| Alex Cora | |
|---|---|
.png) Cora with the Boston Red Sox in 2025 | |
| Boston Red Sox – No. 13 | |
| Shortstop /Second baseman /Manager | |
| Born: (1975-10-18)October 18, 1975 (age 50) Caguas, Puerto Rico | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 7, 1998, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 2011, for the Washington Nationals | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Batting average | .243 |
| Home runs | 35 |
| Runs batted in | 286 |
| Managerial record | 610–524 |
| Winning % | .538 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Jose Alexander Cora[1] (born October 18, 1975) is a Puerto Rican professional baseballmanager and formerinfielder who is the manager of theBoston Red Sox inMajor League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 14 seasons with the Red Sox,Los Angeles Dodgers,Cleveland Indians,New York Mets,Texas Rangers, andWashington Nationals. After retiring as a player, Cora served as the bench coach for theHouston Astros when they won their firstWorld Series title in2017. Cora was named Boston's manager the following season, winning a franchise-best 108 games and leading the team to victory in the2018 World Series. He is the fifth MLB manager to win the World Series in his first season and the first Puerto Rican manager of a World Series-winning team.[2]
Following the 2019 season, Cora was implicated in asign-stealing scandal during his time with Astros.[3] Amid an investigation to determine if he took part in another sign-stealing scandal with the Red Sox,[4] Cora and the Red Sox mutually agreed to part ways before the 2020 season.[5] Cora was subsequently suspended through the 2020 playoffs for his role in the Astros' scandal.[6] After his suspension ended, he returned to the Red Sox as their manager.[7]
Cora was drafted in the 12th round of the1993 Major League Baseball draft by theMinnesota Twins, but did not sign a contract and decided instead to play collegiate baseball at theUniversity of Miami. While there, Cora was named to theCollege World Series all-tournament team in both 1995 and 1996. He led the team to the title game in1996, a game they lost toLouisiana State University.
Cora was rated byBaseball America as the best collegiate defensive player going into the1996 draft. Cora was drafted by theLos Angeles Dodgers in the third round, and played 61 games of the 1996 season with theClass A-AdvancedVero Beach Dodgers, batting .257 with no home runs and 26 RBIs. He played the 1997 season with theDouble-ASan Antonio Missions; in 127 games he batted .234 with 3 home runs and 48 RBIs. Cora spent parts of the 1998, 1999, and 2000 seasons with theTriple-AAlbuquerque Dukes, hitting .264 in 81 games, .308 in 80 games, and .373 in 30 games, respectively.
Cora made his major league debut on June 7, 1998, with the Dodgers against theSeattle Mariners; his brotherJoey Cora was Seattle's starting second baseman in the game.[8] Cora spent the next seven years in Los Angeles, appearing in a total of 684 games while batting .246 with 27 home runs and 173 RBI. During his time with the Dodgers, he played at second base and shortstop. During the 2000 and 2001 seasons, Cora mostly played shortstop as the Dodgers moved the agingMark Grudzielanek to second base. With the emergence ofCésar Izturis in 2002, and the trade of Grudzielanek to theChicago Cubs in December of the same year, Cora spent the rest of his stint with the Dodgers as their primary second baseman.
Cora played in one postseason series with the Dodgers, the2004 NLDS, which the Dodgers lost to theSt. Louis Cardinals. Cora was the Dodgers' second baseman in all four games, batting 2-for-15 (.133) during the series.
He has the record for longest at-bat for a Dodger, where on May 12, 2004, againstpitcherMatt Clement, he fouled off 18 pitches, then hit ahome run.[9]
On January 18, 2005, Cora signed as afree agent with theCleveland Indians.[10] He appeared in 49 games with the Indians, with 22 starts at shortstop and 14 at second base; he batted .205 with a home run and 8 RBI. On July 7, 2005, Cora was traded to theBoston Red Sox for infielderRamón Vázquez.[11]
Cora made his Red Sox debut on July 7, 2005, and through the end of the regular season appeared in a total of 47 games for Boston, batting .269 with two home runs and 16 RBI. In the2005 ALDS, which Boston lost to theChicago White Sox in a three-game sweep, Cora played in one game as a defensive replacement, without aplate appearance.
Cora was originally intended to back up shortstopÉdgar Rentería. With the trade of Rentería to theAtlanta Braves in December 2005, Cora was being eyed to take the position of starting shortstop, until the Red Sox acquiredÁlex González in February 2006. For the 2006 season, Cora appeared in 96 games, batting .238 with one home run and 18 RBI.
Cora was a member of the Red Sox team that won the2007 World Series. During the regular season, he appeared in 83 games and batted .246 with three home runs and 18 RBI. In the postseason, he appeared as a late-innings defensive replacement in two games of the2007 ALCS and two games of the World Series. He had oneplate appearance, asacrifice bunt inWorld Series game 3.[12]
For the 2008 regular season, Cora played in 75 games, batting .270 with no home runs and 9 RBI. He appeared in four postseason games; two games of the2008 ALDS, which Boston won, and two games of the2008 ALCS, which Boston lost. He batted 4-for-26 (.154) with no home runs and one RBI. These games were the final postseason appearances for Cora as a player.
