Alex Cora had the opportunity to play alongside Dustin Pedroia and serve as his manager, so it shouldn’t be surprise there are plenty of memories between the two.
Pedroia officially announced his retirement Monday after spending his 15 Major League Baseball seasons with the Boston Red Sox. The second baseman battled a nagging knee injury suffered in 2017, and had a partial knee replacement that ultimately ended a chance of a comeback.
The 37-year-old was celebrated on social media by fans and other athletes, while former teammates and coaches also shared their thoughts on Pedroia.
Cora was part of Pedroia’s retirement press conference, and shared how he had a “front row seat” to the iconic “laser show.”
“We learned so much from him in ’06. We learned a lot more in ’07,” Cora told reporters Monday. “From all his struggles, to what he did against Cleveland in Game 7, to (the) first pitch homer in (Game 1 of) the World Series, it was amazing. He talks about the laser show … I know Pedey, how he is. But I had a front row seat to see the laser show. It was amazing, it was fun to watch.
“I always said that people like Dustin, they’re great players, but they’re a better person. And he knows what we’ve been through — from the family standpoint, from friendship — he knows what he means to us and I’m glad I was part of that. And I’m very proud of him.”
Getting a little dusty in here.
Pedroia played 1,512 games for Boston, winning the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year and the AL MVP in 2008. He also played a crucial role during the 2007 and 2013 World Series teams.
