How Alex Cora’s last hours as Red Sox manager played out | Chris Cotillo

TL;DR

Alex Cora was fired as the Red Sox manager after a 17-1 victory over the Orioles. The decision came as a shock during a team dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, where Cora and five coaches learned of their immediate termination.

Key points

Alex Cora was fired after a 17-1 victory over the Orioles.
The firing was part of an organizational shakeup by Red Sox management.
Cora and five coaches learned of their termination at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Players reacted with shock and gathered to say goodbye.
Cora thanked the support staff before leaving.

Mentioned in this story

Boston Red SoxAlex CoraJohn HenrySam KennedyCraig BreslowRamón VázquezPete FatseKyle HudsonDillon LawsonJoe CroninJason VaritekMarcelo MayerRoman AnthonyMasataka YoshidaWilyer AbreuZack KellyRyan WatsonJosé FloresParker Guinn

BALTIMORE — In the minutes after the Red Sox routed the Orioles, 17-1, on Saturday afternoon in Baltimore, Alex Cora cracked a beer, joked with players and lauded his team for playing a complete game that snapped a four-game losing streak. Postgame dinner plans were made after an early 12:05 p.m. ET start at Camden Yards.

When Cora and his staff returned to the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, though, an organizational shakeup awaited them. Principal owner John Henry, team president/CEO Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow — all of whom weren’t scheduled to be on the road trip — were waiting to inform Cora and five coaches that they had been fired, effective immediately.

The scene at the Four Seasons was one of shock. Around 8:05 p.m. ET, the trio of Henry, Kennedy and Breslow departed the hotel for dinner. Players milled around the lobby trying to make sense of the news. As players like Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Masataka Yoshida returned to the hotel from dinner, the crowd in the lobby grew as Cora and the fired coaches emerged with suitcases packed. An ironically named Mercedes shuttle bus — with a “Coaches4Hire, LLC” label on its side — pulled up, ready to take the group to the airport. Wilyer Abreu, Zack Kelly and Ryan Watson were among the players to arrive in the lobby to say their goodbyes. Coaches who remained on the staff, like José Flores and Parker Guinn, returned to the Four Seasons to greet their former colleagues on their way out.

In the hours after the news hit the club, the group of fired coaches drank together and reminisced at the hotel. By about 9 p.m. ET, the five fired or reassigned coaches — a group consisting of bench coach Ramón Vázquez, hitting coach Pete Fatse, first base coach Kyle Hudson, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin and franchise icon Jason Varitek — assumed their seats on the shuttle. Minutes later, Cora emerged, hat backwards while pushing a carry-on suitcase, and was the last to board the van before the doors closed. In his last moments with the team, he thanked team support staff who helped arrange his exit and told them he loved them.

Q&A

What led to Alex Cora's firing as Red Sox manager?

Cora was fired after a disappointing season, despite a recent 17-1 victory over the Orioles, during which the team's management decided on an organizational shakeup.

Who else was fired along with Alex Cora?

Along with Cora, five coaches were also fired, including bench coach Ramón Vázquez and hitting coach Pete Fatse.

How did the Red Sox players react to Cora's firing?

Players were shocked and gathered in the hotel lobby to make sense of the news, with some coming to say their goodbyes as Cora and the fired coaches prepared to leave.

What happened in the hours after Cora's firing?

After the firing, Cora and the other coaches reminisced together at the hotel before boarding a shuttle to the airport, where Cora expressed gratitude to the support staff.