Impossible Only In Mind, Not Reality

The great manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tommy Lasorda, once said, "The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination."

There can be nothing that is much more accurate than that. Perhaps the best example of this was Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, a game in which Lasorda, himself, was in the dugout.

The Dodgers were down 4-3 in the ninth inning of a game against the heavily favored Oakland Athletics. Gibson did not start the game because of injuries to both his legs. He was not even in the dugout.

Then Lasorda, almost prophetical, knew Gibson was the man for the moment. With a runner on first and two outs, Lasorda summoned Gibson to pinch hit.

Gibson hobbled to the plate, almost like a scene out of the movie "The Natural". It was Roy Hobbs reincarnated. What he did next may have been the inspiration for Lasorda's famous quote.

Gibson hit a game winning home run, and the Dodgers won the series. Some people may have thought that moment would be impossible to achieve, but not Lasorda, and certainly not Gibson.

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination."