WEBVTT - Chad Tracy (8-1-26) 

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<v Speaker 1>And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk.

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<v Speaker 2>All Right, the Dodgers and Red Sox have a long

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<v Speaker 2>lineage and intersections over the course of the last twenty

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<v Speaker 2>five years, and there's another one at Dodgers Stadium. Jim Tracy,

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<v Speaker 2>former Dodgers manager in the early two thousands, has a

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<v Speaker 2>son now managing the Red Sox. And I know on

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<v Speaker 2>the East Coast they believe that everything starts and ends

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<v Speaker 2>over there, but this guy right here is a proud

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<v Speaker 2>Pepperdine wave. Not many on the East Coast know that

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<v Speaker 2>this guy right here won the WCC Player of the

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<v Speaker 2>Year while living the good life out there in Malibu

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<v Speaker 2>and going to the Malibu in and having a great time.

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<v Speaker 2>Chad Tracy is our guest. Thanks a lot for the

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<v Speaker 2>time and great to have you back at Dodger Stadium.

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<v Speaker 3>That's cool to be back, David, thanks for having me.

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<v Speaker 2>So what was when is the last time you were here?

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<v Speaker 2>I'm just curious. You've been grinding, so I'm wondering when

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<v Speaker 2>was the last time you came here.

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<v Speaker 1>To be honest with you, I was thinking standing out

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<v Speaker 1>here during BPSJ try to think of when was the

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<v Speaker 1>last time I was at a game here, and I

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<v Speaker 1>truly think it was probably when my dad was here.

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<v Speaker 1>It's probably been twenty years since I've been to a

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<v Speaker 1>game here, unless I'm missing one in there somewhere. But

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<v Speaker 1>it's been a really long time and really cool to

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<v Speaker 1>come back and see the stadium.

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<v Speaker 2>They obviously have done some renovations to the ballpark, but

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<v Speaker 2>it feels like they've kept the integrity. Have you noticed

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<v Speaker 2>the changes?

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<v Speaker 3>Definitely see the changes, for sure. It doesn't.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, the integrity part feels the same when you like

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<v Speaker 1>stand out and center and look around.

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<v Speaker 3>And see it. It doesn't.

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<v Speaker 1>They didn't mess with any of what makes it so great,

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<v Speaker 1>which is cool. And I know there's additions and things

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<v Speaker 1>that I've seen around that make it modernized in some way,

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<v Speaker 1>But when you look at the stadium itself, it's just

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<v Speaker 1>as cool as it always was.

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<v Speaker 2>When your dad was managing. You were in high school.

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<v Speaker 3>And college, Yeah, a combination of the two.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, So what do you remember the most being around

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<v Speaker 2>a big league clubhouse when you were in high school

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<v Speaker 2>in college?

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<v Speaker 3>That was the cool part about it.

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<v Speaker 1>I was old enough to like be here, come here,

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<v Speaker 1>and like hang out here and take VP, and I

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<v Speaker 1>remember catching, you know, Ganye and Mota would throw bullpens.

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<v Speaker 1>I'd help out the bullpen catchers and catch pins because

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<v Speaker 1>I was obviously a catcher. I was kind of when

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<v Speaker 1>I would come in, I'd kind of just immerse myself

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<v Speaker 1>and stuff that was going on because I was old

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<v Speaker 1>enough to do it, you know, So.

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<v Speaker 3>It was it was obviously it's Dodger Stadium. It's really cool.

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<v Speaker 3>But I was old enough to remember all of it.

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<v Speaker 1>I was old enough to like engage with the guys

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<v Speaker 1>and the players and take ground balls and just do

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<v Speaker 1>different stuff, and it was just a really really cool,

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<v Speaker 1>cool chapter in my life.

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<v Speaker 3>For sure.

