Cora bragged about 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal, says new book originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The controversy surrounding the 2017 World Series won by the Houston Astros is not going away, and fresh details from a book coming out soon will only enrage Los Angeles Dodgers fans even more.
The Athletic's Evan Drellich has a new book, titled "Winning Fixes Everything", set to be released Feb. 14. It's primarily about the Astros' sign-stealing scandal.
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora was the Astros' bench coach in 2017. He officially joined the Red Sox shortly after Houston won the 2017 World Series. Cora was suspended for the 2020 season by Major League Baseball for his role in the sign-stealing scandal, but he was brought back as Red Sox manager in 2021. Astros manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Lunhow also were given one-year suspensions.
After taking over as manager in Boston, according to Drellich's book, Cora was not only willing to talk about the Astros' sign stealing, he also would brag about it at times to Red Sox colleagues.
From the Boston Herald:
U.S. & World
"We stole that (expletive) World Series," Cora allegedly said.
While many teams were accused of illegally stealing signs during those years, Cora's acts were seen as particularly egregious.
"We knew the Astros did [steal signs]," another member of the Red Sox told Drellich, "because Alex Cora told us. He said that when they played the Dodgers, 'We already knew what everybody was throwing before we even got on base. We didn't have to get on base.' And everybody was like, 'What the hell does that mean?' "
The Astros defeated the Dodgers 5-1 in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series to win their first ever championship. But it's not just Dodgers fans who remain upset and feel cheated out of a World Series title.
New York Yankees fans are irate, too. The Astros eliminated the Yankees in Game 7 of the 2017 American League Championship Series and again in Game 6 of the 2019 ALCS. The Yankees reportedly filed a formal complaint to MLB about the Astros stealing signs in Game 1 of the 2019 ALCS, but nothing came of it. New York then lost four of the next five games. The Astros lost to the Washington Nationals in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series.
Cora and the Red Sox report to Spring Training in Fort Myers, Fla., later this month, and their first Grapefruit League game is Feb. 25 versus the Atlanta Braves.
