Alex Cora has been refreshingly forthright regarding the one-year suspension he served for his involvement in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal.
Cora, the Astros' bench coach in 2017, recognizes he must be open and honest about his past in order to most effectively move forward as manager of the Boston Red Sox.
On Wednesday, NESN's Tom Caron asked Cora, who was rehired as Boston's skipper in November after sitting out the 2020 season, what he's learned throughout his ups and downs.
Cora pointed to an important skill he worked on during his time away from the Red Sox: Patience.
"I think last year was a tough one -- not only for me but everybody in the family," Cora said on NESN's "Sox at Sundown" special, during which the Red Sox worked out under the lights at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla. "But one thing I learned, like I told you a few weeks ago, a lot of patience. What we're going through right now with the pandemic, it's tough enough obviously. Suspended for the wrong reasons, spending time with the family, spending time with the kids, going through the college process with my daughter. If you're not patient, it's not going to work out, and I think I'm in a better spot in that aspect."
Of course, "patience" isn't always in full supply across Red Sox Nation, where fans demand annual success from the hometown club. So, this season could be especially challenging in that regard.
The Red Sox are coming off a last-place finish in 2020, and outside expectations for the club vary ahead of the 2021 season. A slow start will only fuel the skeptics, whereas hitting the ground running could evoke a renewed optimism around Boston.
Cora is aware of this, sure, which makes the Red Sox's preparation at spring training all the more important. Just don't expect him to panic if the early wins are accompanied by some early losses.
The season is a marathon; not a sprint. And Cora is well equipped, now more than ever, to guide Boston's march back toward contention.
