It’s been quite a year for the Boston Red Sox.
Aside from clinching a third-straight American League East title and winning a franchise-best 108 games, the Red Sox lead the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 in the World Series with Game 2 set for Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
They’re doing this all under first-year manager Alex Cora, who was brought in last October to replace John Farrell after he managed the club for five seasons. While Farrell led Boston to a World Series title in 2013 and two consecutive division titles, there’s one glaring difference between the two skippers.
Prior to Game 2, Brock Holt noted the biggest difference between his former and current manager, and how it’s changed the attitude of the clubhouse.
“For me personally, it’s communication. Being able to know what’s going on, what’s going through (Cora’s) head, when we’re playing, when we’re not playing … it just makes it so much easier as a team to go out and perform,” Holt said during his pregame press conference, as seen on NESN. “There wasn’t a whole lot of communication in the past. And just kind of the vibe he brings, the looseness, the not being too far-removed from playing himself. He understands the game’s hard. And he believes in us.
“I just think the overall vibe that he brings to the team, the clubhouse, is so positive that it’s easy for us to go out and kind of do what we’ve been doing.”
Cora’s positive vibe has shown in various ways this season. Whether it’s the picture collage wall he has in his office or pinch-hitting Eduardo Nunez in Game 1, it’s clear he has confidence in his team.
