O’Malley to Reward Lasorda : Dodgers: Owner says he will meet with manager to talk about a contract extension.

The man who has said he could manage the Dodgers forever will apparently get a chance to do it for a while longer.

Dodger owner Peter O’Malley said he has planned a meeting with Tom Lasorda to discuss extending Lasorda’s contract, which expires at the end of next season. O’Malley did not give a date for the meeting--”It could be tomorrow, it could be next month”--but left no doubt as to his intentions.

“We will definitely meet,” O’Malley said. “And put it this way: If you could buy stock in Tommy Lasorda, I would buy all I could.”

Lasorda, who will be 63 at the end of his current contract, said he would answer O’Malley’s call on the first ring.

“I am not ready to retire. I love my job. I love the Dodgers. . . . If he wants to contact me, I would be very happy to talk,” Lasorda said.

Lasorda said that although he has thought about his Dodger future past 1990, it would not be right for him to contact O’Malley.

“I have a contract with the man. I am in no position to say anything about anything past that contract,” Lasorda said. “Now, if he wants to talk to me, that’s great. I’d be proud. But I would never call him first. That’s not the way it works.”

Before Lasorda signed his last contract on July 8, 1988--a two-year deal worth $1 million--there was speculation that he would like to be a general manager. Lasorda, though, is apparently having too much fun to leave the field.

“I get up every morning and I’m always excited about going to the ballpark,” he said. “I can never wait to get there and give the fans exciting baseball. That’s something I don’t want to lose.”

He said he also supports Dodger Executive Vice President Fred Claire.

“Fred does a very good job. He’s hard-working and we have a great relationship,” Lasorda said. “And I would rather be a manager then a general manager. I’m fine mentally, I’m fine physically. I don’t see any reason to stop doing something I love.”

Last year, as the Dodgers fell to a 77-83 record, most of Lasorda’s impact was behind the scenes. But O’Malley said he noticed.

“He looks good, he looks strong, and it’s obvious he enjoys his work and does it better than ever,” O’Malley said. “We are happy and impressed with the job he has done, and feel that he does it as well (as)--or better than--anyone else.”

Lasorda has a record of 1,097-955, a .535 winning percentage.

For the fourth day of these four-day-old meetings, the Dodgers did nothing exciting Wednesday and Claire is growing more resigned to going home empty handed.

Claire confirmed that the Dodger had made an offer to free agent Robin Yount earlier this winter. But since Yount’s agent, brother Larry, has not spoken to them recently, outlook in that area remains bleak.

Claire also said that the Dodgers had dropped out of the Craig Lefferts sweepstakes, implying that the money being offered the San Francisco Giants’ middle reliever--three years, $6 million from Montreal--is too much.

“It comes to a point of decision where you just have to pass,” Claire said.