BOSTON — The Red Sox locker room was ablaze with cheers and champagne last night, but the focus wasn’t on the popping bottles or the laughter of the players. It was on manager Alex Cora — his voice full of fire, his eyes unwavering — sending a direct message to all those who doubted his team.
“Nobody thought we were going to be here in October,” Cora said in a heated postgame interview. “Anyone who said they believed in us from the start was lying. It was all about the Yankees, the Blue Jays, the Orioles… But we believed. We knew we were going to fight until the end, and now we’re here.”
From the opening day, the Red Sox were cast in the giant shadow of their AL East rivals. The Yankees were led by Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, Toronto had a young, explosive squad, and the Baltimore Orioles were emerging as a force. Meanwhile, experts considered Boston to be an “outsider” in the postseason race.
Predictions for the season almost unanimously crossed the Red Sox off the playoff map. TV shows mocked their competitiveness. But as Cora asserted, the Boston locker room never gave up hope.
Alex Cora, who led the Red Sox to the 2018 World Series, once again showed his mettle. He not only kept his players focused but also instilled in them the belief that all prejudices could be erased on the field.
“What I’m most proud of,” Cora shared, “is that we didn’t let the outside noise get to us. My players knew what they wanted and they played with all their hearts.”
The image of him in his red “October Baseball” jersey, pointing his finger, his voice roaring through the players, has become a symbol of the Red Sox spirit this season: fierce, unyielding, and defiant.
As Cora’s remarks spread, the atmosphere in the locker room became even more explosive. Players cheered, high-fived, and many admitted that the words touched their hearts.
“That’s Cora,” said Xander Bogaerts. “He always protected us, always believed in us even when no one else did. That made us fight for him.”
Rafael Devers added: “People said the Red Sox were over. Today we proved them wrong.”
Cora’s explosive speech was not just a rebuttal to the doubters, but also a warning to the entire league: Boston is no longer an “outsider.” They’re a team on the cusp of continuing their October story, ready to take on any opponent.
As the confetti fell and the music blared, one thing became clear: the Red Sox had not only clinched the postseason, they were also carrying the “we believe” spirit into their new journey. And with a fiery Cora at the helm, opponents should be wary.
In a season where everyone had written them off, the Boston Red Sox were back. And as Alex Cora proudly declared — “We’ve met our standards. We deserve to be here.”
Leave a Reply