DODGERS NOTEBOOK: CONTENTED TRACY LOOKING FORWARD.Byline: Tony Jackson
Anthony (Antonio) Jackson, best known as Tony Jackson Staff Writer PHILADELPHIA The conference call was brief; Typically, former Dodgers manager Jim Tracy
Now at the helm in Pittsburgh, where the Dodgers will play the foils in the Pirates' home opener this afternoon, Tracy entered Sunday still seeking his first win of the season after sixcq tries. While talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. reporters by telephone before both the Pirates' 5-3 victory over Cincinnati game at Cincinnati and the Dodgers' doubleheader with Philadelphia, Tracy admitted he was looking forward to facing his old club. What he wouldn't admit to was looking back, even though the Dodgers have undergone significant changes since Tracy left. Paul DePodesta Paul DePodesta (born December 16, 1972) is baseball front-office assistant for the San Diego Padres. He has also served as general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers from February 16, 2004 to October 29, 2005. , the general manager with whom Tracy had so many philosophical disagreements over the past two seasons, was run out of town four weeks after he forced Tracy out. and who ultimately ran Tracy out of town, was run out of town himself four weeks later. Even though The Dodgers clubhouse, which seemed last year to epitomize dysfunction, has been restocked with savvy veterans who not only know how to win but also know how to conduct themselves. "(Pirates GM) Dave Littlefield David Littlefield is a former Major League Baseball executive. Littlefield was employed as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, a position he held from July 13, 2001 to September 7, 2007. is someone I have known for quite a while," Tracy said. "Our thought process is very similar." That alone is enough to keep Tracy happy, even if his small-market, budget-constrained club is years away from actually contending in the stacked National League Central. "Hopefully, you take a step farther and get to the point as you go along where you're able to do something with it," Tracy said. "It's not something where I can sit here and say there is a complete cure-all overnight. "It didn't happen that way in Los Angeles, and it won't happen here that way. But if you put a program together and stay focused on it day in and day out Adv. 1. day in and day out - without respite; "he plays chess day in and day out" all the time , sooner or later, I feel strongly we will get to the point where ... we will get the opportunity to play baseball in the month of October." --Successful debut: Takashi Saitocq, the 36-year-old "rookie" whom the Dodgers purchased from Triple-A Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. on Friday, made his major-league debut with two outs in the eighth inning of the opener. He faced one batter, inducing a one-hopper back to the mound by David Bell David Bell may refer to:
His 14 seasons as a star pitcher for the Yokohama BayStarscq of Japan's Central League notwithstanding, Saito admitted being nervous Sunday. "(But) from a personal standpoint, I'm satisfied with my performance," Saito said, with Dodgers traveling secretary Scott Akasaki interpreting. "But we lost that game, and that's the bottom line." tony.jackson@dailynews.com (818) 713-3675 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Philadelphia's Bobby Abreu watches his winning homer in the ninth inning of the first game Sunday. George Widman/Associated Press |
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