Well Done, Jim

It is not something anybody interested in the Rockies says very often this season (even his biggest apologist). Manager Jim Tracy, who once made his name by promoting lineup stability, is showing again how much he likes to tinker with the lineup and confuse those who follow the team.

To play or not to play Tyler Colvin. To play or not to play Dexter Fowler. The paired pitching system. Bizarre double switches. Wilin Rosario playing 3rd base. That is just a short sample of the problems Tracy has had, the kind of problems you expect from the guy managing a 39-68 team. But last night, Tracy made his team and its fan base proud, a rare feat for him this season.

In the midst of rare pitching dominance in the form of a 2-0 victory last night, Tracy found himself arguing an attempted sliding catch by his center fielder Fowler. First it was called a catch. Then it was overturned. Then Jim Tracy got angry.

Tracy showed me a lot in that tantrum. He started by spiking his hat into the ground, which sparked the actual ejection. This was very well done; using a prop without turning to the rather gimmicky base or bat throw. Throwing the hat is always a nice and subtle touch. He followed that up with some demonstrative arm waving and pointing. Nothing fancy, but effective nevertheless. And then there is his potty mouth…

…I do not necessarily condone the type of F-Bomb laced language Tracy used, but I think it fit the situation. If he was going to blow up, he needed to really blow up, and accenting every sentence with an expletive is a good way to indicate that you’ve come unhinged (in a good way, if that’s possible). This also led to some classic play-by-play work by the G.O.A.T., Vin Scully.

My favorite moment came near the end of the argument, when umpire Mike Everitt tried to move past Jim, who promptly slid to his right to block his path. Everitt then said something, presumably along the lines of, “You’re holding things up here, Jim.” Whatever he said, Tracy’s response was “I don’t (bleeping) care.” Awesome.

Petulant and stubborn, Tracy absolutely nailed this argument and ejection. Well done, Jim.