Alex Cora felt like a first-year manager Thursday morning. It carried a different meaning, or sense of relief. Sure, it marked the official start of Red Sox spring training, but for Cora, the day tugged on the emotion of a new beginning.
It’s been more than a year since Cora and the Red Sox temporarily parted ways after details emerged regarding his involvement in the 2017 Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal.
Even after serving his one-year suspension issued by Major League Baseball, Cora was uncertain whetherhe would be back in baseball, let alone with the Red Sox. But after what were described as tough and honest conversations with chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and general manager Brian O’Halloran, Cora was invited back into the organization.
Thursday was a culmination of all the emotions — all self-inflicted — that led him back to this point.
“It was a great day,” Cora said. “I think the last few days, you start thinking about what happened, and where I was and I think about the family and the people that supported me throughout the process.
“I’ll say it again: I was out of the game for the wrong reasons, and deservedly so. I’m not going to hide it; it was an outstanding day on a personal level.”
Cora is a baseball guy. In his time away from it, he found himself still watching many games. He paid attention to trends around the majors, one being that the Red Sox seemed a step slow in 2020 while teams around them became faster and more athletic. He stayed in contact with some of the Red Sox players, even the ones that weren’t on the field contributing.
“To be completely honest with you, it’s like he never left for me,” said lefthander Chris Sale, who was sidelined all of last season after having Tommy John surgery. “I stayed in contact with him. I know what he brings to the table. Camaraderie, trust, passion. You can’t talk to him about anything and not know that he’s all in. There’s no question that he brings it on a daily basis.”
Cora is inheriting a completely different team than the one he left. There’s been turnover, a ton of it. And championship-or-bust expectations have been quelled as the team tries to build depth and replenish its farm system. However, that doesn’t change Cora’s mentality.
“We have to attack every day, the right way,” Cora said. “Nobody’s going to dictate who we are outside our walls.”
Like every manager in baseball, Cora must deal with the safety protocols that come with an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One of his skills in building a team culture has involved in-person communication; that’s now limited. That challenge doesn’t change Cora’s mentality either.
“I’m getting good at mute and unmute on Zoom,” Cora joked. “You’ve got to find ways to do it. There’s no excuse. There are no complaints. Yeah, obstacles, of course, but if you look outside of our walls, everybody’s going through this. We are lucky to be able to work. And we are lucky to be working, playing baseball.”
Cora believes the Red Sox can contend in 2021. He thinks the club, including the pitching staff, is versatile enough, and now athletic enough to compete with the rest of the league. The challenge excites him. He’s a new manager again with virtually a new team.
He’ll ultimately be judged on the wins and losses, in addition to just how well he’ll jell with a front office that differs from the one he was under two years ago.
Thursday marked the beginning of that.
“I don’t have to explain to you guys how I feel about this game,” Cora said. “I don’t have to tell people that I love the game. I’m very passionate about it. You guys know that.
“But at the same time, it’s not about me. It’s about seeing guys and working with guys and going to the field. And when the game is over, or the practice is over, to sit at your desk and be like, ‘Whew, I gave everything today.’ And that’s how I felt.”
Julian McWilliams can be reached at julian.mcwilliams@globe.com. Follow him @byJulianMack.