Now Perranoski Knows Feeling of Being Taken Out of the Game : Dodgers: Coach surprised at firing, because he had a history of success with young pitchers.

It was late Friday night when Ron Perranoski got the news, and it came, he said, coldly. The Dodgers’ longtime pitching coach was in bed when his wife brought him a message to call Fred Claire, the club’s executive vice president. When he did, Claire fired him.

Less than 24 hours later, Perranoski’s shock had turned to disappointment, but he still had his sense of humor. Claire replaced Perranoski with minor league pitching instructor Dave Wallace, saying the move was made because there will be a lot of young pitchers on the staff next season with whom Wallace has worked.

“It’s too soon to say what I am going to do,” Perranoski said Saturday from his winter home in Vero Beach, Fla. “Maybe I will take over a young pitching staff somewhere and develop it.

“I worked with the young kids too. I had (Rick) Sutcliffe, Steve Howe and Fernando (Valenzuela) in the majors and in the minors, and they each won rookie of the year. I had Orel (Hershiser), (Alejandro) Pena and (Bob) Welch, but that was 20 years ago, and I understand.”

Perranoski, 58, has been a coach in the Dodger organization since he retired in 1973 after 13 seasons as a successful relief pitcher. He spent seven seasons with the Dodgers from 1961-67, saving 101 games--second on the all-time Dodger list behind Jim Brewer’s 125--and pitched in three World Series. He finished his career with 179 saves and a 2.79 earned-run average.

As a pitching coach, he was equally successful, with his staff finishing either first or second in ERA in the National League nine times. He was Manager Tom Lasorda’s pitching coach for 14 seasons and a minor league pitching coach for the seven years before that.

The news hit him hard.

“It’s like they say it so coldly,” Perranoski said, relating his conversation with Claire. “They say, ‘I’ve got some bad news for you,’ and you say, ‘OK thank you, I’m still alive.’ Then they tell you you’re out and you say ‘fine,’ and that was it. The bottom line is that it is what it is.”

Perranoski’s dismissal signals a hastening in the direction the club was headed anyway, one of youth. Wallace, who has been a minor league coach for 12 seasons, has worked with Ismael Valdes, whom the Dodgers have ticketed as a starter, and relievers Greg Hansell, Antonio Osuna and Todd Williams, all of whom have a chance to make the team, Claire says.

“It’s a shock,” Dodger reliever Jim Gott said. “But I was just talking to someone about this and it’s kind of like last year when they brought Reggie Smith up as the hitting instructor and replaced Ben Hines because Reggie had worked with a lot of the players. Now they are bringing up a pitching coach who has already worked with what will be a very young staff. “

Gott, who is one of four Dodger pitchers who are potential free agents, says he doesn’t expect to be asked back. And the more Claire talks, the more it seems the pitching staff could have an entirely different look next season. In the starting rotation, Pedro Astacio, Ramon Martinez and Tom Candiotti appear to be set, but Orel Hershiser and Kevin Gross are potential free agents.

And in the bullpen, other than Todd Worrell, who has another year on his contract, and Rudy Seanez, it appears to be open game. Roger McDowell’s contract is also up.

Perranoski said his phone rang off the hook Saturday with calls from friends who were stunned, and one of the callers was Lasorda. Later in the day, Perranoski took a drive to let the news sink in.

“Well, what the heck, “ Perranoski tried to joke, “it happens every 21 years.