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Terry Francona reacts to longtime friend Alex Cora getting fired by Red Sox
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- Terry Francona reacts to longtime friend Alex Cora getting fired by Red Sox
Terry Francona knows what Alex Cora is going through.
The Red Sox fired Cora on Saturday after a 10-17 start to the season. The news came hours after a big 17-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles .
"You never want to see somebody lose their job," Francona said on " The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, " on Tuesday. "It doesn't feel good ever. And so most of these guys are pretty good friends of mine. Like, Cora's one of my favorite people in the world. It does happen, unfortunately, and it's part of the job, and you kind of know that going in."
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Francona was fired by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2000, and mutually agreed to part ways with the Red Sox in 2011 after winning two World Series in 2004 and 2007.
The 67-year-old, now the manager of the Cincinnati Reds , stressed the importance of aligning yourself with "people that you care about and respect and know will have your back."
"It's nice to know you can go through a tough period," he said . "And not necessarily, people are just going to point fingers and say, 'Well, it had to be you, so we got to have a sacrificial lamb.' Sometimes the best way to go about it is figuring things out together. And that's how I feel here (in Cincinnati). And I'm glad about that because I don't know if I want to be in that situation."
Francona managed the Red Sox for eight years, which he said was "a long time in baseball years."
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"That's a long time. And same thing with Cora," he said . "It's just the way our game is, and it's different in every town."
Cora expressed on social media and to a handful of Red Sox reporters that he was happy despite losing his job. He quickly garnered interest from the Philadelphia Phillies, but turned down the job in order to spend time with his kids .
Whether he returns to managing after 2026 is unknown. Cora has expressed his desire to not be an "old manager." But perhaps the Phillies circle back with the 50-year-old in 2027, or another team that will need a new manager.
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