Tracz Buys St. Petersburg ‘A’ Club
Schenectady Gazette, December 31, 1986
A-C Yank’s Tracz Buys St. Petersburg ‘A’ Club By Bill Palmer Gazette Sportswriter http://bit.ly/HzEix8
Dec. 31, 1986-Albany-Colonie Yankees Vice President of Baseball Operations Jack Tracz has purchased the St. Petersburg Cardinals franchise of the Florida State League, where he will assume the duties of President and General Manager. Tracz, who came to the Yankees two years ago, purchased the Class A team with his brothers, Dennis and Mark, of Virginia. The purchase price was $600,000. “Everything happened quickly. We had heard the team was for sale, but A. Ray Smith (the owner of the Louisville Redbirds Triple-A franchise) was also interested. Things worked out well, they accepted our package and both the City of St. Petersburg and the Cardinals have really made us feel welcome.” Joining Tracz will be Schenectady native Gary Wrigley, who was the Yankees director of sales this season. The Niskayuna graduate had worked with the Yankees for two years, and will serve as Tracz’ Vice-President of Baseball Operations. Tracz will handle the baseball end of the business with his brothers-who run the Arlington-based Virginia Financial Group-taking care of the financial end of things. I’m going to be doing the actual day-to-day running of the club,” said Tracz. “Dennis and Mark are both more of the financial world, so they’re expertise is in that area. They are the ones who helped package the financial deal.” Tracz and Rigley will have to get to work immediately, with both the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets calling St. Pete’s Al Lang Stadium their home for spring training. “We own the concession rights for the spring training games too, so we really have to get down there and get to work,” Tracz said. “But Ralph Miller (who Page 1 of 2