On October 30, 2008, Cora became a free agent. In his four seasons with Boston, he appeared in 301 regular season games, batting .252 with six home runs and 61 RBI.
On January 22, 2009, Cora signed a one-year deal with theNew York Mets.[13] During the 2009 season, he appeared in 82 games, batting .251 with one home run and 18 RBI. On November 30, 2009, Cora re-signed with the Mets for the 2010 season, with an option for 2011.[14] He was released by the Mets on August 7, 2010[15] — at the time, he was batting .207 with no home runs and 20 RBI, having played in 62 games of the 2010 season. In his time with the Mets, Cora appeared in a total of 144 games, with a .234 batting average, one home run, and 38 RBI.
On August 17, 2010, Cora signed a minor league contract with theTexas Rangers,[16] and was assigned to their Triple-A affiliateOklahoma City, where he appeared in six games, batting 4-for-22 (.182). He then played four games for the Rangers, batting 2-for-7 (.286). The Rangers released Cora on September 7.[10] Despite his limited time with Texas, the team later rewarded him with anAL Championship ring.
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In January 2011, the Nationals signed Cora to a minor league contract.[17] During the 2011 season, he appeared in 91 games for Washington, batting .224 with no home runs and 6 RBI. Cora's final MLB appearance was with the Nationals on September 28, when he tripled as a pinch hitter against theFlorida Marlins.[18]
Following the 2011 season, Cora played winter baseball inPuerto Rico, after which he announced his retirement; shortly thereafter he clarified that he was retiring only from winter baseball.[19] He agreed to a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals on February 5, 2012.[20] After batting .208 with one RBI in 24 plate appearances inspring training, Cora was released by the defending World Series champions on March 25, 2012.[21]
With the Dodgers on May 12, 2004, Cora had an 18-pitch at-bat against Chicago Cubs starting pitcherMatt Clement. Facing a 2–1 count, Cora fouled off 14 straight pitches before finally hitting a home run.[22] As of 2024[update], it is tied for fifth place among the longest at bats since 1988, when statisticians began tracking pitch counts.[23] Of the longest five at bats (including ties), Cora's is the only one that resulted in a hit.[23] So much time elapsed during the at bat that Cora's brother Joey joked that he and a friend were watching the game at a restaurant, ordering their first beer during the first pitch, and by the time Cora homered they were "so drunk that we had to call a cab to take us home."[24]
Cora played in the two longest nine-inning games in MLB history. The first was a 4-hour, 27-minute game on October 5, 2001, between the Dodgers and theSan Francisco Giants.[25] The second game, and the longest on record, was a 4-hour, 45-minute game on August 18, 2006, the second game of adoubleheader between the Red Sox and theNew York Yankees.[25] Cora entered the 2001 game as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning,[26] and was the starting shortstop in the 2006 game.[27]
In the third game of the2018 World Series, Cora managed the Red Sox in the longest game in World Series history both by time (7 hours and 20 minutes) and innings (18). The Los Angeles Dodgers, being down two games to none, won 3–2 on awalk-off home run byMax Muncy.[28]
Cora played for thePuerto Rico national baseball team in theWorld Baseball Classic during2006 and2009; he batted 2-for-15 (.133) and 1-for-8 (.125) in those tournaments, respectively.[29] In March 2016, Cora was named asgeneral manager of the team;[30][31] he served in that position through the2017 World Baseball Classic.[32]
Prior to coaching and managing in MLB, Cora was general manager ofCriollos de Caguas, a team in thePuerto Rican Winter League, for five seasons, also serving as the team's manager for two of those seasons.[33]
On November 15, 2016, Cora became the bench coach for theHouston Astros.[34] Cora assumed managerial duties on three occasions during the 2017 season, following ejections of Astros managerA. J. Hinch.[35][36][37][38]
On August 25, 2017, Cora wasejected from a game against theLos Angeles Angels by home plate umpireLaz Díaz.[39] Cora argued that the baseball had too much dirt on it and should be removed from play; it was Cora's first career MLB ejection.[40]
The2017 Astros finished with a record of 101–61 and went on to win in Game 7 of theWorld Series.[41]
During the2017 ALCS, Cora interviewed for the open managerial position of the Boston Red Sox.[42] It was subsequently reported that Cora would be named as Red Sox manager.[43][44] On October 22, the day after the Astros defeated theNew York Yankees in the2017 ALCS, the Red Sox announced a three-year managerial contract for Cora, for the 2018 through 2020 seasons, with an option for 2021.[45]
Cora formally assumed the role on November 2, 2017, following theWorld Series. On August 3, 2018, Cora was ejected for the first time as a manager by home plate umpireAdam Hamari for arguing warnings being issued to both benches by first base umpire and crew chiefPhil Cuzzi in a game against the Yankees.[46] Cora and the2018 Red Sox finished with 108 wins and 54 losses.[47]
