Let’s face it, this past offseason was as boring as watching David Ortiz run a forty-yard dash. The only exciting moment was J.D. Martinez signing with Boston for a $110 million deal. With the offseason concluded and the Red Sox underway with the season, we arrive at the question: “Who was the best pickup this offseason?” Well, believe it or not it’s Alex Cora. Not Mitch Moreland, not Keith Moreland, or Matt Moreland, but their new manager Alex Cora.
Dave Dombrowski’s goals this past offseason were to hire a new skip and to add power to the lineup. He achieved those two goals, one in which was hiring Alex Cora. As we all know, this is Cora’s first stint as a manager, coming off a World Series title with the Houston Astros this past season. Being one of the youngest managers in Red Sox history, connecting with the young talent the Sox have made Cora an ideal fit. Cora has also had stints as teammates of Dustin Pedroia and briefly Mitch Moreland while with Texas (which everyone forgets). Cora finished his career with a .243 batting average, cranking only 35 homers and driving in 286 RBI’s. Don’t forget folks, he was part of our World Series title team back in 2007, so he knows what it takes to win both on the filed and in the dugout.
Entering this season I was excited. Cora brings youth and great baseball know-how to a team that can make some noise this season. The Red Sox are off to a hot start, winning eight of their first nine games. Their only loss occurred on Opening Day. His goal as a manager is to just be himself. Mainly, he wants to build a close relationship with his players. Find out what’s going on with each players lives both on and off the field. He believes a close, positive relationship with his players will lead to success and so far, it’s working.
There seems to be only positive news and results coming from Boston since the start of Spring Training. This team has become more fun to watch and it seems they’ve become more intertwined as a team. No, it’s not because they’re playing Fortnite in the clubhouse every day. It’s because of Alex Cora, and the good vibes he brings to the ball field each and every day.