A Poignant Father’s Day for Tracy

The Dodgers would play the New York Yankees in a few hours, before a sellout crowd at Dodger Stadium and a national television audience. But as he sat in his office Sunday afternoon, Dodger Manager Jim Tracy saluted his father, on what might be the last Father’s Day the two men share.

“To a certain extent, it’s in God’s hands how long he’s going to remain with us,” Tracy said.

Tracy’s father, 77, also named Jim, is suffering from prostate cancer. Yankee Manager Joe Torre survived the cancer, but Tracy’s father might not. Tracy shared his story, his voice halting at times, as a way of urging men to consult with doctors about precautionary testing.

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, one in six American men will develop the cancer during their lifetime, with the chance increasing rapidly after age 50. Tracy said his father failed to heed early warning signs. After two operations, the cancer went into remission, but it returned last year.

“The disease spread and became much worse than it had to be,” he said, “to the point where now he’s fighting for his life.”

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Celebrities Alyssa Milano and Jimmy Kimmel joined a gathering of some 8,400 fans who took up the Dodgers on their invitation to play catch in the Dodger Stadium outfield Sunday morning. The event was free, and new owner Frank McCourt said he hoped to hold the event annually.

“It’s L.A.’s house. It’s not mine,” he said. “Let’s open it up.”

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Fernando Valenzuela, the Dodgers’ 1981 Cy Young Award winner-turned-Spanish-language broadcaster, may have been selected to manage in the Futures Game at Minute Maid Park on July 11, but that doesn’t mean he has an interest in returning to the dugout. The Futures Game is part of All-Star game week in Houston.

“It’s a great honor to be a manager for the future big leaguers, [but] I don’t think that’s the start, no way, as far as coaching,” Valenzuela said. “It’s an honor but I’m not going to take it so seriously. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ll meet some new people and relive some good memories.”

In Houston’s Astrodome in 1986, he tied the All-Star game record by striking out five consecutive batters -- Don Mattingly, Cal Ripken Jr., Jesse Barfield, Lou Whitaker and Ted Higuera.

Times staff writer Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.