Crimson Sox
“The factor I like probably the most is what he brings to the equation within the dugout, within the clubhouse.”
Alex Cora adopted a linear path to change into the Crimson Sox supervisor, leaping into the teaching and administration ranks within the Puerto Rico Winter League shortly after hanging up his spikes in 2011.
5 years later, he was again in MLB as Houston’s bench coach earlier than taking on the reins of the Crimson Sox the next 12 months.
Chatting with FOX Sports activities on Saturday, Cora believes that veteran Justin Turner may observe the same path en path to a supervisor gig within the large leagues.
Whereas this present Crimson Sox squad has no scarcity of seasoned gamers who’ve logged loads of reps within the MLB ranks, Cora says Turner has set himself aside as a future coach.
“He’s a great baseball participant, general,” Cora informed FOX Sports activities’ Ken Rosenthal throughout Saturday’s highway recreation towards the New York Yankees. “I’ve seen him since we had been teammates with the Mets and the evolution of his swing. However the factor I like probably the most is what he brings to the equation within the dugout, within the clubhouse.
“He’s a terrific baseball man. I hate to say this as a result of I hated when folks used to say, ‘Oh, you’re gonna be a giant league supervisor,” however I do consider JT, if he needs to, he’s gonna run a staff and he’s gonna be very profitable.”
Turner, who has spent 15 years in MLB, has earned two All-Star nods and received a World Sequence with the Dodgers in 2020. The 38-year-old infielder is batting .265 with eight house runs and 27 RBI over 63 video games with the Crimson Sox.
Turner informed Alex Speier of The Boston Globe again in Might that the Crimson Sox had been one in every of six groups vying for his companies in free company through the winter. Although the previous Dodger was a key cog for a number of 100-win groups, Turner acknowledged that groups additionally valued him as a free agent as a result of his management qualities.
“Clearly, each staff that I talked to known as me wanting to come back in and play and do what I do on the sphere, however the large message was are available in and assist create a tradition within the clubhouse,” Turner informed Speier. “I type of heard that from everybody, so loads of groups that had been in had been groups that had been making an attempt to take the subsequent step. I heard loads of the identical issues.
“Everybody made clear as nicely, like, ‘We don’t need you to come back in and be a cheerleader by any means. We would like you to go on the market and do your factor.’ However the message was additionally, ‘What you are able to do in our clubhouse and do for our younger gamers may be very enticing.’”
E-newsletter Signup
Keep updated on all the most recent information from Boston.com