Very much agree with this. His behavior cost him and the Red Sox plenty. The heck with Cora.
Alex Cora is back as Sox manager
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
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Red Sox are hopeful that Alex Cora's contract will be done today and they can announce it. Notably, the press release is probably easy to write considering it's a copy-and-paste job.
View: https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1324748137462927361
View: https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1324748137462927361
Happy with the hire and disagree pretty vehemently that there is any "taint" to Cora. The investigation found that he didn't do anything wrong while at the Red Sox, which is the only relevant fact to my mind. Plus, it's pretty clear that although he certainly was involved with the Astros stuff, he and Beltran were unfairly singled out and thrown under the bus because they weren't part of the players union (reading between the lines Hinch and Luhnow pretty clearly also tried to put the blame on Cora with their "I'm shocked this could have been happening without my knowledge!" bullshit).
At any rate, he served his time and presumably learned his lesson - frankly if anything I'd expect him and the team to be extra-squeaky-clean now, knowing that they'll likely be under a microscope (then again I thought the same of the Pats and they still managed to fuck up with the Bengals thing, so who knows).
At any rate, he served his time and presumably learned his lesson - frankly if anything I'd expect him and the team to be extra-squeaky-clean now, knowing that they'll likely be under a microscope (then again I thought the same of the Pats and they still managed to fuck up with the Bengals thing, so who knows).
I’m guessing this was absolutely Bloom’s call. If it worked before and all of the players loved him, then so what? Let people piss and moan about what happened in Houston. Alex is a good fit here.
I can’t imagine that this group, especially now that LL is gone, hasn’t learned from the Epstein and Bobby V fiascos. I doubt they would force this on him if he wasn’t on board.
Furthermore, we’re New England sports fans. Since when do we care about “taint”? Go ahead and make your dirty jokes. They’re all set up.
I can’t imagine that this group, especially now that LL is gone, hasn’t learned from the Epstein and Bobby V fiascos. I doubt they would force this on him if he wasn’t on board.
Furthermore, we’re New England sports fans. Since when do we care about “taint”? Go ahead and make your dirty jokes. They’re all set up.
Again, can we get some reporting that says Bloom was leaned on before going this route?
What did it cost them other than a second round pick? His behavior in Boston was nothing short of the best team the franchise has ever seen.
Maybe that too, but I don't read the Sox as contenders next year. They aren't blowing it up but they aren't going to be like 2018. I doubt Cora would hear footsteps or would be axed if they don't make the playoffs. Unless maybe if it was like an 6-20 stretch or something. And if Cora wanted to come back, then he also understands that his team won't be as deep or as consistently competitive.
I’m with you on the disappointment. He was a great manager in 2018 but I would have preferred the organization place more value in having very high character people in their leadership positions.
Fuld was obviously just a suggestion of mine. Maybe bench coach is too far but the guy is going to manage one day, bench coaching is pretty much "vice president" in managing at this point. Chaim wants him in the organization in some way at least, unless this entire process was a long con from the start and Fuld was put 2nd just as a solid to him.
Okay, but he has a coaching job with the Phillies. If we want to hire him away, we need to offer him something more than a lateral move.
Why do you dislike this ownership group? The ownership group apologized for this past season. Sam Kennedy even took the time to meet with Bertha who had written the critical letter about ownership. I take both that move and the re hiring of Cora as steps in the right direction.
@OCST
Is there an old oak tree next to Fenway that they tied yellow ribbons around?
I like it. He did his time and the offense was in Houston.
I like it. He did his time and the offense was in Houston.
I'm having a really hard to analyzing this and coming to any conclusion other than, "let's fucking go!"
I suspect that we may also learn (as more things come out) that his role in the offenses in Houston was smaller than has been reported.
The initial story out of Houston — that Beltrán and Cora were the key figures — was always quite suspicious, as both men had already left the Astros' organization. It's an all too convenient narrative for Crane and Luhnow and Hinch, all of whom are trying to pass the buck down the chain of command.
Like, I was just listening to Ben Reiter's podcast miniseries "The Edge," which is about the scandal (and which I would recommend) and Luhnow's story is that the Codebreaker Excel macro was the independent project of a front office intern from Penn. Uhh, okay.
I'm not saying Cora wasn't involved. It seems extremely clear that he was, and that's not great. But I think that as we have gained more context, the story has gone from one in which the malign influence of the two Puerto Ricans Beltrán and Cora — it was, frankly, pretty racist — caused the scandal to a more plausible narrative in which they were participants in a broader institutional failure.
Hinch's stated position is actually that he was aware of the cheating and did nothing to stop it except smashing the television with a bat, twice? That's insane, and IMO it makes him look worse as a leader than if he had been an active participant. Smashing things isn't really the way I want my manager to communicate important organizational priorities and values.
