Alex Cora
Encyclopedia
José Alexander "Alex" Cora (born October 18, 1975 in Caguas
, Puerto Rico
) is a Major League Baseball
infielder
. He played college baseball at the University of Miami
.
by the Minnesota Twins
, but did not sign a contract and decided instead to play collegiate baseball at the University of Miami
. While there, Cora was named to the College World Series
all-tournament team in both 1995 and 1996. He led the team to the title game in 1996, a game they lost to Louisiana State University
.
as the best collegiate defensive player going into the 1996 draft, Cora was once again drafted, this time by the Los Angeles Dodgers
in the third round. Cora made his major league debut on June 7, 1998 for the Dodgers, and spent the next seven years in Los Angeles, hitting .246 with 27 home runs and 173 RBIs. During his time with the Dodgers he played at second and shortstop. During the 2000 and 2001 seasons, Cora mostly played shortstop as the Dodgers moved the aging Mark Grudzielanek
to second base. With the emergence of Cesar Izturis
in 2002 and the trade of Grudzielanek to the Chicago Cubs
in December of the same year, Cora spent the rest of his stint with the Dodgers as their primary second baseman.
On May 12, 2004, Cora had an 18-pitch at-bat against Chicago Cubs
starting pitcher Matt Clement
. Facing a 2–1 count, Cora fouled off 14 straight pitches before finally hitting a home run. It is the third longest documented at-bat since baseball statisticians began keeping track of pitch counts in the mid-1980s. So much time elapsed that Cora's brother Joey
joked that he and Jay Fritz were watching the game at a restaurant ordering their first beer during the first pitch, and, by the time Cora homered, Cora and Fritz were "so drunk that we had to call a cab to take us home."
, where he appeared in 49 games with 22 starts at shortstop and 14 at second base. He hit .205 with a home run and 8 RBIs. On July 7, 2005 Cora was traded to the Boston Red Sox
for infielder Ramón Vázquez
.
. With the trade of Rentería to the Atlanta Braves
before the start of the 2006 season, Cora was being eyed to take the position of starting shortstop until the Red Sox acquired Álex González. Also, Cora batted .238 with one home run and 18 RBIs.
Cora has played in the two longest nine-inning games in MLB history. The first was a 4-hour, 27-minute game on October 5, 2001 between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants
. The second game – and the longest on record – was a 4-hour, 45-minute game on August 18, 2006, in the second game of a double header between the Red Sox and the New York Yankees
. During his years with Boston he was used mostly as a pinch- runner. However, he did well in his hitting as used in the game as the Red Sox shortstop.
. After the 2009 season Cora re-signed with the Mets
for another year with the option of the 2011 season as well on November 30, 2009. He was released on August 7, 2010.
, and was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City.
The Rangers released Cora on September 7. Despite only playing with the Rangers for 6 days, the Rangers ownership still rewarded Alex with an AL Championship ring.
at both the 2006
and 2009
World Baseball Classic
s.
, Puerto Rico
during the off-season with his wife Nilda, daughter Camila and stepson Jeriel. His older brother is Joey Cora
, a former MLB utility player and current Miami Marlins bench coach.
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
) is a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
. He played college baseball at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
Early career
Cora was drafted in the 12th round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft1993 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1993 Major League Baseball draft.-Compensation picks:-Other notable players:*Scott Rolen was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2nd round of the 1993 amateur draft....
by the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, but did not sign a contract and decided instead to play collegiate baseball at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
. While there, Cora was named to the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
all-tournament team in both 1995 and 1996. He led the team to the title game in 1996, a game they lost to Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Having been rated by Baseball AmericaBaseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
as the best collegiate defensive player going into the 1996 draft, Cora was once again drafted, this time by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the third round. Cora made his major league debut on June 7, 1998 for the Dodgers, and spent the next seven years in Los Angeles, hitting .246 with 27 home runs and 173 RBIs. During his time with the Dodgers he played at second and shortstop. During the 2000 and 2001 seasons, Cora mostly played shortstop as the Dodgers moved the aging Mark Grudzielanek
Mark Grudzielanek
Mark James Grudzielanek is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop. Grudzielanek played six different teams during his 15-season career. He batted and threw right-handed.-Early years:...
to second base. With the emergence of Cesar Izturis
César Izturis
César David Izturis is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He is the half-brother of shortstop Maicer Izturis, who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Julio Izturis, who plays in the minor leagues in the San Francisco Giants organization.Izturis' greatest...
in 2002 and the trade of Grudzielanek to the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in December of the same year, Cora spent the rest of his stint with the Dodgers as their primary second baseman.
