Lasorda Chosen Manager of the Year; Leary Named Comeback Player of Year

Tom Lasorda of the Dodgers, already selected manager of the year in the National League by the Baseball Writers Assn. of America, received the same honor for both leagues from the Associated Press.

Lasorda, who led his team to a World Series championship, was the overwhelming choice as major league manager of the year in voting, announced Monday, by a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters. Second to Lasorda’s 97 1/2 points was Boston’s Joe Morgan with 26 1/2. Oakland’s Tony La Russa was third with 25 and Detroit’s Sparky Anderson fourth with 11.

Lasorda, as he has been doing for many years, is busy giving motivational speeches during the off-season.

Dodger pitcher Tim Leary, who improved on a 3-victory 1987 season with a career-high 17 victories, was named National League comeback player of the year by United Press International.

Leary, 29, traded to the Dodgers after the 1986 season, was 17-11 with a 2.91 earned run-average. Relying on a split-finger fastball picked up in the Mexican League, he finished sixth in the NL with 180 strikeouts, tied for second with 6 shutouts and tied for 8th in victories.