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00:00Alex Cora, how are we doing this afternoon?
00:03Doing good, doing good. How are you guys?
00:05Good. So this is not going to sound like a softball right off the bat,
00:09but in light of last night's game, I've got to ask you,
00:12it feels like every week we talk to you, we're talking about win two, lose two,
00:15win two, lose two, get back to 500.
00:19How frustrating is that?
00:20How do you shake that trend that is the 500 baseball team
00:24that you've become over the last year plus?
00:25Yeah, I mean, it sucks to sound this way, but we've just got to play better, right?
00:33If you look at our games, especially on the road, since Cleveland,
00:38we've been in a lot of them.
00:41We had a lead in Cleveland, up 3-0.
00:44We lost that game 4-3.
00:45The two games in Toronto, in Kansas City, the X-Rainting game,
00:50and then the game yesterday, right?
00:51We didn't play well the first game here.
00:53We got hit.
00:54So you take those, right?
00:55That happens.
00:56But yesterday, we came back.
00:58We did an outstanding job offensively, especially at the bottom third of the lineup,
01:01and we didn't finish the game.
01:03So, you know, there's a lot of good things that we're doing,
01:06others that we have to improve.
01:08And, you know, we got a chance today to finish a road trip on a positive note,
01:13obviously facing probably the best pitcher in baseball.
01:16Alex, you know, a lot of people, you know,
01:18this obviously frustrating up and down kind of season,
01:20and then someone would say, you know, the team maybe needs a jolt,
01:23maybe perhaps bringing up some young guys just to maybe make a point.
01:26Do you see this team needing a jolt or just little tweaks at this stage of the season?
01:35No, we need to execute pitches.
01:37I think that's the most important thing, especially in the later part of the game.
01:42You know, there's been a lot of damage done against us.
01:45You even go to a series against Minnesota, right?
01:49You know, we lost that one.
01:50We had a chance to beat them two out of three, even sweep them, right?
01:54And we didn't execute pitches.
01:55So, obviously, there's a lot of talk about what, you know,
01:59some of the guys are doing in the minor leagues, right?
02:01And, you know, obviously, they're really good at what they do.
02:04But, you know, we have some good players here, and they're doing their job.
02:08I think defense can improve, and, obviously, the pinching part of it,
02:14especially when we have the league late in games.
02:17Alex, obviously, a lot was made last week of John Henry and Craig Breslow
02:23flying out to Kansas City for the meeting with Rafael Devers.
02:27Reports were that you were in the room as well.
02:30So, did you feel as though the meeting was productive?
02:33Were you surprised Mr. Henry decided to fly out there?
02:36And is there anything you feel like maybe could have been done
02:38to prevent things coming to such a head like that
02:42and, you know, causing a disruption in the season?
02:46I don't think it's disruption in the season, to be honest with you.
02:49Rafi was very vocal of what he said last week, right?
02:54And I think it tells everybody that John, Mr. Henry, he cares about the team, right?
03:00And he told me right away, I'm going to fly over there.
03:03He did.
03:04We had a good meeting, to say the least.
03:07Obviously, I'm not going to get into the details of it.
03:10And here we are, right?
03:12And Rafi had a great weekend.
03:14You know, we played well in Kansas City, and we have struggled here in Detroit.
03:17But I think, as a whole, everybody's on the same page.
03:20We just got to keep having conversations and keep working towards getting better.
03:24And as of now, as you guys know, today we're facing a lefty.
03:28Sogi's playing first base.
03:30Rafi's the agent.
03:31And, you know, this is where we're at right now.
03:34Red Sox manager Alex Cora here with us on WEI Afternoons.
03:38Alex, when we talk about your style or skills as a manager, I know a lot of people talk about relationships being one of your strengths.
03:46The relationships you have with the clubhouse and individual players.
03:49And I'm wondering, how do those relationships play or how do they come into the equation in a situation like what's going on with Devers?
03:58I think at the end of the day, the relationship is the manager player, right?
04:02It's not Alex and Rafi, right?
04:04And we have conversations.
04:05We go over stuff.
04:06And at the end, we're shooting for the same goal.
04:09It's to win the World Series, right?
04:10And like I said before, our conversations are private.
04:13You know, the one thing I need, you know, from our players is to be ready at 7.05, 7.10, 6.40, whenever the game is.
04:20And I think we have done a pretty good job as a staff, right?
04:23But, yeah, people are going to talk about why he doesn't want to play first or why he's the DH, you know?
04:29They talk about the way we handle things in the offseason.
04:33And, you know, you can always be better in certain areas.
04:37I do believe we went, you know, the right way about all this stuff.
04:43And people might agree or disagree.
04:45But, you know, I'm in the room.
04:46I know how it works, you know?
04:47And from my end, and this is what I always tell the players, you know,
04:52whatever decision we make professionally or in the business or in the game,
04:57it doesn't affect, you know, who we think, you know, our relationship is up to field.
05:01And that's the reality of it.
05:02It's never personal.
05:03It's just, you know, what we're trying to accomplish.
05:05And that's the way I see it.
