Major League Baseball set out to deliver a message on Monday by severely punishing the Houston Astros staff for sign stealing in 2017. GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were both suspended – and later fired – and now another figure has lost his job. The Boston Red Sox announced on Tuesday that Alex Cora, who was with the Astros at the time of the scandal, is no longer the manager of the Red Sox team.
Fans and critics of the Red Sox reacted to this news in a variety of ways. Those with a bias Boston sports wanted to talk about the inherent cheating taking place in Massachusetts, but those that adore the Red Sox simply thanked Cora for his contributions.
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“Boston sports are a disgrace to the world,” one user wrote on Twitter. “All Boston teams are nothing but a bunch of cheaters. All of the Red Sox and Patriots championships are tainted now.”
Others reacted to the mutual parting of ways by putting on the tinfoil hats and revealing a conspiracy theory. In the opinions of some fans, the cheating allegations weren’t all that concerning, but were actually used as a device to take down the Boston sports empire.
“Operation ‘Takedown the Astros and Red Sox because we can’t beat them ourselves’ has been a success,” one user added to the conversation. They added in an animated Gif of someone associated with the New York Yankees.
With Cora no longer in the building and running the team, there are now questions swirling about who will take over as the manager. The fans listed some options, including a beloved figure in David “Big Papi” Ortiz.
“Today we met to discuss the Commissioner’s report related to the Houston Astros investigation,” owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, and CEO Sam Kennedy said in a statement on Tuesday. “Given the findings and the Commissioner’s ruling, we collectively decided that it would not be possible for Alex to effectively lead the club going forward and we have mutually agreed to part ways.
“This is a sad day for us,” the statement continued. “Alex is a special personal and beloved member of the Red Sox. We are grateful for his impact on our franchise. We will miss his passion, his energy and his significant contributions to the communities of New England and Puerto Rico.”
The former player-turned-manager was Houston’s bench coach during the 2017 season and was heavily implicated in the alleged cheating. He headed to Boston in 2018 and led the team to a franchise-record 108 wins, as well as a World Series Title.
(Photo Credit: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
