His 34 consecutive seasons as a coach is the longest in team history, and the second-longest streak in MLB history. 

Mota was a part of the 1981 and 1988 World Series winning teams as a coach. He retired from coaching in 2013 to become a full-time broadcaster, and was a Spanish-language broadcaster for SportsNet LA.

Mota was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2003. He was inducted into the Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals in 2013. 

Mota has three sons, Tony, Andy, and Jose, the latter of which is a Spanish-language broadcaster covering the Dodgers for SNLA.

Dodgers Nation wishes Mota a speedy recovery.

Photo Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports