Former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was shockingly let go in April, is still happy to make good on a promise he made back in February before the season had begun.
In the build-up of spring training, Cora appeared on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show to back his team by pledging a $20,000 donation to The Jimmy Fund, Boston's cancer research foundation, when a Red Sox player eclipsed 20 home runs. The declaration was in response to the FanGraphs' ZiPS preseason projection which was making it's prediction that no one on the roster would hit more than 18.
“I’ve got something for you guys,” Cora said. “I always do a pledge for the Jimmy Fund, and I know the power thing is a theme in Boston. As soon as somebody hits 20 home runs, I’m gonna give $20,000 to the Jimmy Fund.”
Well despite being fired less than 30 games into the season, the longtime Sox skipper will be following through on his promise. He had alluded to this in a June 14 post on X, when he called on his followers to match the preseason pledge.
After Willson Contreras belted his 20th homer of the year on Sunday night in Anaheim, Cora confirmed in a text to Chris Cotillo of MassLive that he will be making the donation, continuing to urge others to join in the fight to "K Cancer."
“Happy that it happened… All we want to do is #KCancer. Honestly, that was an easy pledge. I trust my players. We need more people to join us!"
While the ZiPS projection wasn't exactly accurate, Boston's deficient bats have certainly been a glaring issue during their surprising 40-48 start. Despite Contreras's power surge, the Red Sox rank last in MLB in home runs with 78.
Still, Cora's trust for his players and support for the community clearly transcends his role with the organization. While it's yet to be seen where his next stop will be, his impact and adoration in Boston remains as strong as ever.
