Tracy Keeping His Eye on Ball

VERO BEACH, Fla. —  Manager Jim Tracy is keeping his focus on the field in the eye of another storm.

President Bob Graziano and Kris Rone, executive vice president of business, have resigned because of philosophical differences with new co-owners Frank and Jamie McCourt, and other executives might follow. Many within the organization are privately expressing concern about how the McCourts handled the firing of general manager Dan Evans and Graziano’s situation, stirring tension from Dodgertown to Chavez Ravine about what might be on the horizon.

Even the decision of new General Manager Paul DePodesta to retain the baseball-operations staff has been met with skepticism, as some believe DePodesta will make sweeping changes and cutbacks once many contracts expire next year.

Tracy won’t engage in the speculation despite his own tenuous situation, beginning the last year of his contract without an extension offer from the McCourts.

He has been with the Dodgers long enough to know there’s only so much he can do during tense times such as these.

“I’ve asked everyone from day one, when I started [as manager] in 2001, that when situations come about that we have no control over, and no one is going to ask our opinion anyway, to just keep our part focused right where it needs to be,” said Tracy, whose team is 4-2 after Monday’s 14-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

“This is what we have control over. We have kept our focus where it belongs.”

Tracy has had plenty of practice.

As bench coach in 1999 and 2000, Tracy was caught in the middle of the feud involving then-general manager Kevin Malone and manager Davey Johnson. In his first spring training, Tracy held together a clubhouse fractured by Gary Sheffield’s derisive comments about his teammates and his attacks on management.

Malone was fired less than a month into Tracy’s opening season, and DePodesta officially replaced Evans on Feb. 16. Dave Wallace also led the baseball staff on an interim basis. The team has changed direction three times in the chairman’s office, from News Corp. to Bob Daly to the McCourts.

Through everything, Tracy has accentuated the positive.

“Have there been some roadblocks along the way that you’ve got to wade through and work yourself through? Sure there have,” Tracy said. “The train runs off the track a little bit, and you have to get it back on so you can move forward again.

“But we’ve done a real good job of keeping our noses, vision and focus where it belongs. This is what’s important to us. This is what we have control over. This is what we have input on. That’s it.”

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Jeff Weaver struggled in his second start of the spring, giving up eight hits and five runs (four earned) while failing to retire a batter in the third inning.... Left-hander Steve Colyer, competing for a spot in the bullpen, gave up three hits and three runs in two innings.