Cora: Cool, calm and collected
Alex Cora approaches social media like he approaches anything else in his chaotic but fulfilling life. He’s not afraid to read the bad stuff. He’ll take a look at what people have to say, even the haters and the doubters, just to get an understanding of it. It’s not like he brushes it off lightly; he’ll admit it doesn’t feel good. But it’s the way he operates in life to look big picture, see both sides and then move forward.
“At the end, we’re human beings,” Cora said Sunday during a sit-down with the Herald. “And although you don’t want to read it, and you know there’s somebody sitting on a couch writing just to write, and crushing you just for the hell of it, you read it. But sometimes it hurts, like, holy (expletive). So as soon as I got the job I put filters on and I use social media for information.
“Now we’re going to Minnesota (for a three-game set with the Twins), so I’ll try to pick a beat writer for the Twins, or somebody that has stats about the Twins, and follow them. You never know. There’s a lot of smart people who follow the games and they don’t work for organizations so they can help you out. I try to do that.”
Almost three months into his first season as the Red
Sox manager, Cora has kept the only promise he made when he first took the job last October: to be the same guy he’s always been.
That doesn’t mean his life is the same. With infant twins in Boston, it can be hectic. He doesn’t get much sleep when the Sox are home, often waking up with the twins and finding time to take them out. His favorite spot is Wegmans, an approachable grocery store where “we can go with the kids and just walk around and kill an hour and a half without buying and just walking; I love it.”
On the road, he wakes up early to exercise with the coaching staff, then they go to breakfast together and head back to the hotel for a nap before work.
At home, he usually gets to Fenway Park around 1 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game and starts studying, watching video, spending time in advance meetings and then more meetings with coaches and players. His media commitments seem like they never end, part of the job he was ready for after spending four years working in front of the camera at ESPN. And he still tries to find time to actually sit down and hang out with his players.
On a recent trip to Houston, Cora sat in the clubhouse for a while without saying all that much, just observing a card game and showing off his Houston Astros World Series ring.
Sunday in Seattle, he reclined on a chair next to a few players watching Brazil against Switzerland in the World Cup.
“The weirdest thing about being a manager is your whole career you’ve been in the clubhouse with everybody else, and all of a sudden you have your office,” Cora said. “And it’s apart from everything. That’s weird. So I try to be with them. It’s always good to be around.”
All about information
Cora says he has faith in his hand-picked coaching staff, but that doesn’t stop him from spending time in the video room himself, burying his face in a laptop to see if he can discover any tidbits of information that might help the Sox for their upcoming game.
Cora is all about information. He’ll listen to anybody talk about the game, picking what he wants out of the conversation, and he’s happy to engage with reporters who don’t agree with lineup decisions or question his tactics.
“I’m the spokesman,” Cora said. “And I’m not justifying myself, it’s just that people like to know what’s going on. Obviously I don’t tell everything that happens, but there are a few things that happen in the game and people like to know. I think it’s a good way to connect with our fanbase. They like information, they deserve it, they love it and I know that.”
It’s not always easy. Occasionally Cora will dodge a question with a creative answer. Like on Saturday, when he was asked why the Red Sox are struggling against left-handed starters this season (they rank 26th in OPS vs. lefties), and he deflected. “We scored six off a pretty good lefty in James Paxton last night,” he said, never answering the question. But usually he’s willing to explain himself with a thoughtful response. It’s his own desire for information that gives him respect for others who feel the same way.
Still, there’s information he won’t share. Under Cora, the Red Sox have made a habit of staying committed to struggling players. Drew Pomeranz has a 6.81 ERA but continued to make starts out of the rotation until biceps tendinitis finally forced him to the disabled list. Jackie Bradley Jr. is one of the five worst offensive players in baseball this year, but has maintained his starting role in center field.
Meanwhile, Hanley Ramirez ranked fourth on the Red Sox in OPS vs. lefties but was designated for assignment, a move that was made because Cora suggested it.
There are numbers behind all his decisions, he says, even if the general public or reporters that cover the team can’t see them.
“I know numbers matter,” he said. “And people, that’s what they see. But we get information from our analytical team. And we get hitting reports every month. And there are some trends as far as exit velocity, not chasing pitches, and all that stuff comes into play. If those trends stop and it goes the other way, then we have to make adjustments. But we do feel, regardless of what it says in the scoreboard, there are a few guys that, for X or Y reason, batting average on balls in play is way down there. They’ve been
consistent numberswise as what they’ve done in the past, it’s just a matter of having a little bit of luck. There are other guys who are more lucky and their numbers are trending the other way.
“But people don’t see that. We understand. I know how it works. I know how people, that’s the information they have and you look up and see it everywhere. You can’t avoid it. For the fans, yeah that’s important. And there are certain numbers that are very important for us. But there’s information that we get on a daily basis to help us be patient with guys.”
Level playing field
Cora’s level-headedness has stood out during his first few months on the job. He’s rarely shown anger, or elation, and has maintained a sense of humor. He routinely makes fun of himself, and sometimes his players. And he was seen laughing on the field during a game in Baltimore last week when Eduardo Nunez got plunked in the stomach and was almost in tears at home plate while yelling, “I’m not going to die! I’m not going to die!”
Cora says the job has been exactly what he thought it would be, and he’s learned two important things.
“First of all, it’s not about me,” he said. “The team is the most important thing. You can’t get caught up in the whole thing. I know that people see me as a leader and he’s a new guy that they trust for us to take another step. But at the end of the day it’s about them.
“And second, don’t believe the hype. I try to keep it as simple as possible. I know how it goes, you can win nine in a row, lose five in a row and people are going to talk great about us, then they’re going to second guess us. So don’t get caught up in the whole thing.”
With twins Xander and Isander at home, and a 15-year-old daughter, Camila, who he says provides daily inspiration with her positive outlook on life and her love of the game, Cora has maintained a sense of balance that extends beyond baseball.
He cares what people say and think, but he’s going to form his own opinions. He’ll admit when he’s wrong, but that won’t stop him from taking chances. He wants to connect with his players and fans, but he’s confident and comfortable to sit alone with his thoughts.
Has he been successful staying grounded through it all?
“You guys are the judges,” he said.
But how does he feel?
“I think so,” he said. “I’m getting my rest. I’m sleeping well.”