- 4 minutes ago
Red Sox (interim) manager Chad Tracy chatted with the guys about the confidence the team is playing with, the trade deadline acquisitions, gave an injury update on Roman Anthony, and more!
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00:00Chad, let's start with the obvious question.
00:02Do you find it absolutely bonkers that you're in the conversation for manager of the year
00:07and they still haven't taken that dumb interim title off of your name yet?
00:12You know how I'm going to answer that.
00:13I'm still not focused on that in the least.
00:18I am completely and utterly focused on keeping this team pushing forward the way it is right now.
00:24It's interesting to hear you at the intro there saying the best offensive team in baseball.
00:28Who would have thunk it?
00:30Well, I mean, the numbers, you know, what was the stat we just had?
00:34I think it was since, here it is, since July 9th, you guys have hit 31 home runs, the most
00:41in the American League.
00:43I mean, how the hell did you guys go from what you were to what you are now when it
00:48comes to hitting that many home runs?
00:52It's hard to answer that with one thing.
00:54I think the best way I answered it up to this point has been, like, it didn't start that way.
00:59It started as playing a better brand of baseball.
01:02How do we find ways to score runs when we're not hitting for power?
01:06So that's where, you know, the bunts and the moving the runners and the safety squeezes and all the different
01:12things that we did.
01:13And then when you start winning games and then you feel that as a team and then some guys start
01:19to find their swing and then you start to put those together.
01:21And I just I really think most sports, but baseball, especially when your confidence starts to go north, then your
01:28true talent comes out.
01:29And I think there was always players in this team that had the ability to hit more home runs and
01:33things like that.
01:34We just needed the confidence to get there.
01:35And it's there now.
01:36Well, speaking of that, Chad, a lot to get to.
01:38But last night, Raffaella, the hottest hitter on the planet, shows bunt in his first at bat on the first
01:42pitch.
01:43Do you endorse that?
01:44I mean, is it just trying to play games with the other team or what?
01:46Yeah, I mean, it's not it's in some cases they're doing that on their own.
01:50Sorry, I had to turn away from the mic.
01:51But in some cases they are.
01:53There's other cases where I put it on.
01:54But I think Raffa and everybody has gotten to the point now where we've talked so much about the identity
02:00of the team being like, hey, like if we get opportunities to score runs early, like let's score the runs.
02:05And in his case, they're just like, I'm going to try to bunt for a hit and put two people
02:09on base right out of the chute here.
02:10And he ended up, you know, not getting that down.
02:13That's going to happen sometimes.
02:14But the mindset and the mentality is like, let's score first.
02:18Let's get a lead.
02:19Let's stack on the lead.
02:20And I think Raffa knows like I'm not going to hit five home runs every week.
02:23And this is a part of my game, too.
02:25And he's trying to use it.
02:27You talk about confidence.
02:28I'm always been fascinated about how that affects the team, the collective confidence.
02:32Like they always say in baseball, though, it's one thing doesn't lead to it's like everybody's got their own job
02:36and they don't feed off each other.
02:38Is that total BS?
02:40Like, can't you guys don't you guys feed off of each other, seeing each other do well, seeing.
02:44Improvement and I don't know, just there's a synergy.
02:47There's got to be seeing other guys do well that it raises the level of every player.
02:52Is that is that true or false?
02:54And that's very true.
02:55Extremely true.
02:57It's a nine man lineup.
02:58And you always hear the term in baseball.
03:01It's like pass the baton.
03:02And when you when you're passing the baton, it's like, oh, he did his job.
03:05When you pass the next guy, oh, he did his job.
03:07And like, no doubt about it, like a lineup when it's functioning that way and you see people having calm
03:13or having success before you and it gives you confidence.
03:16Like, man, he he hit that hard.
03:17I think, you know, I feel good stepping into the box right now.
03:21And then he hit that.
03:21There's that's that's always been the case in baseball.
03:23And the same going the other way when things aren't going well.
03:26And, you know, this guy's not having a good swing and it can go the other way, too.
03:31But like baseball more than any sport, like absolutely is that way.
03:35We're talking to our manager, Chad Tracy, of your Boston Red Sox.
03:39And boy, we were talking about Adley Rutschman and his teammates in Baltimore.
03:45Love this guy.
03:46Like, I mean, we were talking about how yesterday they were being asked about him leaving.
03:50And some of the players were close to tears, according to reports.
03:54And obviously, we're excited as fans.
03:57First of all, do you have any indication as to when Adley's going to be playing?
04:01Do you know what the timeline is on that?
04:03I don't have a definitive timeline.
04:05I just know that he's was in the process of already starting his hitting progression.
04:10And he's in the middle of that.
04:12He's three or four days into that.
04:13So and that's when when he when the trade is made and he came over here, that had already begun
04:18in Baltimore.
