Jose Alexander Cora was hired as the Boston Red Sox manager on October 22, 2017, helping to lead the team to win the 2018 World Series in his first season with the Sox. Cora was also a member of the Red Sox when the franchise won the 2007 World Series.
Get to know more about Cora, the first Latino manager in Red Sox history:
Alex Cora's bio
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- Birthdate: October 18, 1975
- Birthplace: Caguas, Puerto Rico
- College: University of Miami
- MLB Experience: 20 years (14 years as a player; six as a coach/manager)
Alex Cora's career MLB stats
Here are some of Alex Cora's most notable career achievements and statistics:
- Three-time World Series Champion (2007-- Red Sox player, 2017 -- Houston Astros bench coach, 2018 -- Red Sox manager)
- American League Manager of the Year runner-up (2018)
- American League Manager of the Year fifth-place finish (2021)
- Best Red Sox record in franchise history (108-54 regular season record in 2018)
- WEEI Sportsperson of the Year Award (2021)
- MLB All-Star Game American League manager (2019)
- Pride of Boston Award winner (2018)
- Career totals (as MLB player):
- 1,273 games played
- .243 batting average
- 35 home runs
- 286 runs batted in
- .310 on-base percentage
- .338 slugging percentage
- 47 stolen bases
- Career totals as manager (as of August 15, 2022):
- 358-269 (.571) overall record
- 341-261 (.566) regular season record
- 17-8 (.680) postseason record
- Eight ejections
Alex Cora's playing career
Boston Red Sox
Alex Cora was first drafted out of high school in the 12th round of the 1993 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Minnesota Twins. He decided to play college baseball at the University of Miami instead of joining the Twins. Cora was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team in both 1995 and 1996 seasons.
In the 1996 MLB Draft, Cora was drafted in the third round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a Dodgers prospect, Cora played for the Class A-Advanced Vero Beach Dodgers in 1996. He later played for the Double-A San Antonio Missions and the Triple-A Albuquerque Dukes before making his MLB debut on June 7, 1998.
Cora's first MLB game was against the Seattle Mariners, where his older brother, Joey Cora, was the starting second baseman. Cora spent seven seasons with the Dodgers, playing a total of 684 games. His batting average for Los Angeles was .246 with 27 home runs and 173 RBIs.
In 2005, Cora signed with the Cleveland Indians as a free agent. Later that year, Cora was traded to the Red Sox.
Cora won the 2007 World Series with the Sox and played in 301 games for Boston over four seasons. He batted .252 with six home runs and 61 RBIs. In October of 2008, Cora became a free agent and signed with the New York Mets.
Cora played for the Mets for two seasons before getting released in August of 2010. Towards the end of his career, Cora played for the Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals on minor league deals. He retired after the 2011 season.
Cora played both second base and shortstop during his career.
Alex Cora's coaching/managerial career
Cora began his MLB coaching career as a bench coach for the Houston Astros in 2017. The club won the World Series that season. The following season, Cora became the Red Sox manager, helping guide the team to the World Series title in 2018. In 2018, the Sox had the best season in franchise history with a record of 108 wins and 54 losses.
In January 2020, the MLB found that Cora was involved in Houston's sign-stealing scandal during the 2017 season. Cora and the Red Sox mutually parted ways upon the announcement from the MLB. The Red Sox were involved in their own MLB sign-stealing investigation at the time regarding the 2018 season.
Cora was suspended through the end of the 2020 postseason for his actions as bench coach of the Astros in 2017, but was not disciplined for the Red Sox replay operator's conduct during the 2018 season.
On Nov. 6, 2020, Cora returned as manager for the Red Sox. The 2021 Red Sox earned the wild card spot in the postseason, advancing to the ALCS.
Alex Cora's international career
Cora played for the Puerto Rico national team in the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009. Cora became the team's general manager in 2016 and served through the 2017 World Baseball Classic, where Puerto Rico was the runner-up.
For five seasons, from 2004 to 2012, Cora played for the Criollos de Caguas team in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League.
After retiring from playing, Cora served as the general manager of the Criollos de Caguas for five seasons. He also was manager of the team for the 2014-15 season and the 2015-16 season. In his first year as manager for the Criollos de Caguas, Cora led his team to win the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League and finish third in the 2013 Caribbean Series.
In 2016, Cora's Criollos de Caguas won Puerto Rico's first Caribbean Series title since 2000.
Here are Alex Cora's contract details with the Red Sox
Cora signed a two-year contract with the Red Sox in 2020 with a two-year club option for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Although the details of the deal were not disclosed, Cora received a significant raise from the $800,000 salary of his first managerial season.
On Nov. 22, 2021, the Red Sox announced that the club exercised its option to extend Cora's contract through the 2024 season.
Meet Alex Cora's family
Alex Cora is the youngest of Iris Amaro and Jose Manuel Cora's four children. He has one brother, Joey, and two sisters, Lydia and Aimee.
Joey Cora played 11 seasons in the MLB with the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners, and Cleveland Indians. Joey made the MLB All-Star team in 1997 with the Mariners. He is currently the third base coach for the New York Mets.
Jose Manuel Cora founded a Little League chapter in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Upon his death from colon cancer in 1993, Iris took over the league.
Alex Cora currently lives with his fiancee Angelica Feliciano and the couple's twin sons, Xander Gabriel and Isander Manuel. The twins were born in 2017. Cora also has a daughter, Camila Cora, and a stepson, Jeriel Cora, from his previous marriage with Nilda Cora.
Camila, who is extremely close with her dad, will be a sophomore at Boston College during the 2022-23 school year.