In his first year as manager of the Boston Red Sox, Alex Cora is already making history: His team set a franchise record for the most wins in one season and, after clinching the American League Championship Series, Cora is the first Puerto Rican to lead a team to the World Series.
Cora, who played for the Red Sox from 2005 to 2008, signed a three-year contract with the team last October. He didn't ask for much when negotiating his contract. "I still remember, it was around this time [last year] when we got the deal done," he said in a post-game interview last week. "And I didn't talk about money. I didn't talk about incentives. I didn't talk about housing or cars and all that — all I wanted was a plane full of supplies for my hometown."
The 43-year-old signed with the Red Sox shortly after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico, including his hometown, Caguas.
The Red Sox, Cora added, "didn't hesitate" to fulfill his request. "We went down there and we helped 300 families in my hometown," he said in a different press conference. "And I told them, 'People are going to say 'thank you,' very genuine,' and they did. It was a life-changing experience for a lot of people in this organization."
Cora's contract came with a six-figure salary, but he's still making a fraction of what the highest-paid managers do. His $800,000-a-year salary puts him among the five lowest-paid MLB managers, USA Today reports. The highest-paid managers earn $4-6 million a year.
The Red Sox currently hold a 2-0 World Series lead over the Dodgers and, if they string together two more wins, Cora will become the first rookie manager to win a World Series since Bob Brenly did it in 2001.
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