Behind doors closed to the baseball public, things do not look all that much different from where the Capital of the Commonwealth Red Sox play and the Heart of the Commonwealth Red Sox play.
A look at the various name plates says it all.
There is Tayron Guerrero, just up from Worcester. There are Payton Tolle and Connelly Early, WooSox graduates as well. Connor Wong was the first Worcester guy to be promoted here. Mickey Gasper and Nick Sogard are both back again and turning into important members of the roster.
Cedanne Rafaela, Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Brayan Bello — familar faces in Worcester.
And in the corner office, making plans for the big league Red Sox to play the Minnesota Twins, was interim manager Chad Tracy.
It has been almost a month since Tracy went from being a well-regarded Triple-A manager to Boston. It has been just a few days since he was announced as one of the newest members of the WooSox Hall of Fame, although he knew as far back as February.
At Friday’s pre-game press conference, that particular achievement was mentioned a couple of times by questioners.
“It’s a very, very cool honor,” Tracy said. “Obviously I spent a lot of time there and loved every second of it so I’m honored by that.”
It was suggested that he celebrated being named to the Hall of Fame by moving out of the city.
“My off day was Ubering to Worcester and gathering all my things,” Tracy said. The clubhouse staff helped with the transfer to here.
“At least I have a closet and I’m settled.”
Tracy’s official title remains interim manager. However, the fact that he is settling moving his belongings to Boston says something. Another indicator that Tracy has gone beyond temporary is that he and the WooSox are trying to find a Hall of Fame induction day that works for both sides later this season.
With Friday’s 8-6 defeat in the books, Tracy’s record was 12-11. He has already set a Red Sox record for most games managed, and won, by one of their interim managers. Joe Morgan was named interim manager at the All-Star break in 1988. Boston went 6-0 in his first six games and he lost the interim label; Morgan went on to manage through 1991.
Eddie Popowski was 6-4 as interim manager in 1969 after Dick Williams was fired. Pete Runnels went 8-8 in 1966 after Billy Herman was axed in September. Runnels was offered the full-time job for 1967 but declined.
Williams was hired and led Boston to its impossible dream pennant.
In Worcester, there was more to managing than making out the lineup card and changing pitchers. He had to deal with roster movement nearly every day, limited starting pitching, rotating bullpen members, big leaguers down on rehab and minor leaguers who thought they should be major leaguers.
Winning and losing was not the only menu item.
He dealt with five or six reporters and broadcasters, often on informal basis. Here, every move Tracy makes is dissected, just like leaving Justin Slaten in Friday night’s game to give up a second home run. He is on TV a lot, and he has to deal with a couple dozen media members on a daily basis.
The best part of managing the WooSox was telling players the were being promoted. In the majors, it works the other way. Friday Tracy had to tell Zack Kelly, who he had managed in all five of his seasons in Worcester, that he was headed back to Triple-A.
“That’s a hard one,” Tracy said. “I think you guys know the way we’ve performed as a pitching staff including our bullpen, that there’s nobody you can look at and say, ‘Man, that guy deserved it.”
That is managers do in the major leagues. They make difficult decisions, and Tracy spent four-plus years in Worcester waiting for a chance to do just that.
Bill Ballou can be reached at vetgoalie@aol.com
