Los Jefes: Red Sox manager Alex Cora

HOUSTON – Among the five Latino managers in Major League Baseball, Red Sox manager Alex Cora is the lone manager to win the Fall Classic as a player, bench coach and manager. The former infielder is the only Latino to win the World Series as both a player and manager in the divisional era (since 1969).

He joins Davey Johnson, Lou Piniella, Mike Scioscia, Joe Girardi, Dave Roberts and Dusty Baker as the only men to win World Series as players and managers since 1969.

Alex Cora, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Red Sox recently, played 14 years in the big leagues. After his playing career, he joined ESPN and ESPN Deportes as an MLB analyst in 2013. Three years later, Cora joined the Astros’ coaching staff.

After serving as bench coach and helping the Astros win their first World Series title, Alex Cora was hired by the Red Sox after the 2017 season. He then led the Red Sox to their ninth title in 2018.

In honor of Latino Heritage Month, Our Esquina is highlighting Latino excellence in leadership with a series of Q&A’s with Major League Baseball’s five Latino managers.

Cora is a native of Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Alex Cora: ‘We’re capable of doing this’

Our Esquina: How important is it to have five Latino managers, especially for the diversity of getting more Latinos to be managers in the upcoming years of Major League Baseball?

Alex Cora: Well I mean if we get more we’re going to crush it, right? I mean five out of 30 you know population wise we’re killing it right now.

Very humbled to be a part of that group. Very happy that the others are getting their chances, and it tells the story. People see us as we’re capable of doing this. It’s not minorities managing in the big leagues, it’s people are capable to run a franchise. They’re getting their opportunity, and right now that’s what’s happening.

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OE: After 14 seasons as an MLB player you transitioned to a different occupation and that’s coaching. What made you go to that route?

‘This is just the beginning’

AC: A lot of people thought I was going to be a future big league manager. So I trust them. After my playing career I took a year off, worked for ESPN for a few years, and that really helped me to be the baseball person I am right now.

The introduction to analytics, to numbers, and to see the game in a different perspective. You’re always in trenches trying to get a hit, make a play, and all that stuff. From this end (as manager), you got to be more thoughtful, and I think the years in Bristol, Conn., (with ESPN) really helped me out.

OE: You signed a contract extension with the Red Sox. Being the manager for the next upcoming years, what was the decision making leading into that? Was it wanting to stay in Boston or how special this team could be in the future?

AC: Two things. Take care of my No. 1 team, which is the Cora-Felicianos. And I think we accomplished that. Then No. 2 is to win as many games as possible. I do believe where we’re at as an organization, this is just the beginning. We have a chance to make the playoffs with a young group, but the future is bright here in Boston and I want to be a part of it.