00:00Alex, I think back two years ago we sat down here and the whole conversation was your future.
00:05You were in the walk year of your contract.
00:07And then last year we arrived and it was all about Bregman endeavors and all that.
00:11This year it feels much more buttoned up.
00:13Like it just feels like people are here and there's just baseball going on.
00:17There doesn't appear to be...
00:19No drama.
00:19No drama. Is that how you've experienced it?
00:22No drama. No drama.
00:25That's the best version of your teams.
00:28You know, when everything is in place and everybody's binding to what we're trying to accomplish
00:33and it's refreshing to come here at 5.30 in the morning, 6 a.m. in the morning
00:40and you have Roman Anthony in the clubhouse doing his stuff.
00:44We're in good hands.
00:45You know, those kids are really, really good players, but they're good citizens.
00:50They understand what we have to do.
00:52And I'm a big believer too.
00:55Less from me in the clubhouse is better for the team.
00:59When you have to be in there and try and...
01:01There are team meetings all the time and we have to be better at this.
01:04We have to do this.
01:05This is the way we dress in the big leagues.
01:07This is, you know, we have to show up early.
01:09Man, it's hard.
01:10It's hard on everybody.
01:11And this year is a lot different.
01:14You know, it's kind of like business.
01:15You know, like this is what we're going to do.
01:17In and out.
01:18Get out and, you know, get ready for Cincinnati.
01:20I did hear great things about the opening season meeting and how, you know, how...
01:24It was a good one.
01:26It was a good one.
01:26It was something that in 2017 when I was the GM of Team Puerto Rico for the WBC.
01:35This is what the hoodie is.
01:38Double X if you have one.
01:40I don't have one.
01:41We should get more on Tuesday.
01:43Okay, okay.
01:44But I'll make sure I bring it up there.
01:47So I told our travel secretary, give me a list of dads, moms, kids, whatever.
01:54And I went, you know, like it was a huge WBC for us.
01:59We're coming from, you know, like you had Correa, you had Lindor, you have Bias, you have Beltran, his last
02:06one.
02:07And I wanted to make it a family event, like youth baseball, like Legion baseball.
02:11And I went through all the names.
02:13You know, we're doing it for this.
02:15And we had grown men crying, you know, getting emotional.
02:18And that's why I wanted, because you're playing for your country.
02:22By the time we got to L.A., instead of having three buses, we had seven buses.
02:27Like families will fly.
02:29They flew into San Diego.
02:30All this.
02:31It was a family event.
02:32We lost to USA, but we accomplished what we wanted.
02:36I thought about it, and I'm like, you know what?
02:39We take this for granted.
02:41We take our families for granted.
02:42You know, I got the twins.
02:43I got Camila in Miami, Angelica.
02:46I had never asked them what it would mean for you, for them, if we win the World Series again.
02:52I had never done that.
02:54You know, they loved the parade in 18.
02:57They had a blast.
02:58The boys were one.
02:59They have no idea.
03:00They want to do it.
03:01And so I talked to our production people, and I say, get me a few videos.
03:08This is the question.
03:09Just get as many people, you know, family members into this.
03:15We had this video.
03:16The night before, John Carter, I said, John, I didn't want my kids to be involved.
03:21And I go, call my daughter.
03:25She has a green light to do a video.
03:28I didn't know what she was going to say.
03:30And then they did the video, whatever.
03:33She was leading off.
03:35And I'm like, holy shoot.
03:38She's really good at this.
03:39It was kind of like me talking to everybody, but through her.
03:43You know, like what it meant last year, the family-oriented organization that we are,
03:49what 18 meant, welcoming everybody.
03:52And at the end, it's like, we're going to do this.
03:55The Red Sox are back.
03:57Then at the end, it was Liv, right?
04:00Craig's daughter.
04:02She's adorable.
04:04You know, red-haired little girl, awesome.
04:07Great personality.
04:08After all these kids and wives or whatever, they talked, she goes to the camera.
04:13It's like, come here and listen very closely.
04:17Let's kick ass.
04:21And everyone started laughing.
04:22And it was one of those that you think about it in the offseason,
04:26what are we going to do, this and that.
04:28You know, it's different ways.
04:29Sometimes I use, you know, the media.
04:32Hey, we got to prove people wrong, whatever.
04:34At that point, we were not a great team.
04:37But you used that.
04:38But in this one, I was like, you know what?
04:41Let's ask the people that really matters to us, you know, what it feels,
04:45what it will be.
04:46And the messages were strong.
04:47And a lot of emotions came out.
04:50And I think it was a great day, a great way to start the season.
04:54We're with Alex Cora.
04:55I know you got to get to work a couple more here.
04:57We're at JetBlue Park.
04:59March 26th will be here before you know it.
05:01How close are you at this point when it comes to spring training on opening day
05:04roster, usually and now?
05:06Yeah, I think pitching-wise, we got a decision to make for the fifth spot, right?
05:13The top four are there.
05:15How are we going to, you know, deploy them is something that we have to talk about.
05:20Do we keep the two lefties together?
05:22Do we split them up?
05:23Where do we pitch Bello?
05:24Where do we pitch Sonny?
05:26The bullpen is almost set.
05:28You know, we have guys that did an amazing job last year.
05:32You know, they're in a good spot right now.
05:36Position player-wise, we have to make the decision, right?
05:39What are we going to do at second?
