Red Sox players deserve credit for battling through a tough second half of the regular season and earning one of the two American League Wild Card spots.
But after Game No. 162 on Sunday, Alex Cora made sure other members of the organization received proper recognition.
Boston celebrated in the nation's capital following its thrilling win over the Washington Nationals, which ensured Tuesday's AL Wild Card Game would be played at Fenway Park. But before the Sox popped bottles, Cora saluted the club's unsung heroes, including Chaim Bloom.
"First things first: Hey, congratulations. You worked your ass off this season," Cora said, per a video shared to the team's social media channels. "I mean, it's been a challenge since Day 1, you know? Like we talked in that Zoom meeting, you know, we've got a good team, we've just got to work hard to get to where we want to. To the medical staff, amazing job. Thank you for everything you guys do. ... Coaching staff, thank you. I know last year was a challenging year for a lot of us here. We made some moves a few years ago and we brought Chaim here to the group to lead us. What he did throughout the season against all odds, when people talked about us and all that stuff, it didn't matter. He stayed the course, and as we always do, we celebrate, right? Giving the lineup card to who deserves it. Chaim Bloom."