Red Sox manager Alex Cora came under criticism after he missed one game in order to attend his daughter’s college graduation
The skipper missed the series opener against the New York Mets
One local radio personality called his absence “preposterous”
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora missed a game this week to celebrate his daughter’s college graduation — and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Just the day that we will always remember,” Cora, 49, told reporters on Tuesday, May 20 about his daughter Camila’s graduation from nearby Boston College the day before.
The Red Sox skipper missed the first game of a series against the New York Mets, and received pushback from local media when it was determined he could have made the night game as the graduation reportedly took place earlier in the day.
“People have their own opinions,” Cora said. “I bet those people, they have families too, and at one point they had to make decisions, too. And I bet they made decisions for the best of the family. I made the best decision for my daughter, and for those who don’t understand, I’m not gonna try to convince them. It is what it is. I made the best decision for my girl.”
Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald/Getty
Alex Cora and his daughter Camila
Mike Felger, of Boston’s 98.5 The Sports Hub, called Cora’s absence “preposterous.”
“They were, I believe, done by noon, which means you can have a nice big party in the middle of the day,” Felger said, according to the Boston Herald. “Just cab down the street and manage the game.”
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Yet Cora said he believed that his daughter took precedence, and pointed out that an out-of-state graduation would have necessitated him taking more than one game off.
“She wanted me to be with her, and it was her day so this is secondary,” Cora said. “You know, we’re in this world for a purpose, right, and for me, it’s to raise her, try to do the best we can. Obviously it wasn’t perfect, but right now, it’s perfect.”
The Red Sox won Monday’s game and game two against the Mets, bringing their season record to an even .500 on the cusp of a series sweep today.
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