Alex Cora Re-Hired (11/6/20)

Alex Cora is back with the Boston Red Sox. After the Boston Red Sox had one of their worst seasons in history, Red Sox brass decided that bringing back Cora after his 1 year suspension would be best for the team. A lot of the Sox looked lost last year including Rafael Devers, Andrew Benintendi and JD Martinez. Hopefully they will respond to Cora now that he's back at the helm. If Eduardo Rodriguez recovers from Covid, he'll be the one to benefit the most since Cora coaxed 19 wins out of him in 2019. Ron Roenicke was put into an impossible situation but he made a lot of mistakes that Cora wasn't known to make. A good manager can steal you a few wins a bad manager can't, so in the era of the second wild card, the Sox are gonna need that element. Cora guided the Sox to 108 wins and the World Series in 2018 and even though the Sox suffered a major hangover in 2019, those days are the glory days compared to the 2020 season we all just suffered through.

                                                          Sox re-hire Alex Cora

Its inevitable that a lot of people, including some in Boston, are going to whine about this. Essentially Cora was suspended for his involvement with the 2017 Astros than anything he did in Boston, but that doesn't matter to the baseball purists. They're gonna whine and complain that the Sox hired a "cheater" but Michael Chavis speaks for a lot of people in this picture below how we all feel about the whiners. Welcome back Cora.

                                                                For the haters

Alex Cora Fired (1/14/20)

Due to the recent scandal rocking Major League Baseball over sign stealing, it was only a matter of time before Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox got the axe. Yesterday MLB announced the Houston Astros were docked draft picks along with the season long suspensions of AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow. Within hours, Hinch and Luhnow were fired by the Astros, Meanwhile the Sox didn't even wait to see what Rob Manfred had in store for Cora, they announced today they have "parted ways" with the troubled, disgraced manager.

                                                      Bye bye Cora

This comes after the shocking report that both the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox were guilty of stealing signs electronically. While Houston was far more egregious, especially in the 2017 season, all signs point to Cora of being the mastermind behind it all. Now the Sox have to find a new manager and listen to almost every other team in the league (sans Houston) call them cheaters much like the New England Patriots have had to put up with the last dozen years.

So what happens next? Well commissioner Rob Manfred can't really touch new general manager Chaim Bloom since he had nothing to do with the Sox the last two years. They still can fine owner John Henry and dock draft picks which would cripple Bloom moving forward. The Sox farm system was destroyed by Dave Dombrowski and the worst punishment Manfred can hand down is taking draft picks away that would replenish the system. Can't say it wouldn't be undeserving.

                                               "I'm screwed" - Chaim Bloom

So now the Sox need a new manager. If the coaching staff under Cora is under fire, they may have to go outside the organization for a new one. They can always promote one of their minor league managers but the stench of "cheating" would follow them. We'll see where they go from here but as of right now, bye bye Cora. Thanks for the ring.

                                                               YERRRR OUTTA HERE!

Off-Day News (4/9/18)

As expected, Xander Bogaerts has been hurt badly. He has been placed on the 10 day disabled list with an ankle fracture. Yes, a FRACTURED ankle. The Boston Red Sox say he'll be out 10-14 days but anyone with a brain knows that you can't come back that quick from a fracture without long term lingering effects. If he can't run or plant his foot correctly at the plate, he won't be the same. Hopefully Sox manager Alex Cora has the sense to keep him out of the lineup unlike John Farrell last year making him play through the wrist injury. I'd rather shut him down until June if it means he'll be completely healed for July, August and September. For now the Sox have called up Tzu-Wei Lin to replace him but the key will be getting Dustin Pedroia back healthy so they can free up Eduardo Nunez to play short as a better option.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                       IN



Walking Wounded:

Drew Pomeranz made a rehab start for Pawtucket on Sunday and he lasted 4 1/3 innings while giving up 2 runs off 2 hits and SIX walks. He was clearly rusty which begs the question why Eduardo Rodriguez was immediately given the start in Boston when he too probably needed a rehab start. Drew will make his next rehab appearance in Portland this Friday. He never really had a Spring Training because of his forearm injury so they'll bring him along slowly.

Steven Wright - No update apart from coming back from his knee injury

Dustin Pedroia - No update apart from coming back from HIS knee injury.

Tyler Thornberg - No update apart form coming back from elbow surgery.




