Lasorda gets to celebrate early

Luis Gonzalez and Matt Kemp dropped by to offer best wishes. Don Newcombe came by to sing happy birthday.

Tom Lasorda won’t turn 80 until Sept. 22, but with the Dodgers scheduled to be in Arizona that day, the club celebrated his birthday Friday at Dodger Stadium.

The former Dodgers manager was presented with a cake in a pregame ceremony that included Sparky Anderson. Lasorda was serenaded by the fans and received messages from various baseball personalities on the video scoreboard. The crowd cheered loudest when Angels Manager Mike Scioscia appeared on the monitor.

“It means that the ballclub hasn’t forgotten me and it means that the people haven’t forgotten me,” said Lasorda, who managed the Dodgers to World Series championships in 1981 and 1988.

Lasorda said he didn’t think he would remain a public figure when he retired in 1996.

“When I quit managing, I thought they’d forget me,” Lasorda said. “I really did. You’re out of the realm. By golly, they’ve showed me more love than they ever have.”

Lasorda was with the Dodgers during their three-city, 10-game trip to San Diego, Chicago and San Francisco. He said he spoke to players individually with the intention of motivating them.

His message: “Right now you can’t be nervous. This is the time you separate the men from the boys.”

Lasorda bobblehead dolls were handed out to the first 50,000 fans at Friday’s game to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of his Hall of Fame induction.

Rudy Seanez wants to pitch again next season. And the season after that.

“I’d like to play for a couple of more years, until I’m 40, then go from there,” Seanez said.

The 38-year old right-hander, who made the Dodgers as a nonroster invitee to spring training, was contemplating retirement. But he said that over the last few days he realized he wasn’t ready to walk away.

“I need a ring,” he said.

Seanez acknowledged that because of his age, he might not get that opportunity. But Seanez has pitched 69 1/3 innings in 66 games this season, both career highs.

Andy LaRoche said he won’t need surgery for the protruding disk that has resulted in back pains this season. The September call-up said that the plan is for him to strengthen his back muscles to lessen the stress on his spine.

LaRoche turned 24 Thursday, prompting a visit from Kansas by his father, former Angels pitcher Dave.

Russell Martin, who is on track to break the Dodgers’ single-season record for games caught, will sit out a game this weekend, probably Sunday. Martin caught his 134th game Friday night, leaving him 12 shy of Mike Piazza’s record of 146 set in 1993 and 1996.

Derek Lowe remains on track to make his scheduled start today. Lowe hurt his pitching hand playing catch with reliever Jonathan Broxton on Tuesday.

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dylan.hernandez@latimes.com