Tracy to manage Clippers
Columbus Clippers manager Andy Tracy will finally get to manage a game in his second year with the club after all minor league baseball was canceled in 2021.
The Cleveland Indians announced the coaching staff for its minor-league affiliates on Monday, naming Tracy to the manager role that he wasn't able to perform in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Before the 2020 season was canceled, Tracy was promoted from hitting coach to replace Tony Mansolino as the club's manager. Tracy played collegiately at Bowling Green before playing professionally for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies, with stints in the minor leagues for the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Tracy spent seven seasons in the minor leagues with the Phillies organization before being hired by Cleveland.
Rigo Beltran will return as the Clippers pitching coach after joining the club in 2019. Jason Esposito, who was originally promoted to hitting coach for 2020 from Single-a Lake County, was named hitting coach for the 2021 season.
The only promotion from 2020 to ‘21 is new bench coach JT Maguire. In just his third season in the Cleveland organization, Maguire has been promoted each year, starting in the Arizona Rookie League in 2019 and with shortseason Mahoning Valley in 2020.
Jeremy Heller returns as the club's head trainer, and strength and conditioning coach Travis Roberson returns for his first season with the Clippers after being named to the role in 2020.
The Clippers are in a new division and league beginning this season after MLB restructured the minor leagues. A 142-game season is scheduled to begin April 6 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The Clippers are seeking approval for up to 1,500 fans with COVID-19 protocols for games when Huntington Park opens April 13, abiding by restrictions established by the Ohio Department of Health. jmyers@dispatch.com @_jcmyers