LOS ANGELES--Dodgers manager Jim Tracy expressed frustration yesterday when his Cingular Call to the Bullpen was disrupted by Cingular?s poor service. Tracy was attempting to call for a reliever, but his promotional MLB cell phone went dead before he could make the switch.
?I really wanted to get [Eric] Gagne warmed up before the ninth, so I gave them a call on this stupid phone,? said Tracy, holding up the cellular phone that was provided as an alternative to the old-fashioned bullpen phone. ?I got [bullpen coach Frank] Cloninger on the phone, but just as I was about to give him the green light, the damn thing went dead. Every time I try to use it, it goes dead. Don?t they have cell phone towers in Los Angeles??
Tracy then referred to the monthly plan as his ?Cingular ****ing blows? plan.