04:20So he's in the midst of hitting, doing catching work.
04:22So I can tell you he's getting closer.
04:24But as far as like definitive timeline, I don't have it yet.
04:27He's also in the midst of doing this.
04:29Also meeting with our our hand specialist and things like that, just to kind of get a real clear look
04:34of like what that could look like.
04:36So hopefully we know that soon, but not a clear answer on it yet.
04:39As a manager, how does that feel when you know that the powers that be got you an all star?
04:46Like, how does that affect what you think and what the rest of the locker room thinks down there about
04:52it looks like, hey, they're really trying to help this team win.
04:56They believe in us.
04:57It has a huge effect.
04:59I think the biggest effect is on the well, certainly me and the staff, but like the players in the
05:04locker room, the work that they did over the last month to get in the position we were and then
05:10to see the deadline come in and the front office work hard to go out and make changes that are
05:17additions that everybody in there feels pretty good about.
05:21Like this, this can help our team a lot, you know, and in so doing, they were really, I feel
05:26like they threaded the needle nicely of like, what can we do and how can we do it and not,
05:32you know, overly affect what is already on this team and what's made it go for the last month and
05:37a half.
05:38And they threaded that needle nicely, too.
05:41So I think it was extremely well received in the locker room.
05:43What did you say to Craig Breslow after the trade deadline?
05:46Was there a high five moment?
05:47Yeah, there was.
05:48I just shook his hand and said, congratulations.
05:49You know, I was like, you guys did an amazing job and, you know, Eddie Romero was in there.
05:54I said the same to him.
05:55Like, you know, I know, I don't know.
05:58I'm not in their job, so I don't know what it's like to sit in that room for probably three
06:02days that, you know, you can see Bres's face.
06:05He's probably not a lot of sleep.
06:07Working so hard to get something done and they get it done and you also have to acknowledge like, hey,
06:12like we gave some players away, some talented players in order to do it and go for it.
06:19And that deserves a handshake and a job well done.
06:21It's about winning at the major league level.
06:23So, like, yeah, I just shook his hand and said, congrats.
06:26Like, it's a good deadline.
06:27Do you get the sense, Chad, that now that Jaron's trade deadline's come and gone, that maybe great, you know,
06:33home run last night, maybe there's going to be relaxed.
06:36He'll be a little bit more, I don't know, at ease, knowing that he's here for the rest of the
06:40year.
06:40Do you think that should impact him and bode well for him the rest of the way?
06:45I hope so because he's really good.
06:50He's a lot better than he sometimes puts it in his own head.
06:53But this started even before, you know, the L.A. series, a little bit in Oakland.
06:59So, like, you started to see signs even in the end of Oakland, like, you know, I mean, he's starting
07:02to swing the bat better.
07:04L.A. looked really good.
07:05L.A. obviously looked really good last night, and I've said it before, like, obviously, Jaron would tell you he's
07:11not had the year he wanted,
07:12but when you kind of look at the numbers and go, like, what that could be if he had another
07:15month like he did in May,
07:16which he's more than capable of doing, and you'd look up there and go, that's a pretty productive season.
07:21So, and if he does what that does to lengthen our lineup even further beyond the additions we've made and
07:28the ones that we could still have, like, that'd be great.
07:30So, I think I've always thought he's a really good player, and when he's relaxing his head and you're getting
07:37the best out of him, like, he can be electric,
07:39and I think there's still a chance for that to happen.
07:41Well, Chad, you gave us some good news the other day.
07:44It sounds like with Roman Anthony we might be past the dry swings and now into big, wet, sloppy swings
07:50off the tee.
07:51Is that right?
07:51Is that what we're looking at with Roman's advancement?
07:54Yeah, he's swinging.
07:55Yeah, he's swinging.
07:55He's swinging, it started with a few days of tee and flips, so you guys would know a natural progression
08:01is a few days of tee and flips,
08:03and then here the last couple of days it's been overhand BP in the cage,
08:07so he's actually hitting off overhand BP, which is great.
08:10We'll kind of see how he goes with that for a few days,
08:12and then the next logical step from there would be to get machine involved, you know,
08:17with some higher velocity pitches and things like that.
08:19So, we're still taking it one step at a time.
08:22Obviously, there's no timetable on it.
08:24You've got to cross each of these little bridges here and make sure that nothing flares up.
08:29So far, so good, but we'll keep progressing him, but he has definitely got a bat in his hand,
08:33a real bat and a real ball, and he's swinging and he's hitting, and things are going okay so far.
08:38Can you give me the checklist?
08:39I'm sorry, real quick.
08:40Can you give me the checklist?
08:41I know you don't want to put a timeline on it, but, like,
08:43will he definitely need a minor league rehab assignment?
