- 5 hours ago
Interim manager of the 14-game win streak Boston Red Sox, Chad Tracy, joins live! What does Tracy make of the 'Tracy Turnaround' moniker? What does Tracy make of the streak? Any one thing he can pinpoint to credit the turnaround?
Has there been less focus/reliance on analytics during the streak?
What are areas this team is looking to address at deadline?
Has there been less focus/reliance on analytics during the streak?
What are areas this team is looking to address at deadline?
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SportsTranscript
00:00Jad, good morning.
00:01Good morning.
00:03Interested in the gig or are you happy with what you have right now?
00:06Happy with this.
00:07I'm not going to be the mayor.
00:09No thanks.
00:09All right.
00:11Well, listen, it was before your time, but I was alive for Morgan Magic.
00:17I'm wondering how you feel about going with Tracy's turnaround.
00:25Um, I'm, I'm going to leave that up to you guys and the writers and whoever else makes
00:30those, those, those crazy names, but, um, I, it doesn't matter to me.
00:35I, and for me, it's like keeping the focus on the players, man.
00:39They've done an incredible job.
00:40I give, I give them, I give them so much credit.
00:43They're the ones out there playing the games.
00:45They're the ones that were going through, you know, what we were going through, getting
00:48booed and whatever, and they just kept at it.
00:50So it's, it's on them.
00:52They've done an amazing job.
00:54We debate it back and forth all the time when it comes to this turnaround.
00:59Um, are you able to, to point to one thing or, or a couple of things that you think have
01:06led to this?
01:08Uh, I, I think it's one thing, but it's broad.
01:13It's not just, oh, we hit, you know, hit some more homers.
01:15It's, it's just offensively the, the change in dynamic of our offense across the board.
01:20Um, at back quality is improved greatly.
01:24We're swinging less.
01:25We're taking more walks.
01:26We're putting the ball in play more.
01:28We're knocking runs in for third.
01:29We're getting bunts down.
01:30Um, we're hitting more home runs and hanging for more power.
01:33Um, it's just completely, uh, flipped.
01:36And I think you guys remember a lot of our conversations early on was like the pitching, uh, the starting
01:40pitching was excellent.
01:41We were right there.
01:42We, I think we've talked a lot about, man, we're, it feels like we're in the game to win
01:45every night and we just couldn't get over the hump and we are doing, doing some of the
01:50things offensively now that we weren't, that are helping us get over the hump, you know,
01:53and in addition to coming back from, uh, trailing, we weren't doing that.
01:57So just a very different dynamic on our offense right now.
02:01Chad, when you get on a winning streak like this, how do you make sure that the focus in
02:05that clubhouse is to be one game at a time rather than all the attention around this winning
02:11streak?
02:13Oh, I think I just try, I try to just do that through my comments.
02:16I mean, obviously everybody's getting asked about it, not just me, the players.
02:20Um, and, and it's, it's cool what's happening and, and, you know, they, they feel the enthusiasm
02:26in the stadium.
02:26They want it.
02:27They want to keep winning and keep it going.
02:29Um, for me, like my comments pretty much the whole time is centered around.
02:34They asked me, people have asked about it.
02:36I'm just like, it's awesome.
02:37And we're going to get ready to play tomorrow.
02:38Like that's really it.
02:40Because at some point, um, unless we pull off the greatest speed ever and win 60 more
02:45games in a row, um, we're going to lose a game.
02:48And the focus is going to be got to get ready to play a game tomorrow.
02:51So, um, I've been pretty, uh, pointed in my comments about that and, um, win, lose or
02:56draw, even when we weren't playing well, like we have a game to play tomorrow and it's time
02:59to figure out how to win that game.
03:01Um, 2009, your dad won manager of the year after taking over the Rockies mid season.
03:07So there's, there's precedent for that in the, in the, uh, family.
03:10I, do you, do you ask him for advice or, uh, do you tell him to stay out of it?
03:16Like my kids do.
03:18Uh, I asked, I asked him for advice a lot early, like really early when I first came here,
03:23you know, like, uh, just, um, advice on, you know, stepping into a role like this and,
03:29you know, the challenges that come with it.
03:30And, but like not in the last, you know, couple of months since, you know, since we got past
03:36that initial period, like, no, not really.
03:38Like he's just, he's just watching the games and he's a huge fan, um, fired up, you know,
03:43after we win a game, I'll get a, I'll get a message from him.
03:46And, but not, uh, we're, we're beyond the point out if I needed to ask him anything or want
03:51his advice, did you watch the game?
03:52What'd you think of this?
03:53He'd be there, but it really has been just him being a, uh, a fan in the background,
03:58like just enjoying what he's watching.
