Alex Cora has emerged as the most sought-after managerial candidate in baseball. It’s likely the Houston Astros bench coach will soon be hired to fill one of the league’s vacant skipper positions.
Cora is reportedly the top choice of the Boston Red Sox and has been linked to the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers. A former player, the bilingual Cora is lauded for his baseball acumen and communication skills.
Here’s a closer look at the man you’ll likely hear plenty about in the coming days.
NAME: Alex Cora
AGE: 42
PLACE OF BIRTH: Caguas, Puerto Rico
MLB PLAYING EXPERIENCE: 14 years
CURRENT JOB: Houston Astros bench coach
PLAYING DAYS
Cora played for six organizations (Dodgers, Indians, Red Sox, Mets, Rangers, Nationals) during his 14-year MLB career. He hit .243 with 35 home runs over 1,273 career games, primarily as a bench player, and spent most of his time at second base or shortstop. Known as a strong defender, he was part of the 2007 World Series champion Red Sox.
Here’s a fun nugget: Some of Cora’s career numbers are strikingly similar to those of his older brother, Joey, an infielder who spent 11 years in the majors.
| Cora | WAR (FanGraphs) | AB | H | HR | RBI | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joey | 3.8 | 3,734 | 1,035 | 30 | 294 | 90 |
| Alex | 4.1 | 3,408 | 828 | 35 | 286 | 72 |
GLOWING REFERRALS
This season marks Cora’s first as bench coach with the Astros, who won 101 games en route to an appearance in the ALCS. Despite the short tenure, Cora has made an indelible impact.
“He’s one of the smartest baseball people that I’ve ever been around,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch recently told the Houston Chronicle. “His knowledge of the game, his feel for the game, his feel for players is really exceptional.” [sidebar]
Cora is revered for his ability to pick up tendencies of opposing pitchers.
Says Houston centre-fielder George Springer: “He’s a players’ guy. He played the game. He understands how hard it is to play this game and that’s the most important thing. It’s easy to forget how hard it is when you’re not playing the game. He hasn’t forgotten that.
“He’s into the game. He’s very informational. He’s going to be good someday somewhere.”
UNDERSTANDING THE MEDIA
Following his playing career, Cora spent four years as a broadcaster at ESPN in an analyst role that highlighted and honed his communications skills. That, as well as a keen understanding of how the media works, should serve Cora well if he lands in a major market such as Boston or New York.
Here’s an ESPN clip of Cora speaking about current Red Sox ace Chris Sale in 2016 when the pitcher cut up his jersey while playing for the White Sox.
WEAKNESS?
One possible knock on Cora is that he doesn’t have any managing experience at the MLB level. Thrusting him into a World Series-or-bust climate that exists in Boston, for example, can be perceived as somewhat of a gamble.
Cora has managed a winter ball team in his hometown in Puerto Rico for two seasons. As well, he was general manager for the Puerto Rican squad that lost to the U.S. in the 2017 World Baseball Classic final.
“He has presence. He’s got a little bit of the ‘it’ factor when it comes to having conviction in his decisions,” Hinch told the Houston Chronicle. “I’m proud of him because he’s been able to influence players very, very quickly in his coaching career and now obviously being considered for many jobs.”
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