In theAmerican League Division Series, the Red Sox eliminated theNew York Yankees, three games to one,[48] and advanced to theAmerican League Championship Series.[48] Cora received his first postseason ejection on October 13, in Game 1 of the ALCS against theHouston Astros. He was ejected by home plate umpireJames Hoye between the fifth and sixth innings for arguing balls and strikes.[49] On October 18, Cora's 43rd birthday, the Red Sox defeated the Astros, 4–1, to win the ALCS in five games.[50] The Red Sox then defeated theLos Angeles Dodgers in theWorld Series in five games to give Cora his first championship as a manager and third overall.[51] Cora became the fifth rookie manager to win a World Series, the others beingBob Brenly in 2001,Ralph Houk in 1961,Eddie Dyer in 1946, andBucky Harris in 1924.[52] In voting for the ALManager of the Year Award, Cora finished second toBob Melvin of theOakland Athletics.[53]
On November 14, 2018, the Red Sox announced that they had renegotiated Cora's contract, including an extension through the 2021 season, with a club option for 2022.[54]
On November 13, 2019, it was reported that Cora, along with former Astros playerCarlos Beltrán, played a key role in theHouston Astros sign stealing scandal during their time with the team, which included Houston's 2017 championship season.[3] Cora was interviewed during MLB's investigation of the Astros, with the Red Sox offering their "full cooperation".[55] On January 7, 2020,The Athletic published a report alleging that the2018 Red Sox broke MLB rules by using a video replay room during regular season games to decipher the signs of opposing catchers, according to three unnamed sources who were with the team that year.[56] On January 13, MLB's findings regarding Houston's sign stealing were announced, including that Cora "was the only non-player involved in the subterfuge."[57] However, commissionerRob Manfred deferred any discipline for Cora until the conclusion of the separate investigation into the 2018 Red Sox. This raised the possibility that Cora could face significant discipline from MLB, possibly as lengthy as the one-year suspension meted out to Astros manager A. J. Hinch.[58]
The following day, Cora and the Red Sox mutually agreed to part ways. According to a joint statement issued by majority ownerJohn Henry, chairmanTom Werner and presidentSam Kennedy, all parties involved concluded that given the nature of the findings, Cora could not effectively lead the team. Cora issued a statement of his own saying that he "did not want to be a distraction" to the team.[5][59]
On April 22, 2020, commissioner Rob Manfred issued findings from MLB's investigation about electronic sign-stealing by the 2018 Red Sox. The findings focused on the actions of the team's replay operator, who as a result was suspended for the 2020 season (including postseason) and the team forfeited their second-round selection in the2020 MLB draft. About Cora, Manfred stated:[6]
Cora was rehired as the Red Sox' manager on November 6, 2020,[33] on a two-year contract for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, with a club option for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.[7] On April 14, 2021, Cora earned the 200th win of his managerial career in the first game of adoubleheader against theMinnesota Twins.[60] The2021 Red Sox qualified for the postseason as awild card, and advanced to theALCS.[61] On November 22, 2021, the Red Sox announced that they exercised their 2023–2024 option to extend Cora's contract as manager of the team.[62]
During the 2022 season, Cora missed six games in the latter half of April after testing positive for COVID-19; bench coachWill Venable led the team in Cora's absence.[63] His 19 challenges in 2022 were the fewest of any full-time major league managers, as were his eight overturns.[64]
On July 24, 2024, the Red Sox announced that Cora agreed to a three-year contract extension, through the 2027 season.[65]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| BOS | 2018 | 162 | 108 | 54 | .667 | 1st in AL East | 11 | 3 | .786 | WonWorld Series (LAD) |
| BOS | 2019 | 162 | 84 | 78 | .519 | 3rd in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| BOS | 2021 | 162 | 92 | 70 | .568 | 2nd in AL East | 6 | 5 | .545 | LostALCS (HOU) |
| BOS | 2022 | 162 | 78 | 84 | .481 | 5th in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| BOS | 2023 | 162 | 78 | 84 | .481 | 5th in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| BOS | 2024 | 162 | 81 | 81 | .500 | 3rd in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| BOS | 2025 | 162 | 89 | 73 | .549 | 3rd in AL East | 1 | 2 | .333 | LostALWC |
| Total | 1,134 | 610 | 524 | .538 | 18 | 10 | .643 | |||
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Cora lives inCaguas, Puerto Rico, during the off-season. He has four children, including twins born during the 2017 season.[67][68] His older brother isJoey Cora, a former MLB utility player and currentDetroit Tigers 3rd base coach.[69]
Cora is a 2006 inductee of the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.[67]
From February 2013 to November 2016, Cora was acolor analyst for baseball onESPN andESPN Deportes.[70]
After winning the 2018 World Series, Cora took theWorld Series trophy to his hometown of Caguas on November 3, 2018.[71]
Cora was involved in relief help for Puerto Rico afterHurricane Maria in 2017.[72][73]
Full name Jose Alexander Cora
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Houston Astrosbench coach 2017 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Boston Red Soxmanager 2018–2019 2021–present | Succeeded by Ron Roenicke Incumbent |
