Prized pieces of memorabilia adds to WooSox manager Chad Tracy's clubhouse office decor
WORCESTER — WooSox manager Chad Tracy’s office inside the home clubhouse at Polar Park is decorated with photographs of his wife and kids.
The first-year Triple-A skipper recently added a new piece of special memorabilia.
Bench coach Jose Flores had the scorecard from the 2022 WooSox’ Opening Day 6-5 victory against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp framed and signed by the entire team as a keepsake for Tracy’s first win as a Triple-A manager.
Along with a game ball from April 5, Flores and the WooSox players presented Tracy with his newest piece of memorabilia in the clubhouse prior to Tuesday’s game against the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park.
“It’s awesome,” Tracy said. “I didn’t expect that. It’s definitely one of the cooler things I’ll have hanging in my basement for sure. It’s pretty awesome.”
Flores received something similar earlier in his coaching career, and he wanted to do something similar for Tracy.
After Flores made his big-league debut as a first base coach with the Philadelphia Phillies against the Atlanta Braves March 29, 2018, Phillies bench coach Rob Thompson presented the official scorecard to Flores.
“Pretty much everybody on the staff had been in the big league already, and I thought it was a really good gesture from him,” Flores said.
It’s a tradition that has carried on through generations, and Flores couldn’t wait to pay it forward once he had the chance, and it was Tracy on the receiving end this time.
“I’m 51 and may not have 50 more years in the game, but Trace is only 36, and he may have another 20 years in the game, and I wanted to pass that onto him,” Flores said. “It came out really nice, and the guys loved the idea. It’s a good piece of memorabilia for him to share with his kids and grandkids whenever they come.”
Impressive collection
The conversation quickly turned to personal memorabilia, and Flores’ collection would even impress the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Speaking of Cooperstown, Flores has 35 baseballs signed by current Hall of Famers, and many more future inductees. He admits it’s an impressive collection in his man cave at his home in Puerto Rico.
Flores also has a signed ball, glove, or bat from every infielder he worked with during his big-league coaching career with the Baltimore Orioles and Phillies.
“It’s a pretty good collection of memorabilia,” he said. “I enjoy sitting there and looking at it every now and then. It’s really nice — good stuff.”
Tracy explained he doesn’t have as much memorabilia as some may think given that he’s been involved in the game his entire life. Since his father, Jim, was a longtime minor and big-league manager, Chad basically grew up in a variety of clubhouses at both levels. He never really collected autographs until he retired as a player and began working as a minor league field coordinator in the Los Angeles Angels organization.
“My childhood was blessed,” Tracy said. “I got to be around the game because of my dad, so I didn’t collect a ton because I was around it every day.”
He does have a few pieces of memorabilia that he’s proud of, including his Team USA jersey and silver medal from the 2011 Pan American Games. Ironically, Flores was managing Team Puerto Rico when Tracy played on the U.S National Team during those games.
Tracy also has a Class-A lineup card signed by Mike Trout during his minor league rehab, while both worked in the Angels organization.
When the Red Sox constructed the Triple-A field staff during the offseason, the club’s baseball operations realized it had a difficult, but nearly perfect decision to make. Both Tracy and Flores were finalists for the manager’s position in Worcester, but the Red Sox organization wanted both on the Triple-A staff. So, Tracy was named manager, and Flores, the veteran big-league coach, was asked to be the WooSox’ bench coach.
“I’ve got his back, and he has mine,” Flores said.
Staff in synch
The relationship between Tracy and Flores created instant chemistry. When Tracy moved into his new office at Polar Park, he asked Flores to set up shop in the same quarters, so his desk is right next to the manager’s. Even though it’s Tracy’s home away from home, Flores is in charge of the music playlist, and always has '80s rock playing.
“It was the best decision the organization could have made,” Flores said of naming him bench coach and Tracy as manager. “I know Trace is going to benefit a lot from my experience in the game, and all the pieces of advice I can give him in order for him to be a better manager I will do. I’ve got no doubt at some point he’ll get a shot at managing in the big leagues.”
The entire WooSox’ field staff works well together, and it’s been evident since Day 1. Tracy, Flores, hitting coach Rich Gedman, pitching coach Paul Abbott, assistant coach Mike Montville and development coach Brendan Connolly, along with the entire staff work well together. It’s definitely a team effort.
“We have really good baseball people who have been around the game for a long time,” Tracy said. “We’re all very-like minded, and that was apparent even in December, so you’re on common ground right from the jump. We all look at the game in the same manner.”
Tracy, a baseball lifer, is quick to admit he’s learned a ton about the game already this season from everyone on the staff, and he hopes he’s taught them something as well.
“It was pretty easy to get along with them early on, and once we actually got together and started working together, it flows very nicely. It’s easy,” Tracy said.
If the field staff continues to develop future big leaguers, Tracy, Flores, Gedman and Abbott will all add to their respective trophy cases.
—Contact Joe McDonald at JMcDonald2@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeyMacHockey.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Prized pieces of memorabilia adds to WooSox manager Chad Tracy's clubhouse office decor
