Joey Cora
Encyclopedia
Jose Manuel Cora Amaro (born May 14, 1965 in Caguas, Puerto Rico
) 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
. He played second base, shortstop, third base and also served as designated hitter.
. On June 3, 1985 he was drafted by the San Diego Padres
in the first round.
As a member of the Beaumont Golden Gators
Cora received national attention when on June 22, 1986 he was stabbed after a game in San Antonio, Texas
. Cora, who had been a first round draft pick, was waiting outside the team bus following the game against the San Antonio Missions
at V.J. Keefe Stadium when two men called his name and then assaulted him. He was stabbed once in the stomach and once in the arm. Cora was quickly rushed to the hospital and later made a full recovery after spending six weeks on the disabled list. A man named Jose Puente, 29, was caught at the scene and was later charged with attempted murder. Apparently Cora had exchanged words with fans outside of the visitor's dressing room,resulting in the fans returning with more men later on.
He debuted in the Major Leagues
on April 6, 1987, as a 21 year old rookie. After spending parts of three seasons with the Padres, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox
in 1991, where Cora would spend the next four seasons.
On April 6, 1995, he signed with the Seattle Mariners
, where he would enjoy his most productive seasons at bat. He even established a record for a Mariner with a 24 game hitting streak
, which was broken by Ichiro Suzuki, which is also the record for American League switch hitters. In 1997, he was elected to the American League All-Star
team and went on to hit .300 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI.
Cora, who was nicknamed "Little Joey," was one of the most popular Mariners during his time with the team, and many fans admired the second baseman for his hustle, grit, and good nature. He also endeared himself to the fans when the Mariners' storied 1995 season was ended in game six of the 1995 American League Championship Series
by the Cleveland Indians
. Cora, like thousands of fans in the Kingdome
that day, broke down and wept. The footage of him weeping while the Mariners' then-rookie Alex Rodriguez
draped his arm across Cora's shoulder and consoled him was widely replayed throughout the Seattle area. This event was memorialized the following year with a very humorous promotional ad. The sensitivity and emotion Cora displayed made him particularly popular with young women in the Pacific Northwest
, who would often hold signs at Mariners' home game, saying "Marry me, Joey!"
Cora spent most of the 1998 as a Mariner, but with the team falling out of contention, he was dealt to the Cleveland Indians
in exchange for David Bell
, where he barely played, due to injuries. He signed a free-agent contract with the Toronto Blue Jays
during the off-season, but retired without playing a game.
minor league system. He was later hired by fellow teammate and good friend, Ozzie Guillén
as a coach. He began coaching in 2003 for the Chicago White Sox. His responsibilities included facilitating the role of third base coach and organizing the team's spring training camps prior to his promotion to bench coach following the 2006 season. He occasionally serves as an interim manager whenever Guillen is suspended or ejected from a game, or is unable to attend for any other reason.
He managed the Venezuelan Winter League baseball team Tiburones de la Guaira in the 2005-2006 season with a record of 31-31 (.500)
Joey is the elder brother of MLB player, Alex Cora
. Both brothers are Major League Baseball World Champions. Joey earned his ring as the third base coach of the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox. Alex earned his as a member of the 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox
.
Cora was interviewed by the Milwaukee Brewers
for their managerial opening in October 2010. He was believed to be a finalist along with Bob Melvin
, Bobby Valentine
, and Ron Roenicke.
Cora was dismissed by the White Sox on September 27, 2011, the day after they released Guillén from his contract, despite initially tabbing Cora to manage the final two games of the season. Cora was named bench coach of the Miami Marlins on November 1, 2011, reuniting with Guillén.
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...
) was a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player known as "The Rooster" with an 11 year career in the MLB
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...
spanning the years 1987 and 1989-1998. He played for the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
and the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland 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...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. He played second base, shortstop, third base and also served as designated hitter.
Career as a player
In college, Cora played for Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
. On June 3, 1985 he was drafted by the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
in the first round.
As a member of the Beaumont Golden Gators
Beaumont Golden Gators
The Beaumont Golden Gators were a minor league baseball team in the double A Texas League from 1983 to 1986. Owned by insurance man Ted Moor, the team was an affiliate of the San Diego Padres for their entire tenure...