08:46Oh, for sure.
08:47Okay.
08:47Yeah, whenever we get through these other – checking off these other boxes as far as, you know,
08:54get to the machine, right, just a regular hack attack, like, you know, velocity.
08:58And then we have a Traject machine.
08:59If you guys don't know, that's like that real image pitching monitor where the ball comes out of there,
09:05like a real pitcher at 95 miles an hour.
09:07We got that down there that he can get to.
09:09But, yeah, he's been down for over three months.
09:11So, like, whenever he gets to that point, like, he's certainly going to have to go out and play some
09:15games.
09:15What are your first impressions of the new guys?
09:17I'm sure it's tough after, you know, one day.
09:19But were they also taken in by the atmosphere last night and to come into that, you know, 14-run
09:24game?
09:25Yeah, I think everybody's been paying attention.
09:29You know, even, you know, if you're a baseball player, you follow the league and everything.
09:33You know, those guys, too, like, they know.
09:34Like, they were aware.
09:35Like, you guys are killing it.
09:36So, like, they're – the league is paying attention.
09:39Other players are paying attention to what's happening.
09:41And then you have some of these guys that have, like, not only have paid attention,
09:43but they've been at Fenway before as visiting players and probably have been in Fenway, like,
09:48when the team is performing well and they know what it feels like here when things are going well.
09:53So, you could just – yeah, we talked a little bit about it and said you're getting inserted into something
09:57pretty fun right now.
09:58And, you know, like, I can imagine.
09:59So, like, they're aware and then got to see it last night.
10:03So, like, again, like, for us, the mindset is just one day at a time and we have to keep
10:07going.
10:08But, no, I think those guys are happy to be here.
10:10Your thoughts on your bullpen.
10:11I mean, they get off the bus and then it looks like, you know, holy crap,
10:14this is going to be a long day with Chapman and now the addition of Eric Miller.
10:17Just your lineup and your bullpen.
10:19I mean, would you trade your bullpen for any others?
10:21I think we have the best bullpen in baseball.
10:23I really do.
10:24I thought our bullpen was great before we added Eric Miller.
10:27And then you add that in there.
10:28You kind of watch the video and look at the underlying metrics of what he's done the last two years.
10:33And you're like, man, that's another back-end guy to a back-end that we already had that was pretty
10:37deep.
10:38So, yeah, I think when you look at the performance of our guys that have been here
10:42and then you watch Miller get out of that, you know, plus you add in, like, oh, by the way,
10:47like, if we need to chew up some innings, like, Brian Baio and the job he's done
10:50and Weiss in short stints, like, what he's done, you know, to wipe out some righties,
10:56like, we're very deep, you know.
10:57We are deep enough where even if some of those guys are down, these other guys,
11:01Giovanni Moran, another one, like, who's been excellent.
11:04So, it's not just the back-end.
11:06It's what all of them can do.
11:07And, yeah, you feel really good about, you know, and then couple that with the starting pitching.
11:12Hey, if our starter goes out there and gives us a good game, we can grab a lead.
11:15Like, it's going to be difficult to score against us.
11:17And those guys have shown that.
11:19So, Chad, you know, from the outside when fans are watching,
11:22all we really get to see is the games in front of us
11:24and the post-game press conferences and interviews like this.
11:27But behind the scenes, who's the player whose impact on this turnaround
11:31is much bigger inside the clubhouse than fans realize?
11:36That's a good one.
11:38I don't know that I could pinpoint one person.
11:42I think it's been so, like, collective.
11:45Like, I mean, during the run, right, like, there was a lot of commentary.
11:48It was true.
11:48It was like it was somebody different every night that was doing something special
11:52to help you win a game.
11:53I mean, I do think, like, Sonny and Wilson, like, at different times,
11:58have really stepped up as far as, like, so many guys were hurt with Crochet down
12:02and Trevor goes down and some of these guys, Izzy, like, some of these guys you look at
12:06as, like, you know, definite veteran leaders of the team.
12:09And all these guys go down.
12:10And Wilson and Sonny are two that come to mind, at least as far as veteran players
12:14that have been around a really long time that have stepped up
12:18and definitely, like, you know, taken on leadership roles of, like, hey,
12:21when something needs to be said, it's said, and things like that.
12:24And that makes your job in the manager's office so much easier.
12:27You know the pulse of the team and guys that are overseeing out there
12:31that if something needs to be done, like, I don't have to go out there and do it.
12:34They'll take care of it.
12:34Like, that's a comforting thing to know.
12:37So I'd call those two guys out.
12:38But with also saying that, man, everybody in there right now, they're together.
12:43They're friends.
12:44Like, they're pulling for each other, and they all know, like,
12:47this is my job to do tonight.
12:48I'm going to go do my job.