On May 12, 2004, Cora had an 18-pitch at-bat against Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
starting pitcher Matt Clement
Matt Clement
Matthew Paul Clement is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Clement played for the San Diego Padres , Florida Marlins , Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox . While on the Red Sox active roster, he was injured all of the 2007 season...
. Facing a 2–1 count, Cora fouled off 14 straight pitches before finally hitting a home run. It is the third longest documented at-bat since baseball statisticians began keeping track of pitch counts in the mid-1980s. So much time elapsed that Cora's brother Joey
Joey Cora
Jose Manuel Cora Amaro was a baseball player known as "The Rooster" with an 11 year career in the MLB spanning the years 1987 and 1989-1998. He played for the San Diego Padres of the National League and the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians of the American League...
joked that he and Jay Fritz were watching the game at a restaurant ordering their first beer during the first pitch, and, by the time Cora homered, Cora and Fritz were "so drunk that we had to call a cab to take us home."
Cleveland Indians
During the 2004 offseason, Cora signed as a free agent with the Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, where he appeared in 49 games with 22 starts at shortstop and 14 at second base. He hit .205 with a home run and 8 RBIs. On July 7, 2005 Cora was traded to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for infielder Ramón Vázquez
Ramón Vázquez
Ramón Luis Vázquez is a Puerto Rican professional baseball infielder. Vázquez has played with the Seattle Mariners , San Diego Padres , Boston Red Sox , Cleveland Indians , Texas Rangers , and Pittsburgh Pirates...
.
Boston Red Sox
In Boston, Cora was originally intended to provide a suitable backup for shortstop Edgar RenteríaEdgar Rentería
Edgar Enrique Rentería Herazo , nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby," is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop. He throws and bats right-handed. Previously, he has played for the Florida Marlins, the St...
. With the trade of Rentería to the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
before the start of the 2006 season, Cora was being eyed to take the position of starting shortstop until the Red Sox acquired Álex González. Also, Cora batted .238 with one home run and 18 RBIs.
Cora has played in the two longest nine-inning games in MLB history. The first was a 4-hour, 27-minute game on October 5, 2001 between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. The second game – and the longest on record – was a 4-hour, 45-minute game on August 18, 2006, in the second game of a double header between the Red Sox and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. During his years with Boston he was used mostly as a pinch- runner. However, he did well in his hitting as used in the game as the Red Sox shortstop.
New York Mets
On January 22, 2009, Cora signed a one-year deal with the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. After the 2009 season Cora re-signed with the Mets
METS
The Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard is a metadata standard for encoding descriptive, administrative, and structural metadata regarding objects within a digital library, expressed using the XML schema language of the World Wide Web Consortium...
for another year with the option of the 2011 season as well on November 30, 2009. He was released on August 7, 2010.
Texas Rangers
On August 17, 2010, he signed a minor league deal with the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, and was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City.
The Rangers released Cora on September 7. Despite only playing with the Rangers for 6 days, the Rangers ownership still rewarded Alex with an AL Championship ring.
Washington Nationals
In January 2011, it was reported that the Nationals agreed to sign Cora to a Minor League contract.Puerto Rico Baseball League
On December 1, 2009, Cora began practicing with the Criollos de Caguas, seeking to win a spot in their roster after recovering his physical condition, following a period of inactivity of three months.International career
Cora represented Puerto RicoPuerto Rico national baseball team
The Puerto Rico National Baseball Team is a team that is selected by the Puerto Rican Baseball Federation to compete in major international events in representation of Puerto Rico...
at both the 2006
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
and 2009
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
s.
Personal life
Cora lives in CaguasCaguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
during the off-season with his wife Nilda, daughter Camila and stepson Jeriel. His older brother is Joey Cora
Joey Cora
Jose Manuel Cora Amaro was a baseball player known as "The Rooster" with an 11 year career in the MLB spanning the years 1987 and 1989-1998. He played for the San Diego Padres of the National League and the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians of the American League...
, a former MLB utility player and current Miami Marlins bench coach.