Richard Joseph Tracewski (born February 3, 1935) is a retired American professional baseball player,

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

and manager. During his active career, he was an

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

for the Los Angeles Dodgers and

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

of Major League Baseball, appearing in 614

games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

over eight seasons (1962–69). He threw and batted right-handed, stood tall and weighed . Tracewski was a four-time World Series champion as a player and coach. He participated in three Fall Classics as a player: two with Los Angeles (

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

) and one with Detroit (

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

). He was the starting second baseman in the Dodgers' four-game sweep of the Yankees in 1963, and also started four games at second during the seven-game 1965 classic. He also served as first-base coach for the Tigers in the

1984 World Series The 1984 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1984 season. The 81st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the Nationa ...

. Tracewski's playing career began in the Brooklyn Dodgers' organization in 1953 and it took him almost a decade to reach the majors. After early and late-season trials with the 1962 Dodgers, Tracewski earned a spot as a utility infielder, getting into more than 100 games in both and . He was the Dodgers' second baseman on the evening of September 9, 1965, when Sandy Koufax tossed a perfect game against the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

. He was traded to the Tigers for Phil Regan on December 15, 1965, and spent the rest of his career in the Detroit organization. During his eight-season MLB playing tenure, he batted .213, with eight home runs and 91 RBIs. His 262

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

(in 1,231

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

s) also included 31 doubles and nine

triples TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...

. He went 4-for-30 (.133) in World Series play. Tracewski then managed in the Detroit

farm system In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

for two seasons (1970–71). In 1972, he began a 24-year stint as a coach for Detroit, longer than any other coach in Tiger history. Tracewski, on two occasions, filled in as the Tigers' interim manager. He managed the club for two games in 1979 (the Tigers winning both) before Sparky Anderson arrived, and from May 20, 1989, to early July while Anderson recovered from exhaustion. Tracewski retired from baseball after the season, as did his long-time boss, Anderson.

External links

, o
Retrosheet
o
SABR Biography Project
:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tracewski, Dick 1935 births Living people American people of Polish descent Asheville Tourists players Atlanta Crackers players Bakersfield Dodgers players Baseball coaches from Pennsylvania Baseball players from Pennsylvania Cedar Rapids Raiders players Detroit Tigers coaches Detroit Tigers managers Detroit Tigers players Fort Worth Cats players Hornell Dodgers players Lakeland Flying Tigers managers Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball first base coaches Major League Baseball infielders Major League Baseball third base coaches Omaha Dodgers players People from Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Pueblo Dodgers players Sheboygan Indians players Spokane Indians players Thomasville Dodgers players American expatriate baseball players in Colombia American expatriate baseball players in Panama