12:49Nesson had a shot of Ranger in the dugout last night eating a sandwich
12:53with his feet up.
12:54Is he as relaxed as he appears?
12:55Is he just the slowest heartbeat ever?
12:58Yes, he is.
12:59I don't know how to – yes, he is.
13:01And does that rub off on the team?
13:02Yeah, no, for sure.
13:03I mean, like –
13:03Yeah, it's like the Uncrustable.
13:05You know, it's a great snack.
13:07Oh, it's the best.
13:07It's a really good snack.
13:09Put it in the freezer.
13:10They're better frozen.
13:11A little peanut butter gives you some energy in the game.
13:12Yeah, Ranger is – yeah, Rangers, you know, he can throw it in third gear,
13:17and that's just where he operates, and he's tremendous, man.
13:20Awesome.
13:21You have the Uncrustables.
13:23Then you have Pickle Juice, right, is in the –
13:25Yeah.
13:26What's the craziest thing you've seen in a dugout that guys use as fuel through a game?
13:31All of it's crazy to me because, like, you know, like when I came up as a player, you know,
13:3620 years ago,
13:38there was – oh, the thing was no food in the dugout.
13:41You know, like nobody ate, and then the food, the spreads in the postgame, none of it was like it
13:45is now.
13:45Yeah.
13:46And then people slowly started to come to realize and understand, like, you know, hey, you're athletes.
13:49Like, no, you need to fuel.
13:51Yeah.
13:51And sometimes fueling in the middle of the game as well.
13:52So, like, all the stuff, we got a little, you know, briefcase in there of different, you know, bars and
13:57snacks and things
13:58so they can grab something in the fourth, fifth inning in the middle of the game
14:00and kind of give yourself a boost.
14:02But, yeah, there's all kinds of things in there.
14:05So, Chad, the media has – was obviously very, very tough on this team at the beginning of the season,
14:11and now I think the majority of people have realized that this is one of the most epic turnarounds that
14:16people have seen.
14:17But when it comes to the media, whose takes about this team have been the most wrong
14:21that you want us to shove in their face?
14:24You know I would never do that.
14:26No way I'd answer.
14:27I would never do that.
14:28I'll be –
14:29You can say Bradford.
14:30Number one, I would never do that because, like, you know, we weren't playing well.
14:34So, like, it's understood in Boston, like, if you're not playing well,
14:38the takes are going to be a little ruthless because we weren't playing well.
14:42And secondly, and I don't mean this – like, I try to stay away from that.
14:46Like, I really – I try hard to – I see stuff.
14:51Abby's here.
14:51She gets me – she keeps me informed if, like, hey, this is the one you probably need to be
14:55aware of.
14:56But, like, for the most part, like, for my own mental health, it's like I try to –
15:00unless it's, like, something I need to read, I try to, like, keep my focus on what's going to happen
15:04today.
15:05But I know that was going on out there, and it was right.
15:07It was just, like – I guess that's the most proud of our guys with all of that noise going
15:11on
15:12that they were able to do what they've done to this point and turn it around,
15:15and we have to keep going now.
15:16I think one more win, you passed Don Mattingly for best record of interim manager this year.
15:20Can you, like, call him up and trash talk if you get there?
15:22No.
15:23Just one more.
15:23We'll not be trash talking Don Mattingly.
15:25No.
15:26And I will have you know, Chad, it was after the Brave series that I called this turnaround,
15:31and the guys can back me up on that.
15:33Yeah, but then you bail the next day.
15:36That may be true.
15:38Chad Tracy, great stuff, and congratulations.
15:40I mean, this has not only been an epic turnaround, but every night it's just –
15:45it's been so entertaining, and the amount of bombs you guys are hitting,
15:49it's just been a lot of fun, and congrats.
15:53I just don't know really – at this point, it's like I don't know what's next
15:55because every night seems to be another I can't believe –
15:59because you're beating – you play better against better teams.
16:02It's almost like the better the team, the more ass you kick, you know?
16:07Yeah, they're doing an amazing job.
16:09I know you guys know I'm going to push it to the – the players play the game, you know?
16:12So, like, I'm in the same boat.
16:14Like, I'm looking forward to going and doing our work this afternoon and getting prepared,
16:18and I'm looking forward to going and watch them play.
16:20That's how I view it.
16:21Like, they're playing great baseball.
16:23And if you're a baseball person, even if you're the manager of the team,
16:26like, I enjoy watching them play right now.
16:28So, I look forward to see what they have in store for us tonight.
16:30And win or lose, we'll turn the page and prepare for the next one like we've been doing.
16:35Awesome.
16:35Well, interim manager Chad Tracy, thank you for joining us.
16:38We appreciate it, and we'll talk to you again next week.
16:41Great.
16:41Thanks, guys.
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