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BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Lasorda Wants to Go for Gold in ’96

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Tom Lasorda said Thursday he plans to contact members of the United States Olympic Committee in hopes of convincing them to let him manage the 1996 Olympic baseball team.

Lasorda says he is perfect for the position.

“We need somebody to help us win something we’ve never won before,” he said. “I don’t know where or what I’ll be doing then, but I would love to help us bring home the gold. I am going to let those people know how I feel.”

Lasorda, who probably will be working in the front office of a major league team by then, said he became inspired after watching his friend, Ron Fraser, manage this year’s team.

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Fraser, former head coach at the University of Miami, retired from managing after the United States lost to Japan, 8-3, for the bronze medal.

Lasorda was so interested in the Olympic baseball movement, he even sat in the dugout with the U.S. team during a pre-Olympic exhibition game in Philadelphia.

“To work with all those young guys would be great,” he said. “Managing that team would be fun, and I think I could help us win something.”

The Dodgers tentatively have scheduled next Wednesday night for Tom Candiotti’s return to the starting rotation against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium in the final game of the home stand.

Candiotti will pitch a simulated game today to test his bruised left knee.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be ready to start next week, but they just want to make sure,” Candiotti said.

This means Kevin Gross, despite pitching a no-hitter in his last start, is the favorite to be sent to the bullpen because of the emergence of Pedro Astacio.

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Gross and Candiotti are the only two Dodger starters whose arms and mental makeup are suited for bullpen work. Gross has made four relief appearances this season.

As well as rookie outfielder Henry Rodriguez is swinging the bat--he has a 10-game hitting streak--don’t expect him to remain in the Dodger lineup when Eric Davis and Darryl Strawberry return. The Dodgers need to see Davis one final time before deciding whether to offer him a contract in the off-season, and Strawberry needs to learn if his back injury has truly healed. “I think we need to see both of them,” said Fred Claire, Dodger vice president. . . . After several days of field work, Strawberry is experiencing muscle soreness but says that is part of his rehabilitation.

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