03:59So he's not texting you mid game and saying, let's throw a bunt.
04:02No, no, no.
04:04I don't have like five seconds waiting after the game.
04:06Why'd you do that?
04:07Or why'd you do that?
04:07I didn't know none of that.
04:09That's Breslow.
04:10And he's saying, why are you bunting?
04:11No, Chad, I'm curious because it's so unique.
04:16I mean, I, I've been wrong.
04:18We've all been wrong.
04:19I thought we were having conversations less than six weeks ago about, is this the worst
04:23Red Sox team in the history of the franchise?
04:24And now we're talking about today having the longest winning streak in the history of the
04:28franchise, which is how quickly this has turned around.
04:31Has there been a less, um, uh, amount of focus on analytics?
04:37Has there been a change in any of the ways in which you prepare this team to play that you
04:42can point to, or is it just players getting hot and getting hot at the right time?
04:47Um, no.
04:49And, and to be honest with you, like there wasn't much of, there wasn't like, you know,
04:53we have, I have information just like every other team in the league does, but there wasn't
04:57a lot of that, even when we weren't going well.
05:00And, and, um, if you want me to be perfectly frank with you, like there was a lot of conversations
05:03with Bres and people in the front office about the skill sets of our team and utilizing
05:07bunts and things like that was pushed from them too.
05:10It was like, Hey, we can, like these guys have the ability to do that.
05:13We can create runs that way.
05:14So, um, it's oftentimes not what, what people think as far as all that's concerned.
05:19Um, but I think it's just a combination of, there was some, some different guys came in,
05:24they brought energy, we're getting on base more guys have this skillset.
05:28Oh, we also have some guys that can hit the ball out of the ballpark and let's put those
05:31things together and, and try.
05:33And I think at this point, I I've said a couple of times, it just feels like the dynamic of
05:38the offense now is such that like, you feel like depending on where we're at in the lineup,
05:43we could try to beat you in different ways.
05:44We have some speed, we can bunt and play small ball, go contact play.
05:48And then you get to the middle part of that order with Willier and, and Wilson and Rafa
05:52and, um, and, uh, Romy, when he's in there too, like, uh, those are areas of the lineup where
05:57we, we might be able to hit some, you know, string some extra base hits together.
06:00So there's just a different dynamic.
06:02You've been the manager of this team for almost three months now.
06:05So, you know, you know, the needs better than anybody else with, with the deadline coming
06:09up.
06:09What are the areas that you, that you think the team should address?
06:15That's a tough one.
06:16It's tough because the, the, the, you said the dynamic, that's a good word.
06:20The dynamic there is difficult because we have, we have some players on the injured list that
06:25have a history of being very good players.
06:27So the dynamic is balancing, trying to figure out, do we feel like we have a chance to get
06:32any of these guys back and we know they can help us?
06:34Are we not going to get them back?
06:36So it's really hard to say right now.
06:38Um, and then throw on top of that, the fact that the team is playing the way it is and,
06:43you know, you're in an area where it's like, man, like being very careful about what is it,
06:48what is it that we can do or do that doesn't disrupt the dynamics of the team too.
06:52So there's a lot of stuff that goes into that.
06:55Um, but you know, I think, I think everybody's common thought throughout the year was like,
07:00you know, uh, that we could use a bat.
07:02Right.
07:02Um, but you, you still have people lurking there that you're, you're hopeful, man, if
07:06we could turn a corner on the injured list, there'd be some guys that could help.
07:09So, um, we're just going to keep playing baseball over this next 10 days and, and play it as good
07:14as we can and then see, you see where we're at, um, with, with all of those things.
07:19Chad, that that's kind of interesting that you talk about that.
07:22We've heard whether it was Chapman or Contreras talk about the chemistry of this team.
07:28How do you, as the manager, make sure that you're still able to incorporate, whether it's
07:33a player via trade or guys coming back from injury to incorporate them into the lineup
07:39and still be able to make sure you're balancing that chemistry, chemistry from the guys that
07:44are performing well right now.
07:45Um, yeah, I mean, it's, it's, I think it's some of the stuff gets, you know, overblown.
07:51Like we have, we have nothing but love for our guys that are sitting on the, that are
07:55on the injured list.
07:56Like we, I want to see all of our guys get healthy, but like, you know, they're all,
08:00everybody's a part of this.
08:01Um, and, and as you go along in a season, Wiggy, like, you know, guys, guys get hot, guys
08:06get cold, other guys get hurt.
08:08Like we've seen, we've seen enough of that.
08:10Like this guy gets healthy, boom, this guy gets hurt.
08:12So you just 162 game season where you play every single day, like there's bound to be
08:18more things.
08:18I knock on, I'm knocking on wood right now.