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<v Speaker 2>I actually do remember you coming to the ballpark and

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<v Speaker 2>lugging that big Pepperdine catchers back around.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I was, I was doing it. I was probably

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<v Speaker 1>doing it a bit less. So once I was the

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<v Speaker 1>first cup I see one, two, and three, I was

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<v Speaker 1>still in high school, which was way easier to get

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<v Speaker 1>over here and spend time with her. Once I got

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<v Speaker 1>to Pepper nine, and like the requirements of baseball in

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<v Speaker 1>college and stuff like, I was probably doing it less.

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<v Speaker 1>So at that point still fell over some. But like

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<v Speaker 1>the high school years, for sure, I was here quite

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<v Speaker 1>a bit.

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<v Speaker 2>So I've heard a lot about you and your brothers

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<v Speaker 2>when you guys were growing up and your dad was

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<v Speaker 2>managing here, So maybe you could set the record straight

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<v Speaker 2>on a couple of things. The Beat writers that covered

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<v Speaker 2>your dad said he used to refer to you and

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<v Speaker 2>your brothers as Marmaduke and Cheeks. Which one were you?

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<v Speaker 1>I don't I was probably Marma Duke. Mark was probably Cheeks,

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<v Speaker 1>but I don't they had. He had plenty of weird

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<v Speaker 1>nicknames for us and we were growing up for sure.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, here's another one for you. Rick Monday, who

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<v Speaker 2>is still broadcasting Dodger Games segment.

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<v Speaker 3>He still likes chili when you see him today? Is

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<v Speaker 3>he still like chili?

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<v Speaker 2>That's exactly what I was gonna bring up to you.

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<v Speaker 3>He likes chili. He's a big fan of chili.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, he said. You brought it up as well, and

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<v Speaker 2>he started to bring chili cans down to the office

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<v Speaker 2>for you.

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<v Speaker 1>I figured when you said Rick Money, the first thing

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<v Speaker 1>comes to mind, is he really likes chili.

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<v Speaker 2>I thought, maybe you guys love chili the way he.

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<v Speaker 3>Said a lot.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, So what was that about? Did he actually bring

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<v Speaker 2>you down cans of chili?

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<v Speaker 3>No?

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<v Speaker 1>I'm sure he did, but it was just something that

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<v Speaker 1>he said, I have a getch some chili, So it's

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<v Speaker 1>just something that I remember him saying all the time.

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<v Speaker 2>Chad Tracy is our guest. I had a first pitch

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<v Speaker 2>between the Dodgers and Red Sox. Obviously, even in La Chad,

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<v Speaker 2>we know what the Red Sox have done since the

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<v Speaker 2>beginning of June. How fun has it been for you

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<v Speaker 2>to really see these guys play to their potential.

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<v Speaker 1>It's been a great experience. Obviously, went through a lot

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<v Speaker 1>over the first few months of the season and always

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<v Speaker 1>believe that there was enough talent in the room to

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<v Speaker 1>you know, play better than we were and see it turn.

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<v Speaker 1>And obviously it's turned, but it's turned in even bigger

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<v Speaker 1>fashion than a lot of us that imagine.

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<v Speaker 3>But we've played very, very well over the course of.

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<v Speaker 1>The last month plus and put ourselves in a good position,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's been a lot of fun. When there's a

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<v Speaker 1>group of players that I really enjoyed being with. I've

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<v Speaker 1>had a lot of them in the minor leagues, and

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<v Speaker 1>they play the game the right way, and they play hard,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's just a good group in there, and they're

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<v Speaker 1>meshing well and we have to just continue to play.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, it's all it is now.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm sure you know the history. When Tommy Lasorda was

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<v Speaker 2>managing the Dodgers, he was managing in the minor leagues

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<v Speaker 2>and he came up with those guys Garvey, Lopes, Russell

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<v Speaker 2>and say, is it similar with you? Because you manage

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<v Speaker 2>some of these guys in the minor leagues?

