Midwest League Profile

Trace

Jim Tracy was appointed field manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers on November 1, 2000. Although he never played in our league, Jim's one of ours; we should celebrate his success.

Playing Career

James Edwin Tracy was selected by the Chicago Nationals out of Marietta College in the fourth round of the 1977 draft. The Cubs assigned him to Pompano Beach in the Florida State League. Two years later, his .355 batting average with Midland led the Texas League; a similar 1980 start at Wichita, then in the American Association, won Jim a trial with the big league team. He played in 87 games for the Cubs in 1980 and 1981.

Tracy moved to the Houston organization for 1982, playing at Tucson, then spent two summers in Japan before ending his playing career with a few games in the Astro and Cubbie systems. Jim hit .292 in his 8-year minor league career, and showed enough power to keep his employers interested. His big league totals aren't inspiring.

Jim's father, also named Jim, played minor league ball for the Phils and the Giants in the late 1940s.

Jim Tracy's major league career.

Managing Career

The Cubs offered Jim a managing position in 1987, assigning him to the MWL at Peoria. The 1987 Chiefs went 71/69, while 1988's team evenly split 140 games. The Reds hired him to manage at Chattanooga, where he stayed for 3 summers; he lost a few more than he won during that term.

Tracy's 1993 season, with Harrisburg in the Expos organization, was glorious; the Senators won 94 games and the Eastern League championship. Jim collected manager of the year honors from the league--and the Minor League Manager of the Year prize from The Sporting News. After a season at Ottawa, Jim returned to the majors as bench coach for Expo manager Felipe Alou from 1995 through 1998. Jim spent two summers as the Dodger bench coach, helping Davey Johnson run the team.

Now Trace gets a chance to show what he can do with a big-league team. So far it's turned out well.

Jim Tracy's managerial career.

Notes:

Tracy's the hero--if that's the word--of Joe Bosco's controversial book The Boys Who Would Be Cubs, a strange and unsavory chronicle of the 1988 season in Peoria. It's not a pretty book, and I can't exactly recommend it, but Bosco paints an interesting and generally sympathetic portrait of the skipper.

This profile originated as the November 6, 2000, Midwest League Tidbit on the Midwest League Mailing List.