It has been quite the season for Declan Caddell as Crusaders manager, who has successfully secured the north Belfast side’s Premiership status for next season after a penalty shootout victory over Annagh United.
The Crues had a one goal lead after the first leg, but Philip Donnelly’s penalty levelled the aggregate score after just five minutes before Lee Upton edged Annagh ahead.
In the 71st minute Stewart Nixon equalised in the play-off and sent the game to extra time, but neither side were able to find a goal.
During the penalty shootout, Musa Dibaga saved two penalties as the Crues sealed their survival and avoided what would have been just their second relegation in the club’s history.
“Credit to Annagh, they put it up to us,” Caddell told BBC Sport NI.
“For me, that game summarised our whole season in terms of a wee bit of bad luck, not playing for a full 90 minutes, injuries, everything relying on a last gasp, last minute, and credit to Dibaga as well for stepping in and making a difference.
“I’m just relieved to get over the line because it’s been a difficult year. Who would be a football manager, eh?”
Everything we know about Alex Cora during his rudely interrupted tenure as manager of the Boston Red Sox lines up almost perfectly with everything we knew about him as a Dodgers player more than 20 years ago.
He communicates exceptionally well. He quietly makes a positive contribution. He handles failure admirably. Win or lose, he exhibits class.
Nothing has tested those traits more than what Cora, 50, endured over the last week. The man known throughout baseball as AC was fired by Boston on April 26, turned down an offer to manage the Philadelphia Phillies a day later, then while home in Puerto Rico saw that an ultimatum he made last season to general manager Craig Breslow was reported by the Boston Globe.
Cora somehow found time to pen an expression of gratitude to the Red Sox organization and fans.
“Thank you for treating me with respect and most importantly accept me as AC,” he wrote. “I’m grateful for this experience, it made me better….
“Thank you for the hard work, sleepless nights, professionalism and effort to help me lead this great organization.”
Communication and class until the end, no doubt. Yet the single blemish on his resume is eternally painful to Dodgers fans.
Alex Cora was fired as manager of the Boston Red Sox on April 26.
(Nick Wass/AP)
Cora was the Houston Astros bench coach in 2017 when the Dodgers were victimized by a sign-stealing scheme during the World Series, which the Astros won in seven games.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred released a report in January 2020 that detailed how in 2017 and 2018 the Astros illegally used electronic equipment to steal signs. Cora was central to the scheme, the report saying he “arranged for a video-room technician to install a monitor displaying the center-field camera feed immediately outside of the Astros dugout.”
By 2020, though, Cora was beloved in Boston for piloting the Red Sox to the 2018 World Series championship over the Dodgers in his first season as manager. Nevertheless he was fired a day after the report was released and suspended by MLB for the 2020 season.
Dodgers second baseman Alex Cora during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers in May 2004.
(Morry Gash / Associated Press)
The mea culpa was well-received by the trio and underscored Cora’s ability to smooth over even the most awkward situations.
“I’m going to be 100% honest with you — I just felt like I wanted to cry at that moment when he said that,” Jansen told a Boston radio station. “I felt like a weight came off.”
It’s now known that Cora backed his coaches when Breslow wanted to fire several of them last season. The Globe reported that Cora told the general manager that the Red Sox would have to fire him as well.
Breslow backed down then but not last week, firing five coaches along with Cora.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombroski responded swiftly, making Cora an offer even before firing manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday. The well-traveled Dombroski has led four franchises to a World Series — an MLB record — including one alongside Cora with the Red Sox in 2018, and the offer to jump to the Phillies was tempting.
But Cora put family first, telling Dombroski he wanted to take time with his fiancée, Angelica, and twin 8-year-old sons, Xander and Isander. After all, he is still under contract with the Red Sox through 2027, and is owed $14 million.
That’s about what he earned in 14 seasons as an infielder properly labeled as a good-field, no-hit, great clubhouse presence. Cora was the Dodgers’ primary shortstop in 2000 and 2001, then moved to second base through 2004.
The Dodgers’ center fielder from 2002 to the 2004 midseason was Dave Roberts, the current Dodgers manager who remains a close friend of Cora. The 2018 World Series was the first to feature two minority managers — a point of pride for the Puerto Rican-born Cora and Roberts, who is half-black and half-Japanese.
Cora won a World Series as a Red Sox reserve in 2007 and finished with a career batting average of .243 with a paltry 35 home runs in 3,825 plate appearances — the most memorable of which came May 12, 2004.
Cora capped an 18-pitch at-bat that included 14 foul balls with a home run against Chicago Cubs right-hander Matt Clement.
“What a moment! 9:23 on the scoreboard, if you want to write it down for history. What an at-bat!” Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully exclaimed. “That’s one of the finest at-bats I’ve ever seen, and to top it off with a home run, that is really shocking.”
Cora took a curtain call from the Dodger Stadium crowd and Scully said, “Yeah take a bow, Alex! You deserve it and then some!”
What Cora almost undoubtedly has earned now is another shot at managing. His 620-541 record is well above average. His reputation — sign-stealing scandal notwithstanding — is glowing.
The Phillies hired former Dodgers manager Don Mattingly on an interim basis and likely will circle back to Cora after the season. If not, other teams are expected to come calling.