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<v Speaker 3>It makes it. It makes it.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean it's a huge transition, you know, when you're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna come up and manage the Red Sox almost it's

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<v Speaker 1>just about May. And there's been some struggles with all

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<v Speaker 1>the market the way it is, like, there's there's challenges

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<v Speaker 1>with that. But what makes it easier when you walk

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<v Speaker 1>in and you know, like about seventy five to eighty

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<v Speaker 1>percent of the room knows who I am, knows what

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<v Speaker 1>I'm about, has played for me, and I know what

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<v Speaker 1>they're about. So as far as like you know, the

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<v Speaker 1>trust that needs to get built between coaches or a

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<v Speaker 1>manager and players, like that's a.

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<v Speaker 3>Huge piece of it.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think some of that leg work had already

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<v Speaker 1>been done in the minor league. So it's certainly helped

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<v Speaker 1>a lot when I when I got into the room.

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<v Speaker 2>I heard you live right beyond the outfield in the

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<v Speaker 2>minor leagues when you were managing Triple A. So do

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<v Speaker 2>you live right on Landsdown? Where do you live?

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<v Speaker 3>I live a couple blocks away. I'm close.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm close. I can see it. I'm a couple of

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<v Speaker 1>blocks away. But yeah, I was in Worcestern. I was

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<v Speaker 1>just behind the right field wall and I walked to work.

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<v Speaker 1>And I do much of the same here, which is cool.

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<v Speaker 2>That's amazing, Chad Tracy. Before I let you go last night,

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<v Speaker 2>you exchange lineup cards with one of your dad's former players,

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<v Speaker 2>Dave Roberts, who's a legend in Boston and obviously is

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<v Speaker 2>cementing his legacy as a manager here in LA. What

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<v Speaker 2>was your relationship with Dave when he was a player,

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<v Speaker 2>and what was it like going out there.

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<v Speaker 1>He might be cementing his legacy as a Hall of Famer,

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<v Speaker 1>To be perfectly honest with you, he's been. His career

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<v Speaker 1>speaks for itself as a manager for sure and as

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<v Speaker 1>a player.

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<v Speaker 3>But he I gave him a big hug just because

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<v Speaker 3>I know him. I met him. He knows who I am.

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<v Speaker 1>I was hanging around the field so and I know

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<v Speaker 1>and he said that up there that, you know, telling him, bros.

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<v Speaker 3>This, this guy's dad gave me my first opportunity.

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<v Speaker 1>And there's plenty of others you know that we're given opportunities,

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<v Speaker 1>Alex cor being one of them, Paula Duca and I

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<v Speaker 1>got to know all these guys and watch them respond

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<v Speaker 1>to my dad the way they did, and I and

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<v Speaker 1>I relish in the memories of that because the team,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, with some of these guys getting first opportunities,

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<v Speaker 1>the team, you know, won an n OL West championship,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, so, and I was old enough to know

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<v Speaker 1>exactly what's going on. I was sitting right there when

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<v Speaker 1>hit the walk off Grand Slam, and so I was

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<v Speaker 1>very engaged with that team, and it was.

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<v Speaker 3>Just cool to see Doc and give him a hug.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, congratulations on the success you've had. You've worked really

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<v Speaker 2>hard to get this opportunity. Everybody in Los Angeles is

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<v Speaker 2>rooting for you, especially out there in Malibu. I won't

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<v Speaker 2>call you a pepperhead, because that's offensive, I know how

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<v Speaker 2>that's what the locals think.

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<v Speaker 1>No, it's I actually think I might be able to

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<v Speaker 1>see there might be some people from pepper On that

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<v Speaker 1>might come tomorrow but it's it's.

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<v Speaker 3>Been a while. Something back and thank you for having me.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't have chili for you, but I have a

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<v Speaker 2>gift card to Travis Matthew. Thank you for the time,

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<v Speaker 2>and you'll receive a gift card to Travis Matthew. So

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<v Speaker 2>the lifestyle you I love that.

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<v Speaker 3>I appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll email it to Abby, she better deliver it for you.

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<v Speaker 3>Chad Tracy, thank you, appreciate it.