05:07Alex, just to kind of follow up on Andy's question, you know,
05:12obviously there's the Rafi stuff, you know, you deal with it him personally and go on.
05:19But, you know, it feels like, and reports are, that maybe it's just impacted the rest of the locker room.
05:24The guys have an opinion on that one way or the other.
05:27Do you feel like this is the type of issue that you have to address with the team?
05:32Or is that something you don't see as necessary?
05:38Yeah, like I always said, you know, whatever conversations we have in the clubhouse,
05:41stay in the clubhouse, right?
05:42Meetings, no meetings, one-on-one conversations.
05:46You know, we're together in this.
05:47And, you know, coming out of what happened last week, we went to Kansas City.
05:51We won two out of three.
05:52The kid had an outstanding weekend.
05:54Now we're here in Detroit.
05:55We haven't won the first two games.
05:56And like I said, we're facing the best pitcher on the planet tonight.
05:59Hopefully we can do the job and win the game, you know.
06:01But I think, you know, I have the pulse of what's going on.
06:05The guys are showing up every day and ready to work
06:07and busting their tails to win games.
06:09And that's the sort of thing.
06:11Alex, I know we, again, we're going to revisit the same thing
06:13I've said a couple of times during these interviews
06:15about the Sox being so consistently inconsistent.
06:18And, you know, one of the things, unfortunately,
06:20that has been consistent about the team this season
06:23is finding a way into leading the league in stats
06:26that I know don't make you very happy,
06:28like at one point leading in strikeouts.
06:30And now, unfortunately, the Red Sox lead the majors in blown saves with 11.
06:35You know, Whitlock, another tough night last night.
06:37How do you get around on that
06:39and what can be done to try to remedy that as quickly as possible?
06:43Yeah, I think the most important thing is to revisit what happened yesterday,
06:47go over the at-bats, you know.
06:49Javi biased twice.
06:50We threw a breaking ball for strikes.
06:52That's a no-no for Javi.
06:54And then we tried to expand and we hung a pitch, right?
06:57And it was in the same spot, right?
06:58And those are things that, you know, we have to talk to them,
07:02go over their reports, go over how we're going to execute this.
07:06And we've been burned a few times, right, over the course of the season,
07:10you know, late in games.
07:12And it's a bad taste, right?
07:13It sucks, to be honest with you.
07:15But these guys are really good at what they do.
07:18They're going to go through their hot stretch or hot streak, you know,
07:21and they're going to put zeros on the board.
07:23It just happens that, you know, the last two or three weeks,
07:27it's happened a lot, right?
07:28And it has cost us a lot of games.
07:31But we trust these guys, you know, stuff-wise, we're really good.
07:34You know, I think it's at the end of the day, you know,
07:37those hanging breaking balls, what we have to do,
07:39especially when we're heading to count, you know, to execute it.
07:42And we're working on it.
07:44Tanner Houck had a tough performance, obviously, the other night.
07:47Just wondering, I guess, how long is the leash on a guy like that,
07:50especially when it feels like you have some depth in the rotation
07:53and have some extra arms?
07:55How do you get him turned around back to all-star caliber pitcher?
07:59Yeah, there's a few things that we have recognized the last few days.
08:03And even before that, you know, and release point, you know, his delivery,
08:07the action of his pitches, you know, if you compare the sinker he threw
08:12to Glaber Torres two days ago in the first inning,
08:16it's night and day compared to the sinker he was throwing in Toronto
08:21against Lottie, Bichette, and Kirk, right?
08:23So conviction behind the pitches is really important, right?
08:27Pitching at 91, 92 is not great, right?
08:31I think there's more in the tank, and we saw it throughout the outing, right?
08:34The, you know, the more he got hit, then, you know, he'd step under the gas
08:40and he'd start throwing harder.
08:41Command was off that night.
08:43So there's a few things that the pitching department has recognized,
08:46and we're going to work on it.
08:47Alex, thoughts on first base?
08:50Last week when we talked to you, it sounded as if you would have been okay
08:54if, you know, Romy Gonzalez maybe kind of took the job there,
08:58but he's on the IL right now.
09:00Just your overall thoughts, Abraham Toro and Nick Sogard filling in.
09:04Just that position, where it stands currently, first base.
09:09Yeah, where we at, like I said, Sog is playing first today,
09:12and Friday we're facing two lefties, most likely Toro.
09:16We play Saturday.
09:17And if everything goes well, I think Romy should be back with us on day 10
09:22of his IL stint, you know?
09:24He's feeling good.
09:25He's moving better.
09:27It's just a matter of see if we need a rehab assignment,
09:30and if he needs it, he'll go get a few at-bats, and he'll be with us.
09:34So both of them very good defensively.
09:36They made some plays, and I think the at-bats have been solid, you know?
09:39Sog especially, you know, when he got here.
09:42Just a different at-bat, you know?
09:44Very patient, puts the ball in play, played the little game, right?
09:47And like I said, defensively, it's something that we really, you know, care about.
09:53You know, we have to catch the ball over there.
09:54We have to make plays.
09:55And so far, both of them have done a good job.
