Alex Cora’s skeletons from the cheating 2017 Astros are still haunting him.
Cora told Red Sox newcomers Justin Turner, Kiké Hernandez and Kenley Jansen, who were also members of the 2017 Dodgers team that lost to Cora’s Astros in the World Series, “We f–ked up” during a spring training meeting in Fort Myers, Fla.
“I just felt like I wanted to cry at that moment when he said that,” Jansen told WEEI.com. “Because I felt like that was the best season I ever had in my whole career because I dominated the whole year, dominated the playoffs, and the Houston Astros were the only ones who put the ball in play. It’s over with, and you can’t change stuff, but what we can do is appreciate when someone steps up and comes forward and be accountable for what they did.
Jansen had a career year in 2017 when he established himself as an elite closer with a 1.32 ERA and a league-best 41 saves.
But that postseason, things took a turn.
Jansen allowed just two hits and zero earned runs across seven appearances against the Cubs and Diamondbacks in the NLDS and NLCS.
But that World Series, things took a turn.
The Astros had his number, hitting two home runs and getting three runs across in high-leverage situations, contributing to two extra-inning losses.
Houston would wind up winning the World Series in seven games, though it later emerged the team used cameras to steal signs and relayed them to batters by banging on a trash can in the dugout.
Other Astros players have apologized for their actions as well, notably pitcher Charlie Morton in 2020, who is now a member of the Atlanta Braves.
He told the media he regretted “not doing more to stop it,” while Collin McHugh felt sorry for his opponents.
“It was tough watching that,” he said. “You feel for guys out there who are working their tails off, whether they’re on your team or against you.”
Cora didn’t do much to stop it, though.
He served as the bench coach of that Astros team before leaving for the Red Sox manager job the following year.
He was suspended for the 2020 season before returning to the Fenway Park dugout full-time.