*Photo from Bleacher Report*
Mere hours after a report that suggested the Boston Red Sox wouldn't fire manager Alex Cora until after the investigation into them was complete, the opposite happened. The Red Sox have parted ways with Cora, the team announced in a joint statement with Cora. The decision was made one day after he was named as the architect of the Houston Astros intricate sign stealing procedure of 2017. Cora was mentioned 11 times in commissioner Rob Manfred's report.
The statement released by the Red Sox says that "Today we met to discuss the Commissioner's report related to the Houston Astros investigation. Given the findings and the Commissioner's ruling, we collectively decided that it would not be possible for Alex to effectively lead the club going forward and we mutually agreed to part ways." Cora said in the statement that "We agreed today that parting ways was the best thing for the organization, I do not want to be a distraction to the Red Sox as they move forward. My two years as manager were the best years of my life. It was an honor to manage these teams and help bring a World Series Championship back to Boston. I will forever be indebted to the organization and the fans who supported me as a player, a manager and in my efforts to help Puerto Rico. This is a special place. There is nothing like it in all of baseball, and I will miss it dearly."
Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said in a press conference this afternoon that "Alex, by his own admission, played a central role in what went on in Houston, we all agree it was wrong, and that we had a responsibility as stewards where we have a standard where that behavior is unacceptable." Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy said that "It's also important to recognize that this collective mutual decision was related exclusively to the incidents that took place in Houston, the organization was well aware of the rules and communicated them to the uniformed personnel and front-office staff." The Red Sox are still being investigated for sign stealing in 2018, which took place under Cora's watch.
In two seasons with Cora as manager, the Red Sox went 192-132, winning the world series in 2018, and missing the playoffs in 2019. Cora's firing comes one day after Astros manager and GM AJ Hinch and Jeff Luhnow were both suspended for one year by Major League Baseball, and fired by Astros owner Jim Crane. Cora himself is expected to be punished severely by the league, though when that will happen is unknown. The Red Sox now have to quickly scramble to find a new manager, as spring training starts in one month.
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