Children Grow Up, but Pennants Fly Forever

by Vlad on Sep 19, 2007 3:20 PM EDT

This is absolutely ridiculous.

Tracy demonstrated how seriously he is taking these final few games with his orders for reliever Salomon Torres and shortstop Jack Wilson to return to the team within two days of their wives giving birth.

Torres' wife, Belkis, gave birth to a boy -- Jordan -- yesterday in Pittsburgh after having a Caesarian section. Torres was told to fly cross-country to San Diego this afternoon in time for the final two games with the Padres.

"I'm being a good soldier," Torres said yesterday.

Wilson's wife, Julie, is having induced labor Friday for their third child. He was told to join the team Sunday in Chicago for the series finale with the Cubs. The Pirates are off the following day.

"I have a plane ticket for Saturday," Wilson said when asked how he will approach it. "If everything's all right on the home front, I should be there for Sunday's game."

Players generally get three days for paternity leave. Torres and Wilson were told the games are meaningful because the San Diego Padres and Cubs are contenders, and the Pirates owe it to the pennant races to field their best lineups. -Dejan at the P-G

The Pirates currently have 18 pitchers on the active roster, and they're paying Cesar Izturis more than $4M to sit on the bench and pick his nose. There wasn't any way that the team could handle a one-day absence for Jack and Sully?

These kinds of ticky-tack things are the reason that free agents don't want to play here, and existing players can't wait to leave. It's like living in Soviet Russia, where the cronyism and the dishonesty and the trivial slights just grind you down into nothing.

I think the most offensive part of the whole thing might be Tracy's professed interest in the integrity of the pennant races. In August of 2005, as part of a fit of pique against his general manager, he installed no-hit backup catcher Jason Phillips as his team's #5 hitter and starting first baseman for an extended string of games, including some with teams like Atlanta and Houston that were tied up in pennant races.

This isn't about the sanctity of the postseason. This is about Tracy trying to wring as many wins as possible from this club, to maximize his chance at future managing opportunities with other clubs. I'm sure that knowledge will be a great consolation to Jack and Sully while they're losing games on the road instead of spending time with their loved ones.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editor (Charlie) or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.

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Comments

Jim Tracy is

a horrible excuse for a manager and, as mounting evidence over the past several years suggests, a pretty sorry excuse for a human being. Pretty laughable to hear inveighing about the integrity of the game from a guy who has shown none throughout his entire managerial career. They can't get rid of him fast enough.

by RichieHebner on Sep 19, 2007 3:38 PM EDT reply actions

Someone should tell their agents

to get on the horn with Coonelly about Jack and Sully's contractual rights.

by Willton on Sep 19, 2007 3:39 PM EDT reply actions

What a dick

Coonelly has already ordered him to move Armless to the bullpen. As sucky as he is, he has a good game every so often, which isn't likely to happen with Van B. Coonelly obviously thinks it's more important for the Pirates to worry about their own future than about the Brewers and the D'backs. Is Tracy not on the distribution list for internal memos?

And how exactly is McLouth not part of the Pirates' best lineup? Why is it OK to "find out" about Morgan, yet not OK to give Torres' work to Romulo Sanchez (which they're already doing anyway)? Why wouldn't it be OK--especially now that Jack has tweaked a hammy--to call up Brian Bixler and put him at SS? He has to go on the 40-man this fall anyway. They can clear temporary space by putting Burnett on the 60-day DL.

I figured worrying about Tracy should be low on the new GM's to-do list, but I've reconsidered. There's nothing to think about. Just axe the dickwad.

by WTM on Sep 19, 2007 4:48 PM EDT reply actions