Tracewski was a four-time World Series champion as a player and coach. He participated in three Fall Classics as a player:two with Los Angeles (1963,1965) and one with Detroit (1968). He was the starting second baseman in the Dodgers' four-game sweep of the Yankees in 1963,and also started four games at second during the seven-game 1965 classic. He also served as first-base coach for the Tigers in the 1984 World Series.[2]
Early life
Tracewski was born in Eynon,Pennsylvania to Polish immigrant parents,the youngest of four children. He attended Archbald High School where he was a star athlete.[2]
After his high school graduation in 1953,Tracewski was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. He spent six years in the minor leagues and it took him almost a decade to reach the majors. Tracewski also performed two years of military service during this period (1958-59);along with other baseball players,he was posted at Fort McPherson in Atlanta,Georgia.[2]
Baseball career
Los Angeles Dodgers
Tracewski made his major league debut as a pinch-runner,on April 12,1962. His debut coincided with the first ever series played at the newly-opened Dodger Stadium. After early and late-season trials with the 1962 Dodgers,Tracewski earned a spot as a utility infielder,getting into more than 100 games in both 1963 and 1964.[1]
In the 1963 World Series,Tracewski started at second base after regular third baseman Ken McMullen was injured during the final days of the season and Jim Gilliam was moved to third. He played all four games in the four-game sweep of the New York Yankees.[2]
Tracewski was on the field on August 22,1965,when Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants struck Dodgers catcher John Roseboro on the head with a baseball bat,resulting in a 14-minute brawl. A few weeks later,on September 9,1965,he was the second baseman when Sandy Koufax completed his perfect game against the Chicago Cubs,having replaced Jim Lefebvre at the start of the ninth inning.[2]
In the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins,Tracewski appeared in six of the seven games. In Game 2,he pinch-hit for pitcher Bob Miller. He replaced second baseman Jim Lefebvre who was injured during Game 3 and subsequently started in Games 4 to 7.[1]
Detroit Tigers
After the 1965 season,Tracewski was traded to the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Phil Regan. He was initially disappointed and frustrated with the trade as he realized his playing time would be limited. However,he later referred to it as best thing that ever happened to him and he spent the rest of his career in the Detroit organization.[2]
In 1968,Tracewski appeared in 90 games for the pennant-winning Tigers. He won his third World Series when the Tigers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in the 1968 World Series. Tracewski appeared in Game 1 as a third baseman,replacing Don Wert who had been pinch-hit for,and then as a pinch-runner for Willie Horton in Game 7,scoring a run in the ninth inning.[1]
When his playing career ended,after the 1969 season,Tracewski became a manager in the Detroit farm system for two seasons (1970–71). In 1972,he began a 24-year stint as a coach for the Tigers,longer than any other coach in the history of the team.[2]
On two occasions,Tracewski filled in as the Tigers' interim manager. He managed the club for two games in 1979 (with the Tigers winning both) before Sparky Anderson arrived,and from May 20,1989,to early July while Anderson recovered from exhaustion. He retired from baseball after the 1995 season,along with Anderson.[2]
Career overall
During his eight-year major league career,Tracewski batted .213,with eight home runs and 91 RBIs. His 262 hits (in 1,231 at bats) also included 31 doubles and nine triples. He played 205 games as a shortstop,202 games as a second baseman,and 115 games as a third baseman. Overall,he had a fielding percentage of .958 in 769 chances.[1]
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