08:20I hope not, but there's bound to be more things that happen.
08:23Um, and that's why you have depth, right?
08:25And that's why you have, um, players in triple A or in this case, players in the injured
08:28list that maybe you're going to be coming to get healthy.
08:30So, um, we say this every year, every year, every manager probably does at the beginning
08:36of the season, spring trainings, you know, say, Hey, we're going to
08:38leave camp with 26 guys and it's probably going to take more like 50 or 60 to get us
08:43through a season.
08:44Um, and this year has obviously been no different, maybe more.
08:48And, um, that's, that's not done.
08:50There's still going to be things that happen that are going to require us to need a lot
08:53of, a lot of players.
08:54Chad, we talk about it a lot and you would know better than I.
08:58So I just be curious if you could help us clarify, is there any concern in the organization
09:04regarding Roman Anthony or Marcelo Meyer away from the field in terms of
09:08what they, you know, partying, going out?
09:10Is there, has there been any conversations because that stuff we hear and rumors are not
09:14great if we can't confirm them.
09:15So just curious from your perspective as a manager of the team, what, what your concern
09:19level is there?
09:20If there is one.
09:22Zero.
09:23Not, not even, not even remotely on my radar.
09:27Not, not something we've even talked about in here.
09:29Um, I've said, I've tried to say here publicly the last couple of days, people, you know,
09:33I know that's gets a lot of attention.
09:35Um, Roman in particular is like, I've said it publicly.
09:39I want Roman healthy and I want Roman back.
09:41Roman's a great baseball player.
09:43He's a hell of a hitter and he can help us, you know, but we cannot have Roman that hell
09:48of a hitter with two hands, you know, not with one.
09:51So like we have to get him healthy.
09:53Um, but I have no concerns with, uh, you know, where his intentions lie.
09:57I've been in touch with Roman every two or three days.
09:59He's down in Florida.
10:00He's hanging out in the home with sweets.
10:02He's trying to get himself healthy.
10:03That's literally it.
10:04Um, and being in Florida allows him to focus on that and do that.
10:08Um, and not feel like he's here at Fenway where he's the center of attention.
10:13Everybody's going to him, asking him all these questions.
10:14He's very focused on what he's trying to do right now, but I have no concern Curtis over
10:18Roman and Marcello or where they're going.
10:20I love that home with sweets.
10:22They have a great five o'clock buffet.
10:23I used to stay there all the time.
10:25Yeah.
10:25You get in there.
10:27I think, you know, you can make your own meals.
10:29The whole time.
10:30I've been, been there many times.
10:31Yeah.
10:33Chad, we obviously know about veterans.
10:35You wouldn't stay there.
10:35Wiggy insists on four star only.
10:37Yeah.
10:37Yeah.
10:38I'm a hotel snob.
10:39He'd be at the Ritz.
10:40He'd be at the Ritz.
10:41I cannot lie.
10:42I'm a hotel snob.
10:43Um, that's because I grew up in a dump in East Boston.
10:47So let me ask.
10:48Does John Henry get the points?
10:49Like when you're, when you're staying there?
10:52I have no idea.
10:53I don't know.
10:54I usually, if we are, if we're at him, I have a Marriott.
10:56So if we're at a Marriott, I usually go turn my number and say, can I, can I put this
11:00on
11:00the room?
11:00So I don't know the other places.
11:02I'm not sure.
11:03Chad, we talked about some of the veterans on the team and you know what they've meant
11:08to this team, but how do you lean on some of those guys to, you know, especially get to
11:14the younger players who are experienced something like this, that they probably have never experienced
11:19before.
11:20Or when you talk about a run that, that a run like you guys are wrong.
11:25I think at this point, like, you know, even, even veteran players, like, I don't think there's
11:31many people, veteran rookie, regardless that have gone through something like that.
11:35Although we do have a couple of guys from the, the brewers that had a streak last year.
11:39So, um, it doesn't matter right now, veteran rookie, whatever, they're all playing with
11:44intent, um, and, and getting after it.
11:47But I mean, like broadly, um, to be honest with you, I just think, I think it's, it's
11:53good.
11:53What's happening now is like all, especially our new guys, um, guys that had just gotten
11:58to the organization or new, newer players that come to Boston, you come to Fenway and you
12:03have these expectations and like, and we didn't necessarily live up to those expectations early
12:07as far as the way we were playing and mostly just Fenway wasn't Fenway and there was some
12:12booze, right.
12:12And all the chants and all the different things.
12:15Um, and for them now, uh, to feel, and we talked to them prior to all this starting, like,
12:19you know, Hey, if we can turn this thing, like, you'll see what Fenway's and these fans
12:23are about and how they get behind you when you're playing the brand of baseball, we want
12:27to play.
