'He deserves it': Chad Tracy tabbed as interim manager of the Boston Red Sox

After the Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora on Saturday following a win over the Baltimore Orioles, but a 10-17 record to start the season, Tracy was tabbed to be the new bench boss for Boston.

The now former WooSox manager left the Triple-A team’s dugout on Saturday afternoon to receive the breaking news and never returned to his perch inside the WooSox’ bench area.

Following the game, Tracy was congratulated by Worcester coaches and players before boarding a plane that took off from Worcester Regional Airport and landed in Baltimore later that night. Tracy was able to join the Red Sox in time for their series finale against the Orioles on Sunday.

“Take care of Iggy for me,” Tracy told WooSox staff and media members as they watched him leave Polar Park late Saturday night.

Iggy is Iggy Suarez. He’ll step in for Tracy as manager of WooSox this season.

But before Tracy manages his first ever game in the big leagues Sunday, let’s get to know the man who managed the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox for parts of five seasons.

WORCESTER - Worcester manager, and third base coach, Chad Tracy slaps hands with Stephen Scott as Scott rounds the bases on his sixth-inning home run at Polar Park Wednesday, August 16, 2023.

A baseball lifer

When it comes to a life in baseball, Chad Tracy didn’t really have a choice.

His father, Jim, played Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs in 1980 and 1981 before embarking on a managerial career that landed him gigs with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies, among other coaching stops along the way.

Bench coach José David Flores, left, and manager Chad Tracy hit ground balls to infielders on the first day of practice at Polar Park Tuesday.

Tracy, along with his two brothers and mother, became accustomed to life on the road in professional baseball.

“Everything was baseball. I was around it and surrounded by it so much,” Tracy told the T&G previously. “It’s just literally been my entire my life.”

Born in Illinois, Tracy spent most of his childhood in Florida before moving to California at the age of 16.

WooSox manager Chad Tracy approaches the mound to make a pitching change versus the Syracuse Mets on Sept. 18, 2023 at Polar Park in Worcester.

Tracy then became the West Coast Conference Player of the Year at Pepperdine University in 2005. A year later, Tracy was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award, which is given to the top catcher in Division 1.

“He was a natural,” his mother, Deborah, told the T&G in 2023.

A third-round selection by the Texas Rangers in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Tracy broke into professional baseball as a catcher before moving to first base, outfield and designated hitter following surgery on his rotator cuff.

In nine seasons of pro ball, Tracy hit .267 with 159 home runs and 706 RBIs. The closest he got to the majors was playing in Triple A before beginning his coaching career in 2015.

WooSox manager Chad Tracy watches a hitter from third base during Thursday night's game at Polar Park.

“Chad, in my opinion, belongs on the field and he’s a natural teacher. It’s just kind of his thing, it always has been,” said his mother. “He can empathize with the struggle that a player might be having.”

Following managerial stints with Class-A Burlington (2015) and High-A Inland Empire (2016-2017), Tracy spent four seasons as the Los Angeles Angels’ minor league field coordinator. He returned to the dugout in 2022 with the WooSox and spent parts of five seasons managing in Worcester.

In 2023, Tracy was selected as the Best Manager Prospect in Triple A by Baseball America. Later this year, he’ll be inducted into the WooSox Hall of Fame.

“He’ll be a big-league manager someday,” said former WooSox utilityman Ryan Fitzgerald.

WooSox manager Chad Tracy watches the action versus the Norfolk Tides on Tuesday.

Chad Tracy closes in on career win No. 500 as a manager

On April 25, Tracy finally got that chance.

Hours after his Triple-A team tallied a 9-2 victory over the Syracuse Mets, when Tracy picked up his 499th career win, even if he spent most of the game in his office, the 40-year-old is now headed to the big leagues.

Whenever the Red Sox win next, Tracy will secure managerial win No. 500 for his career.

“He’s a really good manager,” WooSox outfielder Kristian Campbell said. “ … I feel like he'll do a good job when he goes up … and we’ll see how it goes. But I’m excited for him and I know he’s excited.”

WooSox manager Chad Tracy takes notes versus the Durham Bulls at Polar Park on Friday April 19, 2024.

Tracy was understandably excited while leaving Polar Park Saturday. Although he left behind mementos from some of his past signature wins as a manager in the minor leagues, the baseball lifer and son of a former Major League manager is headed to the big leagues.

Chad Tracy is now the interim manager of the Boston Red Sox.

—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: What to know about Boston Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy