Life is never boring for fans of the Boston Red Sox. On Saturday, the offense finally came alive. The team scored 17 runs, while Garrett Crochet twirled a gem. Naturally, the good vibes were not allowed to stay long.
Later in the day, it was announced the team was gutting the coaching staff, and it all started with manager Alex Cora. The rest of his "guys" were fired, too, with the exception of Jason Varitek, who was reassigned.
So who is taking over for Cora? For the immediate future, it’s Chad Tracy getting the honor of interim manager. Tracy was the manager of the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox for the last few seasons and will now be getting his first taste of MLB action on Sunday.
Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy has been excellent for the WooSox
The first thing you need to know is that Chad Tracy is a winner. Worcester had a winning record in all four seasons that Tracy was the manager. This year, they’re once again over .500 with a 14-11 record. Overall, Tracy has 323 wins as the WooSox's manager.
He’s someone you won’t really hear a bad word about from former players, coaches who have worked with him, and those within the organization. I’ve personally had a few interactions with Tracy. Nothing major, usually just quick pleasantries before a game while I’m in the dugout talking to a player. I’ve always come away from the interactions loving the man.
Something a lot of people have noted is how lucky the Red Sox have been the past two offseasons that Tracy returned to the organization and wasn’t offered a job as a manager for another team. It’s very likely they understand that luck and want to give him a test run now to see if he’s the right fit for the future.
There’s a big component that I believe means a lot in this situation. Tracy has a history with a lot of the young talent on the team. He managed Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, Ceddanne Rafaela, and more.
Tracy would also be a perfect bridge for any players that get promoted from Triple-A this season, such as Kristian Campbell, Jake Bennett, Mikey Romero, Allan Castro, and more.
Tracy has a great relationship with the young guys. In a season that desperately needs the young talent to perform, it should be beneficial to have someone they know so well at the helm, especially if things aren’t going all that great.
Tracy has absolutely earned the right to be an MLB manager. Maybe these aren’t the circumstances Boston fans were hoping for, but it's clear why Craig Breslow thinks Tracy should be in charge of this group. And don’t be shocked if he wins them over quickly.
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