Astros Accuse Red Sox Manager Alex Cora of Sign-Stealing
The Houston Astros are pointing fingers at Alex Cora, claiming the Boston Red Sox manager is up to his old tricks with sign-stealing.
It’s a charge that carries weight given Cora’s history. He was the Astros’ bench coach during their 2017 championship run, when the team got caught in baseball’s biggest cheating scandal in decades.
The accusation comes as tensions between the clubs have been simmering. Cora spent the 2017 season helping orchestrate Houston’s electronic sign-stealing scheme before moving to Boston, where he led the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2018.
That championship now carries an asterisk in many fans’ minds after MLB’s investigation revealed the Red Sox had their own sign-stealing issues during Cora’s first season as manager.
Cora served a one-year suspension for his role in the Houston scandal, missing the entire 2020 season. The Red Sox brought him back in 2021, but his past keeps following him around the league.
The Astros’ latest accusation suggests they believe Cora hasn’t changed his ways since returning to the dugout. It’s the kind of charge that sticks in baseball, where sign-stealing has become a hot-button issue.
What makes this particularly interesting is the source. Houston knows better than anyone what Cora is capable of when it comes to gaining an edge through technology and sign deciphering.
The timing isn’t coincidental either. These teams have faced each other multiple times this season, giving Houston plenty of opportunities to watch Cora’s operation up close.
For now, it’s accusation without formal complaint to MLB. But given Cora’s track record, the league will likely take any concerns seriously if the Astros decide to pursue it further.
The whole situation shows how the sign-stealing scandals continue to cast shadows over the game, even years later.
