BOSTON -- In his first season as a Major League manager, Alex Cora has earned a lot of praise for the way he has been able to keep his team loose and his ability to look at the big picture with nearly every decision he makes.
Some of those qualities are things Cora picked up in part through osmosis from four years (2005-08) of playing for Terry Francona.
On Monday, Cora will manage against Francona for the first time, as the Indians come to Fenway for an anticipated four-game series between teams that could meet up in the postseason.