Alex Cora

From SoSH

José Alexander (Alex) Cora currently serves as the utility infielder on the Boston Red Sox. He was born on October 18, 1975 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Cora was first drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1993, but chose not to sign out of high school, and went on to the University of Miami (Florida), where he was later drafted and signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1996.

Cora was acquired by the Red Sox on July 7, 2005 for infielder Ramón Vázquez. He has an equal amount of experience at both SS and 2B, while also playing 3B and LF in his pro career. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.

Contents 1 Overall Career 2 Moment in the Sun 3 Trivia 4 Transactions 5 External Links

Overall Career

Cora appeared in his first MLB game on June 7, 1998 for the Dodgers, an organization he would play for until 2005. He collected his first hit on a bunt single against the San Francisco Giants on July 4, 1998. During Cora's L.A. days, he batted .246 with 27 home runs and 173 RBI in 684 games for Los Angeles, with his best seasons coming in 2002 and 2004 where he batted .291 with a .371 OBP in 293 plate appearances and .264 with a .364 OBP in 484 PAs, respectively.

The 2004 off-season brought change for Cora as he exchanged Dodger blue for Indian red after signing a 2-year deal with the Cleveland Indians as a free agent. He appeared in 49 games for the Indians in the 2005 season, but struggled in a reduced role, hitting only .205. On July 7, 2005, the Red Sox dealt Vázquez for Cora in a swap of utility infielders. Though playing time didn't increase, Cora found more success with Boston, posting a .269 batting average in 47 games for the Sox.

In 2006, Cora, perhaps more comfortable in his bench role, excelled with the glove and bat as a sub at SS and 2B. On November 17, 2006, Cora signed a two-year contract with the Red Sox.

Moment in the Sun

• On May 12, 2004, Cora, while playing for the Dodgers, had an epic 18-pitch at-bat that resulted in a home run against current Red Sox pitcher, Matt Clement. Cora fouled off 14 straight pitches to stay alive before finally connecting on a 2-run homer to right at Dodger Stadium.

• On August 31, 2006 hit his first home run of the season, with an assist by Alex Rios of the Toronto Blue Jays. Cora hit what looked to be an easy fly out to deep right field, and Rios positioned himself about 10-12 feet in front of the warning track by the visitor's bullpen. In a bizarre play, the ball hit the heel of Rios' glove and bounced out. As he tried to grab it with his bare hand he inadvertently slapped it backwards over his head and over the right field wall. SP Roy Halladay was not amused. [video clip]

Trivia

• Alex, well-known for his intelligence on the field, is often called the smartest baseball player on the Red Sox.
• He is the younger brother of former Major Leaguer, Joey Cora. But strangely, he has an uncanny likeness to Jorge Posada.
• Represented Puerto Rico in the inaugural World Baseball Classic.

Transactions

• June 3, 1993: Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 12th round of the 1993 amateur draft, but did not sign.
• June 4, 1996: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 3rd round of the 1996 amateur draft. Player signed June 14, 1996.
• December 21, 2004: Granted Free Agency.
• January 18, 2005: Signed as a Free Agent with the Cleveland Indians.
• July 7, 2005: Traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Boston Red Sox for Ramon Vazquez.
• November 17, 2006: Re-signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.

External Links

• TheBaseballCube.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
• Alex Cora at ESPN.com