This day in Los Angeles Dodgers history centered around managerial transactions involving Walter Alston and Jim Tracy.
While the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn, team owner Walter O’Malley announced Alston as the new manager. He took over for Chuck Dressen, who managed the team for three seasons.
Alston becoming Dodgers manager amounted to immediate success, including a second-place National League finish for the club in his first year and a World Series title in 1955.
Alston, who was often also known as “Smokey”, managed the Dodgers for 23 years, spanning from Brooklyn until finishing his tenure in Los Angeles in 1976. Alston’s contract style was noteworthy, being that he managed for 23 seasons under only successive one-year contracts at a time.
In addition to capturing four World Series championships under him, the Ohio native also led the organization to seven NL titles. Alston was named Manager of the Year six times and his career victories span over 2,000.
One year after Alston stepped away, the Dodgers retired his No 24 jersey. At the time, it was only the fourth instance they bestowed the honor.
Alston was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.
November 24, 2004: Dodgers sign Jim Tracy to contract extension
On this date in 2004, Jim Tracy signed a two-year contract extension to manage the Dodgers through the end of the 2006 season.
The Ohio native, who held his first Major League managerial job with Los Angeles, was inked to an extension after leading L.A. to an NL West title in 2004, their since 1995. Despite losing that postseason to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Divisional Series, their regular season record was an impressive 93-69.
Although he was signed through 2006, after a dismal 71-91 record in 2005, both Tracy and the Dodgers decided to mutually part ways, citing “philosophical differences.”
In his four years as the Dodgers manager, Tracy went 427-383.
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