O’Malley Mum on Future of Lasorda With Dodgers : Baseball: Manager has a year to go on his contract, but owner says he will review everyone after last-place finish.

Tom Lasorda’s future as Dodger manager was further clouded Sunday when Peter O’Malley, Dodger president, refused to confirm that he wants Lasorda to return for the final year of his contract.

When asked if he wanted Lasorda to manage the Dodgers next season, O’Malley said: “I’ll answer that question after I talk to Tommy, after the season ends.”

Speaking on the morning after his team clinched last place for the first time in 87 years, O’Malley was asked if he was satisfied with Lasorda’s performance.

“It’s been a very difficult year for the manager, players, coaches, people in front office,” he said. “Until I talk to everyone, get all the pieces of the puzzle, I am just not going to comment on anyone’s individual performance.”

O’Malley was told this sounded far different from comments he made earlier this summer when he said he “absolutely” wanted Lasorda, 65, to return for his 17th season as manager.

“The ballclub hasn’t finished in last place since 1905,” O’Malley said. “And at the end of the season we’ll be reviewing everything from A to Z. I am not prepared to discuss with . . . any members of the press today the individual job performance of anybody in the organization.

“I am reviewing everything. Everything should be reviewed when a team comes in last place.”

O’Malley said part of his discussions with Lasorda will concern Vince Piazza, Lasorda’s long-time friend who is a leading member of a group attempting to purchase the San Francisco Giants and move them to St. Petersburg, Fla.

If Piazza’s group gains the approval of baseball owners, and if Piazza is in control of the baseball operation, Lasorda would probably join him next season as the Giants’ general manager and manager.

“There has been a lot of speculation about Tommy’s longtime friend perhaps owning a team. We have not discussed it,” O’Malley said. “We will discuss it after the season is over.”

O’Malley, whose permission would be needed before Lasorda joins Piazza, did not appear inclined to stand in Lasorda’s way.

“It doesn’t make any sense to keep someone here who would prefer to be elsewhere,” O’Malley said. “If anyone in the organization thinks that change is for the better . . . I can’t believe we would stand in anyone’s way.”

O’Malley added: “Put yourself in my situation. If a manager, coach, radio announcer, executive or anyone in the organization prefers to be elsewhere, it doesn’t make any sense to keep that person here . . . and have an unhappy employee.”

Lasorda did not seem concerned about O’Malley’s comments.

“I’m sure with all the speculation that is out there, Peter just wants to know what is going on, and wants wrong with that?” Lasorda said. “He probably just wants to know what I want to do.”

Lasorda emphasized that he doesn’t want to change his status.

“Sure, I want to still manage here,” Lasorda said. “I’ve got a contract.”

There could be several reasons for O’Malley’s ambiguity.

--O’Malley could believe that Piazza’s group will be approved, and that Lasorda will soon be asking him to leave.

Rather than give a vote of confidence to a manager who could be leaving, O’Malley wants to withhold comment until Lasorda’s status is certain.

--With Fred Claire vowing to continue the Dodgers’ rebuilding efforts next season, O’Malley wants to make sure Lasorda will be happy managing younger players whose best hopes for a title will come after he retires.

“I think the Dodgers team will become younger and more aggressive,” O’Malley said.

--Even though O’Malley had said he did not blame this season’s problems on Lasorda, he may be under pressure from other members of the organization to begin this “new” Dodger era with a new manager.

Already there are murmurs that Phil Regan, a top Dodger scout, is the favorite to replace Lasorda within the next year.

Regan turned down a chance to interview with the Florida Marlins for their managerial position.

Regan said he was promised nothing, but he added: “Like Walter Alston, Tommy is not going to manage forever. One day, there will be an opportunity there, and I want to be ready for it.”

Said O’Malley: “You can speculate all you want. What you’re hearing from me is, once the season is over, I’ll talk to everyone and know more then than I know today.”