Dodgers and Tracy ‘Part Ways’

The Dodgers acted swiftly and decisively Monday, severing ties with Manager Jim Tracy one day after the end of a disappointing season, one month after Tracy asked for a contract extension and one year after the team won its first division title since 1996.

The parting was described by General Manager Paul DePodesta not as a firing or a resignation, rather as “a mutual parting of ways.” Neither side could reconcile disagreements over roster changes made last off-season, and Tracy did not want to continue without an extension that would provide him security through 2008.

“It was not going to be in my best interest to be in the dugout as a lame-duck manager,” Tracy said. “I asked myself the question, ‘Could I get the club back to where it was at the end of 2004 before the end of 2006?’ I thought there was a good possibility it would take more time than that.”

Tracy, who posted a 427-383 record in five seasons, will be paid his base salary of $700,000 -- at the low end of compensation for an experienced manager -- if he doesn’t find another job next season. He is considered a leading candidate for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ opening, and his name has been mentioned for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ vacancy.

His departure is the latest in a string of moves bewildering to many Dodger fans. The team’s future is now firmly in the hands of DePodesta, the 32-year-old Harvard-educated executive brought in after the 2003 season a few weeks after Boston real estate developer Frank McCourt purchased the team.

McCourt is out of town and did not speak to Tracy. But reached through his spokesperson, he said, “On a personal basis, I am very fond of Jim Tracy and his family, and thank him for his professionalism and dedicated service to the Dodgers. The relationship between a general manager and a manager is critical for the long-term success of a franchise. Given this, I fully support Paul DePodesta in his decision to make a change.”

DePodesta overhauled the roster through trades and free-agent signings, and now will bring in a manager of his choosing. But the team he largely inherited posted a 93-69 record and won the National League West division championship in 2004, while the roster that reflected his dramatic changes went 71-91, the team’s second-worst record since moving from Brooklyn in 1958.

Tracy values defense and speed more than DePodesta, who is convinced that power and an ability get on base are paramount. Many of DePodesta’s ideas were spawned when he served under General Manager Billy Beane in the Oakland front office, an approach described in the book “Moneyball.”

“These philosophical differences would exist whether we won 71 games or 95 games,” DePodesta said. “And we would [be changing managers] regardless of our record. It’s not necessarily about disagreeing with me. It’s ultimately about all of us in baseball operations being on the same page.”

DePodesta said the search for a new manager could take several weeks. He will be in Italy for six days beginning Wednesday for his sister’s wedding and expects to begin interviewing candidates next week. Dodger minor league staffers Terry Collins and Jerry Royster, Angel pitching coach Bud Black, Oakland Athletic coach Ron Washington and former New York Met manager Bobby Valentine could be among those considered.

Tracy was an obscure bench coach when the Dodgers hired him in 2001 to replace Davey Johnson. He was 86-76 each of his first two seasons and 92-70 in 2003. The Dodgers broke through and won the division title in 2004 before the bottom fell out this season.

“When ‘Jim Who’ was hired, everyone was waiting to see if I would make it to the All-Star break,” Tracy said. “I proved to a lot of people my capabilities.”

Tracy, 49, asked for a contract extension in a Sept. 8 meeting, a bold request considering the team’s place in the standings. DePodesta’s thinking changed at that point. He had spent numerous hours with Tracy trying to reach common ground and was comfortable with keeping him under his current contract.

But Tracy was just as adamant about the extension, stopping just short of calling it an ultimatum. Had the Dodgers refused the extension and Tracy stayed, it would only have exacerbated the resentment the manager already felt toward DePodesta for the roster changes.

“From my end, the biggest thing was the personnel factor and the evaluation of those players,” Tracy said. “I just felt very strongly that the right thing to do would be to move on.”

Some of the disagreements have been clear. DePodesta believes first baseman Hee-Seop Choi and infielder Antonio Perez can be productive everyday players. Tracy is partial to players such as shortstop Cesar Izturis and former Dodger Alex Cora, whose contributions aren’t necessarily reflected in statistics.

DePodesta traded outfielder Shawn Green and did not re-sign Cora, third baseman Adrian Beltre or outfielder Steve Finley, among others.

Tracy declined to criticize DePodesta about their differences in opinion.

“I really feel the ultimate answer will play itself out over the long haul,” Tracy said. “To say my feelings are correct or Paul’s are correct is unfair.

“What took place in my first four years is a testament to the fact that a lot of it worked.”

However, at the last Dodger home game, Tracy publicly blamed the front office, saying the abundance of off-season moves disrupted clubhouse chemistry. He also refused to take responsibility for the worst Dodger season since 1992, even after DePodesta and McCourt admitted that their mistakes had contributed to the debacle.

“We were all incredibly frustrated with the way the year has gone,” DePodesta said. “If anybody should be blamed, it should be me. I think Jim is a terrific manager. Despite how hard we tried, we couldn’t get on the same page.”

Most Dodger players like Tracy and none said he had lost their respect, even during the late-season spiral when the team fell from second place to fourth.

“I loved playing for him,” outfielder Ricky Ledee said. “He always put you in a position where you could succeed. He treats you like a man and he respects you as a player.”

The Dodgers cut ties swiftly because Tracy had a clause in his contract that would have allowed him to opt out of the final year within a week of Sunday’s season finale. Had Tracy gotten an offer from Pittsburgh or another team with a smaller payroll, he could have embarrassed the Dodgers by leaving voluntarily.

Although front-office executives are not allowed to contact managers under contract with other teams, interest often is conveyed through intermediaries. That might have been the case with Tracy and the Pirates.

Lloyd McClendon was fired as Pirate manager Sept. 6, Tracy asked the Dodgers for the extension two days later, and The Times reported Sept. 27 that Tracy would be a leading candidate in Pittsburgh if he became available.

Pirate General Manager Dave Littlefield and Tracy worked together in Montreal in the mid-1990s, and Tracy was a finalist for the Pirates’ opening in 2000.

“I don’t have any idea what their thinking is, or their direction,” Tracy said of the Pirates. “I haven’t spoken with anyone but Paul the last few days.”

Tracy did not wish to come to Dodger Stadium on Monday, so details of the separation were worked out over the phone.

“I have been managing one of the more storied franchises in baseball,” he said. “I have given it everything I can possibly give. I have put my heart and soul into this job.

“But the compatibility and the relationship between the general manager and field manager is something that is absolutely paramount in order for an organization to succeed. If those conditions are not met, there is a real strong chance of not getting where you want to go.”

Times staff writer Tim Brown contributed to this report.