Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was fired last week along with five other coaches, was clearly ready to leave Boston.
He texted several prominent reporters, “I’m happy,” hours after his firing. He posted pictures to his Instagram of him and his staff eating dinner and smiling. He turned down the Phillies job this week because he said he was looking forward to spending time with family.
It was an ugly end to a long relationship, and, clearly, it was time. But that doesn’t mean Cora was always unhappy in Boston — a place he not only coached for nearly a decade, but also played.
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According to MassLive, Cora sent a mass email to the organization this week, thanking them for their help, praising them for their service, and, above all, reminding them not to take Fenway Park for granted.
“Being part of this organization has meant a great deal to me. As a player and as a manager. Like I always tell free agents, I’m glad my kids grew up here. It’s unique, special and magical,” Cora wrote. “Thank you for treating me with respect and most importantly accept me as AC. I’m grateful for this experience, it made me better.
“We are happy to have the time to be full time parents, that’s the truth, but also we are disappointed that we didn’t finish the job. I respect the direction the organization is taking. A lot of talented people will help to accomplish the ultimate goal, having another duck boat parade. Thank you for the hard work, sleepless nights, professionalism and effort to help me lead this great organization.
“One last thing, keep showing up everyday and don’t take the Fenway experience for granted, your working place is the best in the world.”
I’ve ripped the Red Sox pretty good for weeks now. I saw the writing on the wall with this roster about 10 days into the season. It stinks. Anyone who thinks Alex Cora was the problem is living in a fantasy world.
So, yes, I was sad to see Cora go, especially because it meant Craig Breslow (and John Henry) stayed. If you’re making a list of all the Red Sox problems, Henry and Breslow would be so far ahead of Alex Cora, I’m not even sure they’d be on the same page.
The Sox made a surprise playoff run last year, and then completely folded over the offseason. Breslow, as he’s done for years now, whiffed on everyone. Everyone. Alex Bregman. Pete Alonso. Kyle Schwarber. The Sox needed one bat. They instead lost one, and got none.
Breslow then decided to hang on to all five of his outfielders, instead of trading one or two to address another position of need. Now, the team is stuck with a predictable logjam in the outfield, and in the lineup.
He replaced Alex Bregman — the team’s unquestioned leader last season — with Caleb Durbin at third base. That has been an unmitigated disaster.
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He traded Kyle Harrison — the top player the team got back in the Rafael Devers trade — to Milwaukee. Harrison is currently 2-1 this season with a 2.28 ERA. That would be, by far, the lowest ERA of any starter in the Red Sox rotation right now.
The Cora firing was coming. You could feel it over these past few weeks. Frankly, I don’t blame him for being happy. It’s like being the last passenger off the Titanic. He made out like a bandit here.
But he also loved the team, and the city, and, most of all, the fans. He made that clear for the eight years he was here, and he made it clear again in that email.
“One last thing, keep showing up everyday and don’t take the Fenway experience for granted, your working place is the best in the world.”
Nobody loved Fenway — and the atmosphere Fenway created — more than Alex Cora. He saw it as a player when they won a World Series in 2007. He saw it as a manager in 2018, and 2021, and, to an extent, briefly last season.
It’s a shame the next time he’ll see it will be as an opposing manager.
Hope Breslow enjoyed reading that email!
