Rockies' Tracy named NL Manager of Year by Sporting News

DENVER – Jim Tracy has been named Sporting News' 2009 Manager of the Year for the National League. Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia received the award in the American League. Both Tracy and Scioscia were selected by a panel of 22 Major League Baseball managers. Tracy is the first manager in Rockies history to receive Sporting News’ annual award.

“Jim was an integral part of the Rockies success this past season, and we are all very proud and happy for him to receive this accomplishment”, said Rockies Executive Vice President, General Manager Dan O’Dowd.

Tracy, 53, led the Rockies to a record of 74-42 (.638) in his first season as manager of the team. Tracy, the fifth manager in club history, took over on May 29, 2009, when the club had a record of 18-28. From May 29 through the end of the season the Rockies were 32 games over .500 and posted the second-best record in the Major Leagues in that span, trailing only the New York Yankees’ mark of 76-39 (.661). The club finished with a franchise-record 92 wins (92-70) and a franchise-best .568 winning percentage. Colorado earned a postseason berth by capturing the National League Wild Card for the second time in the past three years. Tracy became the third manager in Rockies history to lead his team to the postseason, joining Clint Hurdle (2007) and Don Baylor (1995). By reaching the playoffs in 2009, the Rockies became just the 16th team in history to advance to the postseason after replacing a manager in-season.

The 2009 campaign marked Tracy’s first with the Rockies, as he was hired as a bench coach on November 24, 2008. Tracy has managed eight seasons in the Majors, compiling a record of 636-614 (.509) with Colorado (2009), Pittsburgh (2006-07) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2001-05). During his time with the Dodgers, the team posted winning records in four of five seasons under Tracy. He led the 2004 club to a first-place finish in the National League West. For his efforts that season, Tracy finished third in the National League Manager of the Year (BBWAA) balloting.

Tracy has 32 seasons of experience in professional baseball as a manager, coach, and as a player. He served four seasons (1995-98) as bench coach of the Montreal Expos under manager Felipe Alou and two seasons (1999-2000) as the Dodgers bench coach under manager Davey Johnson. He also spent seven seasons in the Montreal organization as a minor league manager with Peoria, Chattanooga, Harrisburg and Ottawa. Tracy was named Eastern League Manager of the Year in 1993.

Other Rockies who earned past Sporting News awards include Jason Jennings (National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year, 2002), Todd Helton (National League Player of the Year, 2000; National League Rookie Player of the Year, 1998) and Andres Galarraga (Comeback Player of the Year, 1993).