12:27They feel that now.
12:29And so now I think for their growth, it's important.
12:32Like, okay, I know what this place feels like when it's not going well.
12:35And now I know what it feels like when it's going well.
12:38Um, so it seasons them, you know what I mean?
12:40It, it, it definitely seasons them and it makes them understand like, you know, I want
12:45to feel like this and also understand that, Hey, if things go poorly for a period of time,
12:49you just keep pushing because they'll be right there to get behind you when things go good.
12:53And I think it's been important for them to see both sides of that.
12:56Is it like a no hitter where nobody's going to discuss the franchise record when it comes
13:00to consecutive wins and, and maybe breaking that game two tonight?
13:06It's nobody internally.
13:08We're not, we're not making the thing I've tried again.
13:10I think I've, you know, the, the message I think is bleeding into the players.
13:13Like, Hey, just take care of the game in front of you.
13:15That's it.
13:16It's hard not to talk about it.
13:17Cause there's enough reporters and journalists and people around that are asking about it.
13:21And it's obviously the center of attention.
13:22So everybody knows what's going on and they want it for sure.
13:26Um, uh, but at the same time, like, it's like, you can't like today, you can't take care of
13:31game two until you take care of game one.
13:33So like the focus needs to be on like, what do we got to do to win game one?
13:36And then we'll worry about game two later.
13:39Um, and that, that makes it easier.
13:41Just handle the game in front of you.
13:42Were you invited to the Tully's wedding at Aria?
13:46I was not, but it was on the all-star break.
13:49I think they kept that small.
13:50And a lot of us were off doing our thing at the all-star break, but I'm very happy for
13:53him.
13:54Okay.
13:54You had mentioned earlier when we had the privilege to talk to you, uh, about Cora
13:58being very supportive.
14:00Have you heard from him at all during this, this winning streak, um, with, uh, any words
14:04of encouragement, not during the winning streak, but I would imagine that nobody or people that
14:09have been around baseball, maybe don't want to don't do not want to send a message or disrupt
14:14anything during a winning streak, but, um, he's there, he's watching.
14:17I guarantee you that it's just last one for me about Roman.
14:20Is there, is there any chance that, I mean, do you believe that there is still a chance
14:24that he comes back and is a productive member of this team this season?
14:28I do believe that, um, I'm not saying that's going to happen, but I do believe that, uh,
14:33mainly because, um, what, what's happened to his hand and what's limiting still is not
14:38limiting him from doing all the other, all the other things he's been running, he's been
14:43able to throw, um, he's been able to get out and get defense.
14:47So like, if we get this thing to where it needs to be, it literally is just a matter of
14:52like, we need a hitting progression.
14:53We got to get him out on a rehab assignment.
14:54It's not like, you know, he's been sitting there completely inactive for two and a half
14:58months.
14:59That's not the case.
15:00Um, so there's, there's an opportunity to ramp up and get him back, but it's just, we
15:04have to wait on the hand.
15:05So I do think so.
15:06I don't know if it's going to happen or not, but I do, I do think that could happen.
15:10And congrats.
15:11You are going into the Woo Sox hall of fame tomorrow.
15:14Thank you very much.
15:16That place, that place, as you guys probably know, as much time as I spent there, um, that
15:21place means a lot to me.
15:22Uh, a lot of games managed there, a lot of time spent in that city, uh, managing that
15:27team.
15:27And, and a lot of times spent with some really incredible people that, that run that, that
15:31organization, run that team.
15:33Um, so I'm excited for that.
15:35Chad, thanks for taking the time.
15:37It's been an incredible run so far.
15:40Thank you guys.
15:42Yeah.
15:42Greg, can I ask one thing before he leaves?
15:45Sure.
15:46We're trying to settle the debate here.
15:48We were talking about Nick Sirianni and using chat GPT.
15:52Do you utilize, which I think is a very valuable tool.
15:57Do you utilize chat GPT in your coaching life at all?
16:02No.
16:05No.
16:05All right.
16:06I might, I've maybe used chat GPT like twice in my life.
16:09To me, it's just, it's too complicated.
16:12You got to ask it this and you got to ask it five more questions.
16:14And there are times, I don't have time for that.
16:16So I, I, no, I, my wife uses chat GPT.
16:19I do, I do not use it.
16:20All right.
16:20All right.
16:21Sorry, man.
16:22Yeah.
16:22We'll try it.
16:23Good luck today.
16:24We relies on it.
16:25Yeah.
16:25Good luck today, Chad Tracy.
16:26And we will talk to you again soon.
16:29All right, guys.
16:29Have a good one.
16:30All right.
16:30That is Chad Tracy, the interim manager of the Boston Red Sox.
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