On This Day:

1983 - Bob Ojeda gets pounded by the Texas Rangers

1990 - Sox defeat Tigers on Opening Day

1993 - Nolan Ryan shuts down Sox

2000 - Pedro, Sox defeat Angels

2015 - 6 run 3rd guides Sox past Phillies

2016 - Sox pound Jays in Toronto

2017 - Undermanned Sox outlast Tigers

Alex Cora Hired as Manager (10/22/17)

It took just 11 days but less than two weeks after John Farrell was fired as manager of the Boston Red Sox, they have found his replacement. Former Red Sox infielder and current bench coach of the Houston Astros, Alex Cora was named as the new manager of the Sox.

                                                 Welcome back Alex

The decision to hire Cora is based on his ability to coach younger players. John Farrell clearly was not getting through to Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and some of the other guys that completely underperformed in 2017. Cora's ability to keep Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and the other Astros in check was a huge reason why he was available as a managerial choice.

When Farrell was first hired in 2013, he was inheriting a team of veterans and some holdovers from the 2007 Red Sox, primarily his former pitchers Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester. In the last 4 years all the veterans and holdovers with the one exception of Dustin Pedroia are gone. The Sox inablity to perform in the playoffs cannot entirely be blamed on Farrell, but it sure didn't help that a lot of players regressed in 2017. Not just Betts and Bogaerts but Hanley Ramirez fell apart as well. Going into the season Andrew Benintendi was supposed to be a shoo-in as rookie of the year but Aaron Judge blew him out of the water. The pitching staff performed admirably but offensively the Sox underperformed and it was time for Farrell to go. Someone had to take the fall for back to back no-shows in the playoffs and it made sense to can him.

The Sox will be banking on Cora to right the likes of Betts and Bogaerts but how he handles the pitchers will be his real challenge. As incompetent as he was with pinch hitters and batting lineups, Farrell has proven he can get through to pitchers. Drew Pomeranz was a huge bust up from the moment he was traded here until the moment Farrell gave Pomeranz a huge tongue lashing against Oakland. After that, Drew became one of the best starters in the American League, winning 17 games. Can Cora get through to him to keep up that kind of streak moving forward?

                                                             Cora at the plate

Whether or not the Sox sign some free agents or make some trades is up in the air at this point, but the Sox had to move on from Farrell and with the Sox going with a young core of Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr, Benintendi, Bogaerts, Christian Vazquez and Rafael Devers, they needed someone they could connect with. With the New York Yankees vastly improving, the Sox need to get their heads out of their collective asses from ownership on down if they want to keep their stranglehold on the AL East title.

Cora was apart of the 2007 Red Sox world championship team and the Astros are on their way to becoming champions so Alex does bring some championship pedigree to the table. If nothing else, 2018 should be interesting to see what he can do. After all, he can't be any worse than Bobby Valentine....right?

Hansack "No-Hits" Orioles In Season Finale (10/1/06)

In a season that turned into a complete disappointment, the 2006 Boston Red Sox season ended on a high note. The Red Sox finished in third place for the first time since finishing dead last in 1997 but tonight career minor leaguer Devern Hansack (1-1, 2.70 ERA) ended the season with an unofficial no-hitter. Hansack held the Baltimore Orioles hitless for 5 innings as the Red Sox bashed Hayden Penn and the Baltimore bullpen for 9 runs. Then a huge rainstorm swept through Boston and since it was the last game of the year with nothing on the line, the umpires said to hell with it and called the game. It goes down in the record books as an unofficial no-hitter for Hansack and a 9-0 season ending win over the Orioles at Fenway Park.

                                                       Frodo is glad to see the season end

Hansack got the ball in the top of the first inning and Brian Roberts led off with a grounder to third to start. Corey Patterson struck out swinging on a hanging slider and Melvin Mora flied out to left to end the inning. In what could be his final game in Boston, Trot Nixon led off the bottom of the first against O's starter Hayden Penn with a ground ball base hit up the middle. Mark Loretta was plunked but David Ortiz hit one up the elevator shaft. Mike Lowell clobbered his 20th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Jason Varitek flied out to center and Eric Hinske struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                   Last home run of the season for Lowell

Hansack froze Miguel Tejada for strike three on the outside corner but Fernando Tatis walked. Chris Gomez banged into a double play to end the inning. Carlos Pena dropped a base hit to right to start the bottom of the second and Gabe Kapler hit a grounder under the legs of Mora for an error. Alex Cora hit a bullet to Roberts who doubled off Pena at second for a double play and Nixon

                                                             Yerrrr out!

