Alex Cora pays tribute to the Globe’s Nick Cafardo

Red Sox manager Alex Cora (right) smiles as he chats with some players, including J.D. Martinez, in Boston on Oct. 3, 2018. (Jim Davis / The Boston Globe)FORT MYERS, Fla. — As always, manager Alex Cora met with the media before the Red Sox played Northeastern on Friday. But there were no questions this time.

Cora instead took the time to pay an emotional tribute to Globe baseball columnist Nick Cafardo, who died suddenly on Thursday after being stricken by an embolism at JetBlue Park.

“I just want to echo the sentiments of the organization, the players, everybody in our family and the baseball world,’’ said Cora, who spoke for just over seven minutes. “We work in a profession that it seems…