Kevin Kernan

Kevin Kernan

MLB

Dodgers should reward Mattingly with new deal

Don Mattingly just wants to be loved.

It’s L.A. after all. After every Dodgers victory Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.’’ blasts through Dodger Stadium.

Donnie Baseball has earned the right to be Donnie Dodger not Lame Duck Donnie.

Dodgers ownership can’t have it both ways, they can’t say “I love Donnie’’ as owners Mark Walter and Magic Johnson and, in particular, club president Stan Kasten have told The Post and not invest in him like they are investing in the ballclub.

The Dodgers have become the “Boss Steinbrenner Yankees’’ in every way, not only by spending huge amounts of money to win, but with strange managerial happenings.

Mattingly made it clear Monday in an awkward, but revealing press conference with general manager Ned Colletti, either he gets a long-term deal or he walks. Mattingly’s bench coach, Trey Hillman, was fired Tuesday, and Mattingly knows he was nearly canned before the team went on its 42-8 run and that has bothered him all season.

There are four managerial openings out there right now— Nationals, Tigers, Cubs and Mariners and the kid from Evansville, Ind. is ready to bolt Los Angeles if the Dodgers don’t follow up on his heartfelt and heartland words. Mattingly would be a great fit with the Nationals or Tigers.

“When you’re put in this position, the organization basically says we don’t know if you can manage or not,’’ Mattingly said. “I don’t want to be anywhere that you are not wanted.’’

It’s all about being loved.

Mattingly learned that lesson in pinstripes.

“In New York, at one point, there was talk of trading me,’’ he said. “I felt I can play anywhere. I always have confidence in myself. If they don’t want you and don’t think you’re capable of doing the job, but I don’t know how everybody feels, if there are people that don’t feel the same way.’’

Now, Mattingly feels he can manage anywhere. His $1.4 million option was not picked up a year ago, making him a lame duck, and he did not like that feeling. Now that option has been vested with the win over Atlanta in the NLDS, and he doesn’t want to be a lame duck in 2014, especially when he has to deal with the craziness of Yasiel Puig.

There must be a better Puig Plan in place and Puig and the other Dodgers must understand Mattingly is the boss. Most of the players love Mattingly.

“He’s got our back and we’ve got his,’’ second baseman Mark Ellis said during the NLCS.

Nevertheless, one or two players may be on the fence about Mattingly and he knows if he has another lame-duck season, that situation could get ugly quickly. That is why he wants the assurance from ownership he is there for the long haul.

Mattingly’s removal of Adrian Gonzalez in the 13-inning, Game 1 loss to the Cardinals in the NLCS did not sit well with the first baseman, but by the end of the series, Gonzalez became a force. You could argue Mattingly’s move to win the game at that point, might have motivated the incredibly talented Gonzalez to a new level of success.

After the final 9-0 loss to the Cardinals in Game 6, Mattingly gave a most revealing answer to the last question of the night, about his contract situation being a distraction.

“It’s been that way the whole year,’’ Mattingly said. “The postseason was actually a lot of fun because it was good for me from the standpoint of just concentration and focus. It’s good to know you can get in these [postseason] games and it really doesn’t change — didn’t speed up on me. You all can question this move or that move, but nothing really caught me by surprise. I don’t feel overwhelmed by it.’’

Donnie Baseball believes in himself. It’s time the Dodgers believe, too.