Lasorda Pact Renewed, Not Perranoski’s : Dodgers: Manager, 67, is told by Claire that the team’s emphasis next season will be on young players. Pitching coach is replaced by Dave Wallace.

The Dodgers made some key decisions Friday, renewing the contract of Manager Tom Lasorda for next season but signaling a change in their pitching staff by firing longtime coach Ron Perranoski. It will be Lasorda’s 19th year as the Dodger manager and 46th with the organization.

Perranoski’s firing was a surprise. In 14 seasons as the pitching coach, his staffs finished with the first- or second-best earned-run average in the National League nine times. But Fred Claire, executive vice president, said that the club plans to go with younger pitchers and thought it was time for a change. Perranoski will be replaced by Dave Wallace, who has been the minor league pitching instructor for about 12 seasons.

“The reason we made the change is that we will have a lot of young pitchers on the staff, and no one knows then better than Dave Wallace,” Claire said. “Dave is held in high regard and is well respected. He has worked hard with Ismael Valdes, Greg Hansell and Antonio Osuna and will be going to Arizona for the instructional league and to winter ball. Critical to the success of our team in 1995 will be the performance of our young pitchers.”

Claire’s comments make the future tenuous for potential free agents Orel Hershiser, Kevin Gross and relievers Jim Gott and Roger McDowell, about whom Claire says he has made no decisions. “What I do know is that the Hansells and the Todd Williamses and the (Felix) Rodriguezes have vaulted to that status where they are going to move quickly,” Claire said.

Despite his mediocre 58-56 record this season, the move to renew Lasorda’s contract was not surprising. The Dodgers had been in first place for 87 days in the National League’s West Division, a position they held when the season ended. The Dodgers appeared to be headed for their first postseason berth since 1988, when Lasorda’s team won the World Series.

“If they didn’t want me back, I would have walked out of (Dodger owner Peter O’Malley’s) office and thanked him for all the wonderful things he and the Dodgers have done for me,” said Lasorda, whose contract was renewed for one season.

“Yes, I felt I wanted to manage again. I felt I could still do the job. If I didn’t think that I could do for them exactly what they wanted me to do, I wouldn’t have accepted it. If I thought I was hurting this club as the field leader, I would not be here. But I know one thing, I know I can still do the job for them.”

Lasorda usually has managed on one-year contracts, and speculation began, as it has in recent years, that the 1994 season might be his last. The Dodgers had struggled through the 1992 season and achieved only average records the next two seasons.

But O’Malley said before this season began that he did not blame Lasorda for the decline, instead pointing to player injuries and an interruption of talent in the minor leagues.

Now, the Dodgers say their flow of talent has resumed. And that, in part, was the subject of a meeting Lasorda had Friday morning with Claire.

“The primary thrust (of our conversation) is the direction we are taking as far as the young players,” Claire said.

“And I am confident that Tommy can do a job and continue to do the job and is enthusiastic in leading the team with the knowledge that we will have a heavy emphasis on youth.

“He has had the opportunity (during the strike) to see the young players and I feel confident that we have the players who can come up here and do the job for us, just as they have in recent years.”

Lasorda, who turned 67 on Thursday, has a record of 1,480-1,338, tying him for 15th in victories with Earl Weaver. He has two World Series championships, four National League pennants and six Western Division titles.

Lasorda’s salary is believed to be between $800,000 and $1 million, but he said that money was not discussed in his meeting with O’Malley.

“When I got this job, I told them I would pay them to do it,” Lasorda said.