05:40What are we going to do at third?
05:41Who's going to be there?
05:42But I think we're closer than in previous years.
05:46That's, you know, the cool thing.
05:48Like tomorrow, we're facing Chris Sale.
05:49And we're sending all the kids, Marcelo, Roman, Durant, all the lefties.
05:54It doesn't matter.
05:55Willie, go face Chris.
05:56And it's a lot different.
05:58There's not too many big decisions that we have to make, and that's good.
06:03So, does it ever – do things that Tristan Cassis do ever surprise you?
06:08No, no.
06:08Are you able to identify him in the mask?
06:11I've been like, who's that guy?
06:13Who's that guy?
06:14By the way, talking about him, the way he's moving right now is impressive.
06:21You know, like I told him the other day, I said, bro, like, great job in the offseason.
06:25First things first, he lives in the Fort Lauderdale area, Miami area.
06:30He stayed here the whole time in Fort Myers in the offseason, working with our PTs.
06:34And, you know, he's still in the process, in the rehab process.
06:38You know, he'll have his off days and all that, but he looks good.
06:41But it's hard to find.
06:43It's the push ice.
06:44Nobody knows where he's at.
06:45All the kids are wearing them nowadays, the push ice.
06:47Alex, the one thing that you talk about is – and maybe the game has kind of changed a little
06:53bit,
06:53the athleticism of your team.
06:54It looks like you've got a bunch of football players out there.
06:56A little smaller, but athletically, when you have that, does that mean we'll see you guys be a lot more
07:04aggressive
07:04when it comes to trying to get runs in other ways, especially running the bases,
07:09where maybe turning singles into doubles because you have some of these athletes that can do that?
07:13Are we going to see more of that this year?
07:15Yeah.
07:15I believe when you have pitching, you don't have to score five, six.
07:20You know, like, it got to the point that we needed to do that.
07:24I think there are certain days here you score three and you're going to win.
07:28I'm not saying we're going to become a small ball team.
07:30We're going to bunt guys over and all that, but we have to run the bases well.
07:35Look, Durbin was amazing with Milwaukee.
07:37He comes from that brand of baseball that they play defense, they pitch, they run the bases well,
07:41which is something that I'm looking forward to.
07:44Trevor was amazing last year.
07:47Sedan can be better in the bases.
07:48One thing we have to do is be efficient.
07:50You know, like, yeah, you can be athletic and you can run the bases well,
07:54but don't get thrown out as much as we did, especially the last part of the season.
07:58I think we pushed the envelope a little bit too much and it costs us a little bit.
08:02Alex, before we let you go, just the elephant in the room is the end of the –
08:07or the potential lockout at the conclusion of this season.
08:10Obviously, we talked to Jay Veritek yesterday about it.
08:13He's like, I don't know what side I should be on as a player now I'm here.
08:17Smart guy.
08:18How are you approaching it?
08:20That's why he beat it up.
08:20I'm approaching it, you know, we're in a great spot, baseball-wise, industry-wise.
08:26Game seven last year was amazing.
08:28That whole World Series was amazing.
08:31And as a baseball fan, let's forget the manager and the ex-player.
08:35As a baseball fan, it will be tough, you know, if they don't come together and keep this going
08:42because with the WBC, we'll see it.
08:45You know, everybody's excited about it.
08:47Team USA is going to be amazing.
08:49Japan is going to be amazing.
08:51Miami is going to be rocking.
08:53And it's all about momentum, right?
08:55And we are in a great spot.
08:56Young fans, too, specifically.
08:58I mean, like, I talk to my kids.
09:01And I try to, like, let them know that it's cool to cheer for other players, even other teams.
09:08But obviously, they're not going to do it.
09:10But like Otani and, you know, PCA is different now, right?
09:15And as a sport, we're in a great spot, man.
09:18And it'll be difficult, you know, if they don't come to an agreement.
09:22Hopefully, they can do that.
09:24And, you know, we'll be here next year, right here, on top of the Green Monster.
09:30Be a little warmer, hopefully.
09:31Hey, I got something for you guys.
09:33And I always do a pledge, right, for the Jimmy Fund.
09:36I know the power thing, you know, is a theme in Boston.
09:40As soon as somebody hits 20 home runs, I'm going to give $20,000 to the Jimmy Fund.
09:46Are you serious?
09:47100%.
09:47That's unbelievable.
09:49That's all we're going to do.
09:49That is fantastic.
09:51That's good.
09:51That's unbelievable.
09:52There you go.
09:52Whoever wants to join me.
09:54Great.
09:55Great.
09:55Yeah.
09:57Do you take FEDMO?
09:59I don't know how that works.
10:01We'll do something.
10:02We'll do something.
10:03But that's where I'm at.
10:03I always find something, stealing bases or scoring runs.
10:07I think, hey, man, that's how I'm sure that we're going to have power.
10:11Awesome.
10:11I thought you were going to say when the power finally gets back on back home.
10:17There's like 70% of Falmouth on the Cape that still doesn't have power right now.
10:22I know how that feels.
10:23Yeah.
10:23But hopefully everything will be fine by the time you guys get back to Boston.
10:26So we can't wait.
10:27Hopefully.
10:27All right.
10:27Alex Gora, thank you.
10:28We appreciate it always.
10:29Thank you, guys.
10:30All right.
10:30That is Alex Gora.
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