VALPARAISO | They live separate lives now, Tommy Lasorda and Tracy Woodson. (Read a related article.)

The former resides in California. The latter, Valparaiso. The former is one of three living Hall of Fame Managers. The latter is in his second season of trying to turn around Valparaiso University's baseball program.

But 20 years ago, Woodson helped Lasorda's Los Angeles Dodgers win one of the most improbable World Series ever. And Lasorda never forgot it.

"That's why I'm here, because of the coach," Lasorda said Monday at the Athletics-Recreation Center, shortly before giving the keynote speech at VU's inaugural Baseball Bash, a fundraising dinner and silent auction for Woodson's team.

"Any time I can help guys that played for me, I'm always ready to do it."

He didn't know it at the time, but the springboard for Woodson's own coaching career was the 1987-89 stint he spent playing for Lasorda. When Woodson interviewed for his current job, Lasorda gave his former third baseman a ringing endorsement with VU director of athletics Mark LaBarbera.

Two years later, Lasorda still has nothing but good things to say about Woodson.

"Tracy, as a player, he wanted to beat you," said Lasorda, who won two World Series during his 20 years managing the Dodgers. "When he put that uniform on, he wanted to beat you. And I think that's a great attitude to have because your players are going to be the object of the coach. If the coach has got that fighting spirit, if he's got that desire, if he's got that will to win, that's contagious.

"I believe this as much as I believe I'm standing up here talking to you: He's going to make some great, great moves here. He's going to make this school a winner. No matter how much work it takes, he'll do it. Because that's the way he was, that's the way he is."

Woodson's win-at-all-costs mentality was prevalent on the 1988 Dodgers, who upset the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series and then the Oakland Athletics in the World Series.

"By golly you talk about overachievers, you talk about guys that wanted to beat you," Lasorda said. "Bob Costas went on television and stated, 'This may be the worst team ever put on a field in World Series history.' Nobody thought we could beat them.

"That team has to be very, very special to me."

Woodson shares the same sentiment about playing for one of the game's greatest managers.

"I loved it," he said.