Shank On The New Red Sox Manager

Alex Cora is the newest manager of the Boston Red Sox. Shank talks to his good friend, former Red Sox manager Terry Francona, about the recent hiring.

LOS ANGELES — Terry Francona managed Alex Cora for 3½ seasons in Boston. He knows that Cora can be a good major league manager in Boston. But he’s reluctant to talk about Cora while Major League Baseball asks the Red Sox, the Astros, and Cora to refrain from commenting during the World Series.

“I told guys on Sunday that I wouldn’t comment on this because of the Boston thing,’’ Francona said from Cleveland Monday. “Just because it’s Boston I don’t need to be sticking my nose in there.’’

OK, then. What about Dave Roberts, I wondered? The manager of the Dodgers has a lot in common with Cora, who is still employed as the Astros’ bench coach for this World Series.

Like Cora, Roberts played for Francona in Boston and won a World Series with the Red Sox. Like Cora, Roberts was one of those “glue” bench players that Francona liked having in his clubhouse. Like Cora, Roberts got his managing job at a young age without having experience in the majors or minors. Like Cora, Roberts was thrust into a major media market with a big payroll and great expectations. Like Cora, Roberts was his franchise’s first minority manager.