Andy Tracy
Encyclopedia
Andrew Michael Tracy is a Major League Baseball
first baseman
. He is an alumnus of Bowling Green State University
.
Drafted by the Montreal Expos
in the 16th round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft
, Tracy made his major league debut with the Expos on April 25, .
Tracy compiled what would become a career high .260 batting average
with 11 home run
s and 32 RBI
in 2000. Tracy split time backing up Expos starting first baseman Lee Stevens
and starting third baseman
Michael Barrett.
Tracy entered spring training
of the competing for the starting third base position. The position was vacated when Barrett moved to the catcher
position. Tracy competed with Geoff Blum
, Fernando Tatis
, Mike Mordecai
, and Ryan Minor
for the position, which ultimately went to Blum. After compiling a mere .109 batting average with 2 home runs and 8 RBI throughout the season, Tracy was selected off waivers from the Expos by the New York Mets
on March 27, .
Tracy would not appear at the major league level again until the season. He spent the 2002 and seasons in the minor league systems of the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies
, respectively. Tracy returned to the major league in 2004, appearing in 15 games for the Rockies, serving primarily as a pinch hitter
. A .188 batting average with no home runs and one RBI was Tracy's offensive results by season's end.
Tracy began the season playing for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox
, the Triple-A affiliate of the Rockies. Midway through the season he left the Rockies organization and finish the season playing for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
of the Japanese Pacific League
. The and seasons saw Tracy return to playing in the minor league systems of MLB's Baltimore Orioles
and New York Mets, with no appearances in the majors.
Tracy was invited to attend spring training with the Philadelphia Phillies as a non-roster invitee prior to the season, but was assigned to minor league camp on March 9, 2008. Tracy was assigned to the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
, in Allentown, Pennsylvania
until his call up to Philadelphia on August 23, . Before his call-up Tracy had not appeared at the Major League level since October 3, 2004. Tracy was designated for assignment on August 27 and was sent outright to the minors, but returned when the rosters expanded on September 1. He broke his hand while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 from a line drive which ended his season. The Phillies announced on September 9, 2009 that they would be releasing veteran pitcher Rodrigo López to make room on the roster for Tracy.
On August 5, 2010 it was announced that Tracy would be pulled from the IronPigs line up and benched to allow Matt Rizzotti to become the everyday 1st baseman after he was very successful for the Reading Phillies
According to Matt Eddy of baseballamerica.com Tracy became a free agent after the 2010 season ended.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=10522.http://blogs.mcall.com/ironpigs/2010/08/double-whammy-for-tracy-.html
Tracy signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks
on December 25, 2010 and was invited to 2011 spring training.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
. He is an alumnus of Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
.
Drafted by the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
in the 16th round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft
1996 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1996 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 4 and 5, 1996...
, Tracy made his major league debut with the Expos on April 25, .
Tracy compiled what would become a career high .260 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 11 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 32 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 2000. Tracy split time backing up Expos starting first baseman Lee Stevens
Lee Stevens
DeWain Lee Stevens is a former first baseman and designated hitter drafted by the California Angels out of Lawrence High School in the first round of the 1986 amateur draft in Major League Baseball who played from to and from to for the California Angels, Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, and...
and starting third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Michael Barrett.
Tracy entered spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
of the competing for the starting third base position. The position was vacated when Barrett moved to the catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
position. Tracy competed with Geoff Blum
Geoff Blum
Geoffrey Edward Blum is a Major League Baseball infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. During his major-league career, he has also played for the Montreal Expos, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox...
, Fernando Tatis
Fernando Tatis
Fernando Tatís, Jr. is a Major League Baseball utility player, who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Texas Rangers , St. Louis Cardinals , Montreal Expos , Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets...
, Mike Mordecai
Mike Mordecai
Michael Howard Mordecai is a right-handed hitting/throwing infielder in Major League Baseball who most recently played for the Florida Marlins.-School and minor leagues:...
, and Ryan Minor
Ryan Minor
Ryan Dale Minor is a retired American professional baseball third baseman and college basketball player. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1998-2001, with the Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos. He is currently the manager of the Delmarva Shorebirds of the...
for the position, which ultimately went to Blum. After compiling a mere .109 batting average with 2 home runs and 8 RBI throughout the season, Tracy was selected off waivers from the Expos by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
on March 27, .
Tracy would not appear at the major league level again until the season. He spent the 2002 and seasons in the minor league systems of the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, respectively. Tracy returned to the major league in 2004, appearing in 15 games for the Rockies, serving primarily as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
. A .188 batting average with no home runs and one RBI was Tracy's offensive results by season's end.
Tracy began the season playing for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox
Colorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies...
, the Triple-A affiliate of the Rockies. Midway through the season he left the Rockies organization and finish the season playing for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,...
of the Japanese Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
. The and seasons saw Tracy return to playing in the minor league systems of MLB's Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and New York Mets, with no appearances in the majors.
Tracy was invited to attend spring training with the Philadelphia Phillies as a non-roster invitee prior to the season, but was assigned to minor league camp on March 9, 2008. Tracy was assigned to the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a minor league baseball team that plays in the International League. The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The team plays their home games at Coca-Cola Park, which is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
, in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
until his call up to Philadelphia on August 23, . Before his call-up Tracy had not appeared at the Major League level since October 3, 2004. Tracy was designated for assignment on August 27 and was sent outright to the minors, but returned when the rosters expanded on September 1. He broke his hand while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 from a line drive which ended his season. The Phillies announced on September 9, 2009 that they would be releasing veteran pitcher Rodrigo López to make room on the roster for Tracy.
On August 5, 2010 it was announced that Tracy would be pulled from the IronPigs line up and benched to allow Matt Rizzotti to become the everyday 1st baseman after he was very successful for the Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
According to Matt Eddy of baseballamerica.com Tracy became a free agent after the 2010 season ended.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=10522.http://blogs.mcall.com/ironpigs/2010/08/double-whammy-for-tracy-.html
Tracy signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
on December 25, 2010 and was invited to 2011 spring training.