Tracy Enjoys L.A. Memories

Jason Repko can still remember the blue eyes of Jim Tracy and the excitement they held when the manager told Repko that he had made a major league roster.

Repko remembers, similarly, when Tracy called him into his office at the end of last season and the conversation quickly turned sentimental. “He said, ‘You’re a great player and a great person,’ ” the Dodger outfielder recalled. “I had a feeling then that he was probably going to go.”

Days later, Tracy and the Dodgers parted ways, the impasse between him and former general manager Paul DePodesta too large to ignore.

So it made for more nostalgia Friday when Repko peered across the diamond -- into the visitors’ dugout -- and saw Tracy managing a team wearing colors other than Dodger blue.

Tracy returned Friday to Dodger Stadium for the first time since his exit last October. The man who compiled a 427-383 record in five seasons with the Dodgers was managing the Pittsburgh Pirates.

When he arrived at Dodger Stadium on Friday afternoon, Tracy sat alone in a seat along the right-field line, reflecting on his time in Los Angeles.

“It brings back a lot of fond memories,” Tracy said. “The wonderful times here far outweigh dwelling on the adversity along the way.”

His current situation is hardly glamorous. The Pirates, at 26-49, have the National League’s worst record. And the club works within the confines of a $47-million payroll, which he says is no excuse for his team’s struggles.

“I wanted more,” Tracy said. “I wanted it to be better than it is right now. I know we’ll get there. It’s not a quick fix.

“We’ve been reading the standings in Pittsburgh from the bottom up for quite a while now.”

There’s little difference from last season when the Dodgers finished fourth in the five-team NL West. Tracy clashed with DePodesta a season ago when DePodesta unloaded several players who helped the Dodgers win the West title in 2004. At the end of last season, Tracy requested a contract extension, knowing his team of potential young stars would take a few years to develop. Unwilling to do that, the Dodgers let Tracy go.

Now, the youngsters whom Tracy hoped to develop are playing key roles this season for the Dodgers.

“As I watch from afar now, there were a lot of youthful players on that field,” he said. “You start thinking about the Russell Martins and the Matt Kemps and the [Joel] Guzmans, [Chad] Billingsleys, and you realize the finish line you were trying to reach, and realize you were very close to holding on to it and it got away. That’s the only disappointment I have.”

Tracy says he’s at ease and comfortable with the split. “It was time to change,” he said.

The three-game series will be made easier by the fact these two teams have already met this season in April, splitting a four-game series in Pittsburgh. During that series, Tracy, as well as former Dodgers coaches Jim Lett, John Shelby and Jim Colborn, met with former players for the first time since he left Los Angeles. During batting practice that series, Repko walked across the diamond and gave Tracy a hug.

Already, much has changed. Repko is on the disabled list and Pittsburgh’s struggles have gotten worse. For a few days, though, the stop in Los Angeles will allow Tracy to remember some better times.

“It’s just an opportunity for me to reflect on five fabulous years here,” Tracy said. “The relationships I built here and the memories I have here, they’re all going to be here and they’re never, ever going to go away.”