FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Alex Cora has been the manager of the Boston Red Sox for only 121 days, but it feels as though he has told this same story 120 times.
It was Oct. 9, an overcast Monday afternoon at Fenway Park. Bottom of the first inning, one out in Game 4 of a best-of-five division series. Xander Bogaerts took three balls in a row, then a called strike down the middle before Houston Astros starter Charlie Morton uncorked a center-cut, 95 mph fastball. Here it is, kid. Now hit it.