Yankees: Alex Cora’s new ‘buzzer’ system with Red Sox sure seems fishy

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 14: Manager Alex Cora #20 of the Boston Red Sox before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 14, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 14: Manager Alex Cora #20 of the Boston Red Sox before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 14, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

When Alex Cora was suspended by Major League Baseball for a year, New York Yankees fans rejoiced for a moment, then realized that punishment didn’t come close to fitting the crime.

Cora was suspected to be among the “ring leaders” in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal that helped them cruise to a World Series victory in 2017 when he was the team’s bench coach.

That helped earn him a job as manager of the Boston Red Sox, and yup, you guessed it — he led them to one of the most effortless championship runs you’ll ever see. A 108-win regular season. An 11-3 record in the postseason. Another Red Sox championship. Where’s the nearest ledge?

But then came 2019. The Red Sox regressed and missed the playoffs. The Astros’ cheating was outed by former pitcher Mike Fiers. MLB did its best to try and bury it because Rob Manfred hates baseball, but the groans became too loud, and Cora was in the crosshairs. The Sox reluctantly “mutually parted ways” with Cora, but, of course, brought him back the MOMENT his suspension ended because why wouldn’t they?

Long story short, many suspect the Astros’ cheating scandal dragged on throughout 2018 and 2019, but there’s no “evidence” to suggest that and we’ll truly never know. But Yankees fans know all about the “buzzers” and that infamous video of Jose Altuve yelling at his teammates to not rip off his shirt after his walk-off homer in Game 6 of the ALCS (perhaps due to the unfounded allegations that he was wearing a buzzer).

Astros players claim to this day that they didn’t use buzzers and they only employed the garbage can system, but nobody is going to believe them. Ever. Now, how fitting is it that Cora has instituted a buzzer system of his own in Boston … to help enforce social distancing amid the global pandemic.

You can’t help but wonder if he’s just repurposing these suckers back from his 2018 run with the Red Sox. Just kidding. We’re not accusing him of anything. But we will admit something’s not right here.

Or maybe it is right. It’s almost like he’s a reformed mobster. No more shaking down the working class Joe Shmoe for his measly gambling debts! It’s time to recycle those skills for the greater good. Maybe booting that slimy dad from the local booster club with some intimidation tactics. Or knocking on doors and making it known that he won’t tolerate any nonsense around the neighborhood. You get the picture.

Sorry, we just can’t help but feel triggered by a buzzer system in Boston advertised by the very man who may or may not have given rise to arguably the most infamous cheating scandal in sports history.

It’s all water under the bridge. Nobody’s getting that time back and there’s no sense in harping on it.

That is, until the Red Sox start winning and uncomfortable amount of games in 2021. We’ll be sure to resurface this when JD Martinez all of a sudden wakes up from his slumber thanks to the new and improved video room access.