30
BORN
MANAGE
TO
BY IAN BROWNE
was slightly more than halfway through his playing career when Terry
Francona matter-of-factly informed him what his next endeavor would be. The year was 2005, and Cora, who
had recently joined the Red Sox after a trade from the Indians, was 29 years old. At that stage, doing anything
but playing baseball was still hard to imagine for someone who loved the game so much. Fortunately, what
Francona had in mind for Cora wouldn’t take him away from baseball.
“Tito came up to me and he said, ‘Alex, you’re going to be a big league manager,’” said Cora. “I still remember
that so well. I was like, ‘Nah, I don’t know about that. I don’t know if I want to do it.’ He’s like, ‘Well you will be.’”
Francona turned out to be correct. And truth of the matter is, Cora almost seems as if he was born to manage.
Starting with this first season in 2018, Cora looks forward to trying to join Francona and John Farrell as
recent Red Sox managers who have led Boston to World Series championship glory.
In Cora, the Red Sox have enlisted a dynamic and energetic 42-year-old to lead them going forward. A team
that won 93 games and the American League East title the last two seasons but lost in the Division Series both
years will now have Cora to give them that extra push they need.
Cora comes to the Red Sox fresh off winning it all as bench coach with the Houston Astros. He brings with
him passionate ideas about being aggressive at the plate and communicative in the clubhouse. He wants that
clubhouse to flow with a family-like closeness and music that blares after every win. Cora brings a natural
relatability with stars and role players. He has institutional knowledge of what it takes to survive and succeed
in Boston. And what Cora lacks in managerial experience, he should be able to make up for by having a veteran
bench coach in Ron Roenicke, who is the former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.
With several cornerstone players in their prime, Cora seems to check off every box at a pivotal time for the
Red Sox.