Jim Tracy
Jim Tracy
base believe buffer clubhouse good guy happen needs office people team third
Every team needs people like that. It's not just what he does as a third base coach, and I happen to be believe he's very good at what he does. Having this guy as a buffer between my office and the clubhouse ... that's huge.
baseball good helped team
Obviously, he helped make us a good baseball team two years ago.
large last mean next obviously sample six size team won year
One-and-7 obviously isn't the way you want to start. But the (Dodgers) team I managed last year started 12-2 and we won 71 games. So it's not a large enough sample size of games. It doesn't mean this is the kind of team we're going to be for the next six months.
easy few gonna guy identical last leave quality recognize saw seeing start starts step teammates took
What we're seeing right now is, in my mind, identical to what we saw last year, when it took him a few starts to get untracked, and then you see one quality start after another. His teammates recognize that's he gonna leave everything that he has on the field, and it's very easy to step up for a guy like that.
batting guys half help hitting inches intangible league major necessary pitching sit six success takes talk team vitally
When half of the team is the pitching staff, there are some intangible things that are important. We can sit here and talk about hitting all we want. But that won't help the other part that is vitally necessary to the success of the Major League team, and that's the interaction that takes place between two guys 60 feet, six inches away from one another. That's just as important as anybody's batting average.
anybody chance charge close everybody games handle lock matter putting serious slam teams throw thus type winning
Back in May, when the Padres went something like 22-6, they had a chance to slam the door, throw the lock around the handle and close it off for everybody else. And it didn't happen. So it's not a matter of anybody putting on any type of serious charge thus far, it's a matter of teams just winning some games here and there.
building immediacy number perform point special step team trust watch win
You see building blocks. There's an immediacy in that we want to win right away, but there's also a foundation, I think, for this team to be pretty special for a number of years. When you can build something to the point it's very good, then step back and watch it perform collectively? Trust me, that's a special feeling.
approach approaches ball change dugout far given group guy missed noticed players situation swing swung team understand watching
The one thing I noticed about this team while watching from the other dugout is that it swung and missed too much. The approach had to change collectively, in my opinion, as far as each and every guy approaches his at bats. You need a group of players that understand that in a given situation it's pretty important for them to try and put the ball in play, and not swing and miss.
active baseball behind care finished gets half imperative members pitching plate product ryan safe stuff taken team
I think it's very safe to say that Ryan is not a finished product defensively. I also feel that, when you look at a major-league baseball team that has 25 active members and half of that is your pitching staff, it's pretty imperative that that stuff back there behind the plate gets taken care of.
bench contend factor fan great handled knows player situation team
He has handled the situation very professionally and he's made a big fan out of me because of that. It's great to have a player like him on the bench that you can put into the lineup and the other team knows he's a significant factor to contend with.
against best game
We were pitched to death. It's the best game that's been pitched against us all year.
behind mound plate realizing ryan success takes vitally
What takes place between the pitcher's mound and behind the plate is vitally important to the success of a major-league team. I think Ryan is realizing that more every day.
dominated
We got pitched to death. He dominated the game.
good mind signed
I've never signed up for anything with the thought in mind that I wanted to be mediocre. I feel pretty good about it.