What’s the Deal With Jim Tracy?
After two underachieving seasons, Pirates manager Jim Tracy is on his way out the door. Since he has nothing to lose, one would think that in his last few days on the job Tracy would try to create an amicable, laid-back atmosphere—a sort of “fuck it, let’s have some fun and be happy before I leave” kind of thing. Well, that’s not the case.
Last week the wives of both Jack Wilson and Salomon Torres gave birth to newborn babies. Yet despite protests from both players, Tracy demanded that they return to the team after two days. Because the Pirates were playing teams in the N.L. playoff race, Tracy wanted to be fair and play his best players. While Tracy’s goal was admirable, his demands on his players were completely unreasonable. This wasn’t some cousin’s wedding they were going to, it was the birth of their child. I think the Brewers would have understood if Jack Wilson wasn’t back in time to start against the Cubs.
As it turned out, neither player returned on the day Tracy wanted. Torres went over Tracy’s head and received permission from then interim general manager Brian Graham to stay with his wife a few more days. Wilson, on the other hand, blatantly disobeyed Tracy’s orders and stayed with his wife two extra days.
In the end Tracy didn’t get what he wanted and managed to look like an asshole. Now instead of just being remembered for 90 loss seasons, Tracy will also be known for tearing families apart.
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