After the Boston Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and his staff, it sent shockwaves throughout the league.
While this is the case anytime a high-profile manager is fired, former players are still feeling the effects of the news.
After all, Cora won a World Series with Boston in 2018 and was beloved by the players he coached.
Former Red Sox ace Chris Sale was no exception to this.
As the nine-time All-Star returns to start in Fenway, it feels different for Sale without Cora.
According to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, the current Atlanta Braves ace was “shocked” by the move.
What Did Former Boston Red Sox Ace Chris Sale Say?
Winning a World Series with somebody brings you closer to them. So it wasn’t surprising that Sale was upset.
“I think I was probably just as shocked as everybody was,” Sale said. “You know, anytime something like that happens, it kind of sends waves throughout the baseball world. So, yeah, I would definitely say it shocked me.”
However, Sale’s relationship with Cora went beyond just winning. It was a mutual respect between player and manager that transcended the game.
Cora wasn’t just respected by Sale, but by practically everyone else in that Boston clubhouse.
“It’s the connection with the players,” Sale said when asked what separated Cora. “I’ve said this, it doesn’t matter how old you are, or where you’re from. You can be from Japan, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mississippi, Washington, Florida, whatever. He will find a way to connect with you. It’s my third year here in Atlanta, and even over the last three years, I have talked to him as much as anybody. Through the offseason, he will shoot me a text or after a game or something like that. … He does a really good job of connecting with each individual person, no matter who they are, or where they are from.”
More on Sale
Sale’s story with the Boston Red Sox is well-known.
The Chicago White Sox traded him to Boston in exchange for a prospect haul that included Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech.
Despite a litany of injuries that occurred in Boston, Sale still put up great numbers with the Red Sox.
In six seasons with Boston (115 games), Sale pitched to a 3.27 ERA with 945 strikeouts in 670.2 innings.
This included a 308-strikeout season in 2017, one of the last 300-strikeout seasons.
In 2018, he put up one of his best seasons with a 2.11 ERA in 27 games. At the same time, he would only pitch to a 4.11 ERA in the playoffs that year.
After that, injuries consumed Sale as he would only pitch in 31 total games from 2020 to 2023
After the 2023 season, Sale was traded to the Braves for Vaughn Grissom, where he would win his first Cy Young award.
Sale is currently dominating with the MLB-best Braves, with a 1.89 ERA in 10 starts and 72 strikeouts in 62 innings.
As he returns to Fenway, it’s all business for the 37-year-old, as he looks to continue what has been an excellent career that could land him in Cooperstown one day.
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