Red Sox Brass 'Absolutely' Believes They Beat Dodgers Fair And Square In 2018 World Series
BOSTON (CBS) -- In the wake of Tuesday's mutual decision that Alex Cora was no longer the man to lead the Red Sox, the Boston brass addressed their decision and the club's future at Fenway Park on Wednesday. At least they tried to, but they really couldn't -- and wouldn't -- say much.
The common phrase from John Henry, Tom Werner, Sam Kennedy and Chaim Bloom was that they couldn't comment on the 2017 Astros cheating scandal that ultimately cost Cora his job, and they want everyone to reserve judgement on the 2018 Boston Red Sox until MLB concludes their investigation into their sign-stealing ways.
They still believe that the Red Sox "absolutely" beat the Dodgers in the 2018 Fall Classic fair and square, but that was about all they could say on the matter.
"Given the directive from the commissioner's office, we're not going to discuss it. We would ask that people -- fans -- reserve judgment until we know what the MLB investigation reveals."
That was a quote from Kennedy, but you really could have attributed it to any of the four with microphones in front of their face at Fenway Park. They all made it clear that while Tuesday's decision to move on from Cora was a difficult one that leaves the Red Sox in a rather tough spot, they all believe -- including Cora himself -- that it was the right one.
"It's not ideal," Henry said of not having a manager with the start of spring training just one month away. "It's not what we would like to be doing at this point. We were all surprised to read this report on Monday. But this is ... I don't know if you would call it a logical conclusion, but this is where we are as a result of it."
The Red Sox are now looking for their fifth new manager of the last decade. If you were hoping for some clarity on Boston's search, you'll just have to reserve judgement for now. There is no timetable to find a new skipper, and at the moment, the Boston brass isn't even sure what lies ahead for the remaining coaches from Cora's staff, though they admitted that some will be under consideration for a promotion.
"The short answer is we don't know yet," said Bloom. "This just happened, and first and foremost, we wanted to make sure we were handling situation with Alex correctly. Now we'll turn our attention to figuring out who our next manager is going to be and what that means for the rest of the staff. I have, and I know we have a lot of regard for the staff. ... It's an impressive group and there is no reason to think a number of them wouldn't deserve consideration for this.
"We haven't ruled anything in or out. Part of this process is to assess the proper course," said Bloom. "We haven't gotten far enough in our discussions to know definitively."
With spring training right around the corner, the Red Sox don't have time on their side, which they admitted will be a factor in their search. And with the best managerial candidates long gone on the open market, they won't get to pick from the cream of the crop.
While there is a whole lot of unknown facing the Boston Red Sox at the moment, all four were adamant on Wednesday that the ultimate goal remains the same.
"Our focus isn't any different. We're looking through the lens of what will be best for the Boston Red Sox and put us in a position to win the most over the long-haul," said Bloom. "That wont change because of this."