David Newhan grounded out to first to start the top of the third and Brandon Fahey grounded out to second. Raul Chavez flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the third although Loretta flied out to right to start. Ortiz walked and Lowell hit one in the hole at short, but Varitek struck out swinging. Hinske walked to load the bases and Pena walked to score Ortiz with another run. Kapler then cleared the bases with a double down the third base line. Kapler took third on the throw and that was it for Penn. Julio Manon came in to pitch and Cora grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead by a touchdown 7-0.

                                                       Kapler with his final rbis

Hansack stayed strong in the top of the fourth as Roberts struck out swinging to start. Patterson struck out swinging and Mora popped up to Pena in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth although Newhan made a great sliding catch to rob Nixon of a hit to start. Loretta smashed his 5th home run of the season just inside the left field foul pole to increase the lead and Ortiz walked. Doug Mirabelli came in to pinch run and that was it for Ortiz for the 2006 season, hope he wins MVP. Lowell took strike three and Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 8-0.

                                                       Loretta hits one out

Dustin Pedroia took over at second for Loretta to start the top of the fifth as the rain came. Tejeda struck out swinging and Tatis took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth. With the rain coming down and unlikely the game would last much longer, Sox manager Terry Francona pulled Trot Nixon out so he could get one last standing ovation at Fenway. David Murphy replaced him and Gomez flied out to center to end the inning. Hansack had thrown 5 no-hit innings and Nixon got a heroes sendoff.

                                                       Goodbye Trot

Russ Ortiz came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Hinske hooked his first home run in a Sox uniform around the right field foul pole to increase the lead. Pena walked but Kapler banged into a double play. Cora grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-0.

                                                    Hinske's first homer in the last game.

Before the top of the sixth inning could commence, umpires had the tarp pulled on the field for a rain delay. The area was so soggy it took a whole team to move it into position as what was left of the crowd roared with laughter. An hour later with it pouring out, the game out of reach and nothing left to play for...the game was called and the Red Sox were winners in their final game. Hansack had pitched a 5 inning no-hitter.

                                                              Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Devern Hansack. He threw a 5 inning no-no against the Orioles to earn his first ML win.

                                                           Hero Hansack

The Good:

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Mark Loretta was 1 for 2 with a hit by pitch, home run and 2 runs scored.

David Ortiz walked twice and scored a run.

Mike Lowell was 2 for 3 with a 3 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Eric Hinske was 1 for 2 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.

Carlos Pena was 1 for 1 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Gabe Kapler was 1 for 3 with 3 rbis.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Alex Cora was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

None

Honorable Mention:

Dustin Pedroia played second base in the top of the fifth.

Doug Mirabelli pinch ran for Ortiz in the bottom of the fourth.

David Murphy replaced Trot Nixon for the final out of the bottom of the fifth.

Final Thoughts:

Sox manager Terry Francona had some chilling words before the game today when he said "This is the first time since I've been here that we know this is the last game of the year." The 2004 and 2005 seasons were very successful so Francona and the remnants of the "Idiots" aren't used to failure. This could possibly be Trot Nixon's last game here after nearly a decade and it'll be sad to see him go. Injuries and incompetence are the reasons the Sox are in third place at the end of this season. Curt Schilling had a nice bounceback season but Josh Beckett served up longballs like hot dog vendors serving barkers. Jonathan Papelbon and Jon Lester looked good but both of them were lost for the year. Coco Crisp for about a week looked like the real deal before he got hurt. The catching situation nosedived in August and the Sox didn't really have a third starter when both Matt Clement and Tim Wakefield went down. Julian Tavarez looked like a starter for next year's team with his September showing but the Sox are gonna have to do better than that if they want to rebound in 2007. The Sox are going to need another elite starter because Schilling is getting old and Beckett didn't appear to be the answer. They're also going to need to replace Nixon in right field if he's gone. Mark Loretta is rumored to not be coming back either. One thing is for sure, if the Sox can remain healthy and add a few key pieces, 2007 could be a good year. Hats off to Hansack who pitched a no-hitter, even if it was only 5 innings. At least the season ended on a positive as the Sox finished 86-76. Its now on to 2007....hope that season turns out better.