09:58Alex, 4-6 over your last 10, but still you haven't lost a lot of ground
10:02because Yankees 5-5, Jays 500, Rays 500, Orioles 4-6.
10:07Obviously, the AL East is struggling.
10:09So it feels like if you guys could just build momentum, catch fire,
10:13win five or six in a row, you could really turn things around quickly.
10:17Is there any one extra something besides, you know, not hanging a breaking ball
10:20or just putting good barrels to the bat that you think this team needs
10:24to get that winning streak going?
10:26Yeah, obviously, coming here from Kansas City, we gave momentum,
10:32and then we gave it right back, you know, on the first game of the series.
10:37Yesterday, it felt great until it didn't, right?
10:41So it'll be good to finish strong this road trip, play good today,
10:46and win the ball game.
10:48We got an off day tomorrow, and then it's a long homestand.
10:51And we've been talking about this for the last two or three years, you know.
10:53We have to be better at home.
10:55We face the Braves.
10:56We have to face the Mets and then Baltimore.
10:58You know, having that great homestand that we haven't had in years, you know,
11:02it feels like we haven't had a long winning streak either.
11:05So, you know, 8 out of 10, 13 out of 15, 13 out of 16, you know, that'll be great.
11:12And if we do that, you know, then you can survive for a week, you know, play for 100,
11:17and then you go right after it, you know.
11:19And that's how winning teams do it, you know.
11:21It doesn't happen winning 20 in a row, you know.
11:24That happened once or twice that I remember.
11:27Colorado in 07 and Cleveland, I think it was in 17, right?
11:31So just keep winning series, which is the most important thing, obviously.
11:35Save this one.
11:36Win this one and then go home and dominate.
11:37Alex, we had some pretty big news in the world of baseball yesterday,
11:41and I know you're a fan of baseball, a historian of the game.
11:44The announcement from the commissioner's office that Pete Rose and others are now eligible for the Hall of Fame.
11:50Just what was your reaction to that news?
11:54A little bit of a surprise, you know, with the decision.
11:57But, you know, these people, they give a lot of thoughts to stuff like this.
12:02So I can tell you, you know, I lived it, right, a few years ago.
12:06And, you know, it's not a decision that was made one day or a reaction to something.
12:12So respect the decision, you know.
12:15Obviously, a lot of people are excited about what might happen in the future.
12:19It's not a given that that might happen,
12:21but at least it's one step of hope, you know, for Pete to make it to Cooperstown.
12:27Hey, Alex, I can't get off first base.
12:29I can just ask you about it again.
12:30The homestand coming up, a lot of people are thinking that maybe perhaps that's an opportunity
12:34to get to Rafi some work there at first base.
12:38Do you anticipate, you know, having Rafi take grounders at first during this homestand
12:43to maybe prepare him for an opportunity to play first?
12:46Like I said, you know, conversations are going on.
12:50You know, there's not a given Rafi's going to take grounders at first in the homestand.
12:54But we'll keep working at it, not only with him, but with others.
12:58And, you know, I know Craig is doing a good job just, you know, on the phone trying to gather as much information as possible.
13:06You know, the goal here is to make the team better, right?
13:08I think the most important thing here in the short run is to get Romy back, getting healthy,
13:12give him a chance to play first and see where he takes us.
13:14Alex, obviously you've got your hands full tonight against maybe the best pitcher in baseball in Scooble.
13:20And you could use, like you said, a big dub to come home and start a homestand off on the right way.
13:25But, you know, obviously there's a huge game going on tonight right around the corner from us at the Garden.
13:30Celtics are in an elimination game.
13:32Odds against them against the Knicks.
13:33You know, if you're, you know, you've managed in elimination games, you know when the stakes are really high.
13:39What's that extra something you bring as a coach, a manager, leader of men in an elimination game to try to relax them,
13:45but at the same time let them know it's go time, get it done?
13:49I think it goes both ways, right?
13:51You're excited about the opportunity to compete again, right?
13:53And you have a chance to make something special, but at the same time understanding that you have to slow it down.
13:58And I think that's what the guys are going to do.
14:01I wouldn't be surprised if they go out there tonight and they win by 20 and take it to Madison Sport Garden and see what happens over there.
14:09All right, Alex, I appreciate you joining us.
14:11Wish your brother happy birthday, by the way.
14:13The only thing we don't want you to give him as a gift would be a victory.
14:15You know what?
14:17Enough of him.
14:18Bro, I saw him last night.
14:19And all kidding aside, people, sometimes people say, oh, he's VA.
14:23I just want to share what I see here.
14:27I think that's the cool thing about this show and talking to the media.
14:31So last night, we're up in the 11th, whatever it is, or 12th, and Javi hits the homer, and you see my brother's reaction.
14:40And my thought was like, this is freaking real.
14:44He was so excited for his team, obviously, and he forgot that his little brother was on the other side.
14:52He can feel less about me.
14:53Yeah.
14:54All right, Alex, thanks for joining us, and we'll talk to you next week.
14:57Good luck tonight.
14:58Thanks, Alex.
14:59We'll see you guys next week.