Dodgers Go Out With a Whisper

His future cloudy, Jim Tracy plans to get some sunshine today watching his son’s football practice at Claremont High.

The Dodger season is finally, mercifully over after a 3-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Sunday at Petco Park. The Dodgers finished 71-91, their most losses since 1992. And their victory total represented a drop-off of 22 from last season, the steepest decline since 1991 and ’92.

The Padres (82-80) avoided becoming the first team to enter the playoffs without a winning record. They will face St. Louis in the National League division series beginning Tuesday.

Tracy, who posted winning records in each of his first four seasons as manager, declined a chance to say whether he bears any responsibility for the disappointing record.

“I don’t like to sit here and grade myself. I’m not good at that,” he said. “I’m not going there. That would compare and contrast me with the GM, and I don’t want to be part of that.”

However, General Manager Paul DePodesta is engaged in some serious comparing and contrasting to determine whether to cement or sever the team’s relationship with Tracy.

Tracy has asked for a two-year contract extension that will give him security through 2008.

It is doubtful that DePodesta will grant an extension, but he can inform Tracy that he is welcome to return under the terms of his current deal, which expires after next season. Tracy would have to decide whether such a lukewarm response was acceptable.

If it isn’t, DePodesta has said that he will fire Tracy rather than let him exercise the opt-out clause in his contract. Several teams are shopping for a manager, and Pittsburgh reportedly would be interested in Tracy.

DePodesta said he was expecting a resolution before leaving Wednesday for his sister’s wedding in Italy. “We’d all like to get it done shortly,” he said. “We won’t let days go by without doing anything.”

Although Tracy and DePodesta say they like each other, they disagree on several fundamental issues regarding the roster and how to improve it. Next season will be pivotal for DePodesta, who inherited a team that won the 2004 National League West title in his first year and dismantled it with disastrous results.

Does he want to move forward with a manager who has publicly laid blame for the season on the steps of the front office? Tracy seemed to suggest that given time he could turn the Dodgers around.

“I laud the effort of this team,” he said. “A lot of progress was made by young players that didn’t necessarily show up in the won-loss column. You’ve got to have that vision, that patience.”

Tracy and DePodesta said the Dodgers gave maximum effort throughout the season. However, a scout from an opposing team who watched nearly every Dodger home game said he was unable to get accurate times for players running to first base because they weren’t going full speed.

Can the problems be repaired in an off-season? Tracy declined to go into detail but said, “Anything is fixable, and there isn’t anybody who believes it more than the guy sitting behind this desk.”