Cora received national attention when on June 22, 1986 he was stabbed after a game in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. Cora, who had been a first round draft pick, was waiting outside the team bus following the game against the San Antonio Missions
San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio...
at V.J. Keefe Stadium when two men called his name and then assaulted him. He was stabbed once in the stomach and once in the arm. Cora was quickly rushed to the hospital and later made a full recovery after spending six weeks on the disabled list. A man named Jose Puente, 29, was caught at the scene and was later charged with attempted murder. Apparently Cora had exchanged words with fans outside of the visitor's dressing room,resulting in the fans returning with more men later on.
He debuted in the Major Leagues
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...
on April 6, 1987, as a 21 year old rookie. After spending parts of three seasons with the Padres, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
in 1991, where Cora would spend the next four seasons.
On April 6, 1995, he signed with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, where he would enjoy his most productive seasons at bat. He even established a record for a Mariner with a 24 game hitting streak
Hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the number of consecutive official games in which a player gets at least one base hit.According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is ended when a player has at least 1 plate appearance and no hits...
, which was broken by Ichiro Suzuki, which is also the record for American League switch hitters. In 1997, he was elected to the American League All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
team and went on to hit .300 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI.
Cora, who was nicknamed "Little Joey," was one of the most popular Mariners during his time with the team, and many fans admired the second baseman for his hustle, grit, and good nature. He also endeared himself to the fans when the Mariners' storied 1995 season was ended in game six of the 1995 American League Championship Series
1995 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 1995 at Kingdome in Seattle, WashingtonThe Indians called on the veteran Dennis Martinez for Game 1. The Mariners rode the arm of Bob Wolcott. Wolcott got off to a shaky start by walking three straight hitters to open the game. But he would get out of the bases loaded...
by the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland 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...
. Cora, like thousands of fans in the Kingdome
Kingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
that day, broke down and wept. The footage of him weeping while the Mariners' then-rookie Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
draped his arm across Cora's shoulder and consoled him was widely replayed throughout the Seattle area. This event was memorialized the following year with a very humorous promotional ad. The sensitivity and emotion Cora displayed made him particularly popular with young women in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, who would often hold signs at Mariners' home game, saying "Marry me, Joey!"
Cora spent most of the 1998 as a Mariner, but with the team falling out of contention, he was dealt to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland 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...
in exchange for David Bell
David Bell (baseball)
David Michael Bell is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently the manager of the Triple-A Louisville Bats...
, where he barely played, due to injuries. He signed a free-agent contract with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
during the off-season, but retired without playing a game.
Career as a coach
Following his retirement from play, Cora was a manager in 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...
minor league system. He was later hired by fellow teammate and good friend, Ozzie Guillén
Ozzie Guillén
Oswaldo José "Ozzie" Guillén Barrios is a Venezuelan-American former Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Miami Marlins. He managed the Chicago White Sox from 2004 to 2011 before asking for his release at the end of the 2011 season....
as a coach. He began coaching in 2003 for the Chicago White Sox. His responsibilities included facilitating the role of third base coach and organizing the team's spring training camps prior to his promotion to bench coach following the 2006 season. He occasionally serves as an interim manager whenever Guillen is suspended or ejected from a game, or is unable to attend for any other reason.
He managed the Venezuelan Winter League baseball team Tiburones de la Guaira in the 2005-2006 season with a record of 31-31 (.500)
Joey is the elder brother of MLB player, Alex Cora
Alex Cora
José Alexander "Alex" Cora is a Major League Baseball infielder. He played college baseball at the University of Miami.-Early career:...
. Both brothers are Major League Baseball World Champions. Joey earned his ring as the third base coach of the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox. Alex earned his as a member of the 2007 World Champion 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"...
.
Cora was interviewed by the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for their managerial opening in October 2010. He was believed to be a finalist along with Bob Melvin
Bob Melvin
Robert Paul Melvin is the manager of the Oakland Athletics, and a former Major League Baseball catcher.During a 10-year playing career, he played from 1985–94 for seven different teams...
, Bobby Valentine
Bobby Valentine
Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan...
, and Ron Roenicke.
Cora was dismissed by the White Sox on September 27, 2011, the day after they released Guillén from his contract, despite initially tabbing Cora to manage the final two games of the season. Cora was named bench coach of the Miami Marlins on November 1, 2011, reuniting with Guillén.