For years before he was appointed, I wanted Alex Cora to manage the Red Sox. And he was great at it. But I share a sense of discomfort about his return. The more I learned about Fuld, the more I hoped for his appointment. But, here we are, and as we all know, our team could be in a much worse spot.
Geaux, Sox!
Geaux, Sox!
I think the Red Sox will regret this in the long run, add me to the unhappy about the hire group.
I am very happy about Cora being back. I see nothing to be mad about this rehiring. He did his time, was eligible to be hired, and is a good manager. Someone was going to hire him, why not us?
Who else was going to hire him? The Sox were the only managerial job left open. If they don't hire him, at best he is a coach on someone else's staff.
Thanks for clarifying that, Kelpap. I did send it to SK, and he forwarded it internally to be addressed. What I found encouraging was the level of who called me (an exec VP) as well as his apparent sincerity and willingness to be open to improvement. No excuses, and significant discussion on how they are seeking to be better. There never was going to be a positive solution, but I came away impressed and reasonably satisfied with the overall social conscience of Sox management.
He would have been perfect for the White Sox but they went in basically as far opposite direction they could have.
Poor PeteAbe is salty that they're "dumping" the news on Friday evening. As if having the Zoom press conference tonight versus next week would make such a huge difference.
View: https://twitter.com/PeteAbe/status/1324839482592473088
View: https://twitter.com/PeteAbe/status/1324839482592473088
I didn't mean today, but someone eventually was going to do it. Players who serve their suspensions get reinstated, and we don't bat an eye. I did not see any of this trepidation when Michael Chavis was called up on the Red Sox. Cora is better at his job than Chavis is at his, whatever past offence they have committed and paid for.
He managed two seasons and in one of them set the team record for wins and won the World Series. Devers and X appear to love him. He’s young and could be the manager for a long time. Can anyone explain why they’re upset?
I've seen a non-insignificant reaction of he's a cheater. People taking the story at base value. It doesn't take much to see he was a scapegoat for the Astros scandal.
If people are upset about the 2018 sign stealing, well, everyone and their dog was using video that way.
If people are upset about the 2018 sign stealing, well, everyone and their dog was using video that way.
+2
I thought he was a very good manager during his earlier stint with the team, and I expect he'll be a very good manager again. But I don't enjoy rooting for people who break the rules.
Well, he's not a repeat offender until he offends again. I'm for it. He is a proven commodity who will instantly improve the team.
He broke rules, but in doing so helped to better define what the rules are. Another chance is reasonable.
He broke rules, but in doing so helped to better define what the rules are. Another chance is reasonable.
I know we don't all see eye-to-eye, but I've always made a big distinction between off-the-field criminal behavior (hate speech, domestic violence, etc.) and on-field rule breaking (sign-stealing, scuffing the baseball, etc.). The first is something I take very seriously and would not want that person playing for a team I rooted for. The second...essentially every pro athlete in every sport pushes boundaries, works the refs, and bends the rules when they think they'll get away with it. Sometimes they get caught, they face a fine or suspension, and that should be the end of it. I'd love to be rooting for for "pure sportsmanship" too, but with millions of dollars on the line these guys are going to work any angle they can, and I have a hard time blaming them for that.
Then again, a lot of people hated Manny Ramirez for not running out ground balls. As I said, we don't all see eye-to-eye.
However: any patriot fan who is disappointed at Cora being re-hired who is not simultaneously calling for Belichick to be fired is a pure, unadulterated hypocrite.
Then again, a lot of people hated Manny Ramirez for not running out ground balls. As I said, we don't all see eye-to-eye.
However: any patriot fan who is disappointed at Cora being re-hired who is not simultaneously calling for Belichick to be fired is a pure, unadulterated hypocrite.
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Perhaps it's the existentialist in me, but if you say he's tainted, it means he's human. To a larger or lesser degree, we're all tainted.
I also think another chance for a non-white manager is not nothing. Diversity in the higher levels of the sport has always been a problem. And the finite field of possible manager positions is always a crowd of mostly white dudes. I mean, Tony LaRussa got dusted off and uncrated for the White Sox, and he's on record as already raising red flags with his take on diversity.
Often non-white job seekers have to be exceptionally perfect. And if they aren't they are then unofficially shadowbanned for life. The standard is already too high, so a second chance here with this context has merit.
I won't pretend to be color-blind, but I have to say I was surprised to see Cora described as non-white. I have never thought about that. His being a Puerto Rican definitely counts as diversity, though. Since the sport is increasingly populated by Spanish-speaking players, Cora's being so thoroughly bilingual is a great attribute.
To this, I'd also add that A.J. Hinch had no problems landing a job this offseason despite being the direct supervisor of the supposed masterminds and the players who carried out the scheme. I'm skeptical that he'd have been such a hot commodity if he wasn't a White guy.