Story by
Could Alex Cora, Joey Cora work together in the future? Big brother says, 'You never know'
- Story by
- Could Alex Cora, Joey Cora work together in the future? Big brother says, 'You never know'
BOSTON — On June 7, 1998, Alex Cora made his MLB debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers . That same day, older brother Joey Cora played the 1,025th game of his MLB career, leading off and starting at second base for the Seattle Mariners .
The Dodgers and Mariners were playing against each other at the Kingdome in Seattle, meaning Alex and Joey were playing against each other at the highest level. With Joey in the infield, Alex stepped to the plate for the first time as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning.
Advertisement
"I played against him," Joey said. "That was probably one of the biggest thrills, if not the biggest thrill that I've ever had in my life, watching my little brother debut as a big leaguer. That was awesome. Right now, it's giving me goosebumps because I remember."
Alex and Joey Cora — brothers separated by 10½ years in age — have played and coached against each other in the big leagues, but they've never coached together.
Detroit Tigers third base coach Joey Cora watches a play during the seventh inning of the home opening day at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, April 5, 2024.
That could change.
"You never know," Joey said. "We like the fact that we can compete against each other. He's got his job. I got my job. Sometimes, we compare notes. We play the same teams now, and you play everybody anyway. Will it happen in the future? Who knows. But we like it the way it is right now."
Advertisement
MEET BIG BRO: Tigers 3B coach Joey Cora is 'good baseball man' who 'will send every runner'
In the 2024 season, Alex is in the final year of his contract as the manager of the Boston Red Sox . He doesn't plan to discuss the status of his job with Red Sox leadership until after the season ends.
Meanwhile, Joey is in the first year of his tenure as the third-base coach of the Detroit Tigers .
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who granted reporters permission to speak with his third-base coach about non-2024 Tigers topics, hired the older Cora in this past offseason. He also employed the younger Cora as his bench coach with the Houston Astros , winning the World Series together in 2017.
Advertisement
Alex said Joey, who turned 59 in mid-May, is thinking about retiring soon.
"I know he's been talking about retirement, like probably one more year," Alex told reporters, including Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe . "I always dream (for) him to be part of my coach staff. It hasn't happened. Hopefully in the future, we can convince him not to retire. Give me one year. So we'll see."
Oct 1, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
In 2025, Alex could be the manager of a new team.
Maybe Joey will leave the Tigers to be Alex's third-base coach, his bench coach or assistant head coach. Hiring Joey is something Alex decided not to do in his five seasons as the Red Sox manager, simply because he wasn't comfortable.
Advertisement
His older brother is a father figure to him .
"At that point, where I was, it was going to feel very awkward," Alex said. "He's still my mentor and some conversations that we have on the phone, it feels like he knows more about the Red Sox than I do. I don't want him to be kind of like the boss.
"I think where I'm at now and where I'm going to be in the future, I'm older, I feel very comfortable running an organization. I feel like the relationship will be a lot better. I think at that time, it was going to be very, very awkward."
THE HIRE: Tigers hire former New York Mets third base coach Joey Cora to coaching staff
Advertisement
Before joining the Tigers, Joey coached in the major leagues for the Chicago White Sox (2004-11), Miami Marlins (2012), Pittsburgh Pirates (2017-21) and New York Mets (2022-23).
He has coached against his younger brother twice in the regular season, doing so with the Mets in 2023 and with the Tigers this year.
This weekend, the Tigers and Red Sox are playing a four-game series at Fenway Park.
"We're similar, but we're different," Joey said. "We're similar in the fact that we love baseball. We grew up in baseball. We love the game. We love to prepare. We love to win. We do whatever it takes to win. We're brothers, and we love each other, but when we're here, I'm trying to win for Detroit, he's trying to win for Boston."
Advertisement
[ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts ( Apple , Spotify ) ]
Joey beamed as he told the story of June 7, 1998, when he watched from second base as Alex stepped to the plate for his MLB debut. There's no doubt Joey is proud of Alex for all of his accomplishments, both on and off the field.
Of course, big brother couldn't help but tease his little brother.
"And he struck out, by the way, in his first at-bat," Joey said, laughing.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
Advertisement
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple , Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers Joey Cora, Alex Cora won't rule out teaming up one day
