Red Sox hire Astros coach Cora as new manager

[October 23, 2017]  (The Sports Xchange) - The Boston Red Sox hired Alex Cora as their new manager on Sunday.

The 42-year-old Cora,a bench coach with the Houston Astros, agreed to a three-year contract plus a club option for 2021, according to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

A formal press conference will be held following the World Series between the Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cora, a native of Puerto Rico, played parts of four seasons with the Red Sox (2005-08) during his 14 seasons as a player. This season's stint with the Astros was his first on a major league coaching staff.

"Returning to the Red Sox and the city of Boston is a dream come true for me and my family and I look forward to working towards the ultimate goal of winning another championship for this city and its great fans," Cora said.

"It has been a very special season (with Houston) and an incredible organization to be a part of and I am looking forward to the World Series and winning with this group."

Cora, who replaces John Farrell, is the 47th manager in Red Sox history and the 22nd former Boston player to serve in the role.

Cora's stock rose greatly due to the success of the Astros. The club went 101-61 in the regular season and defeated the Red Sox in the American League Division Series and the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series to reach the World Series for the second time in club history.

Boston also reportedly interviewed Ron Gardenhire, who was hired as the Detroit Tigers manager last week, and Brad Ausmus (former Tigers manager) before deciding on Cora.

 

 New York Yankees third base coach Joe Espada (53) meets with Houston Astros bench coach Alex Cora (26) before game six of the 2017 ALCS playoff baseball series at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

"We were very impressed when we interviewed Alex," Dombrowski said in a statement. "He came to us as a highly regarded candidate, and from speaking with him throughout this process, we found him to be very knowledgeable, driven, and deserving of this opportunity," Dombrowski said. "He is a highly respected and hardworking individual who has experience playing in Boston.

Cora served as a baseball analyst for four seasons (2013-16) before being hired by the Astros. His varied background and ability to relate to young players was a key in the hiring.

Cora batted .243 in 1,273 big league games from 1998-2011 with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004), Cleveland Indians (2005), Red Sox, New York (2009-10), Texas Rangers (2010) and Washington Nationals (2011).

(Editing by Gene Cherry)

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