"If we win 10 in a row, it’s on me” - Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora shaves his beard in a superstitious bid to turn things around
Boston Red Sox skipper Alex Cora has turned to one of the most popular ways in sports—and life in general—to stop a slump, superstition. After an abyssmal start to the 2022 season, the manager has now shaved his beard. Cora originally had a salt-and-pepper beard before he cleaned it off.
Alex Cora’s beard is officially gone https://t.co/cx2t7VlINP
"Alex Cora’s beard is officially gone" - @ Christopher Smith
The Red Sox were on a five-game losing skid and were already in last place in the American League East after the Baltimore Orioles overtook them. It seems to have worked though, as the Red Sox snapped the losing streak against the Atlanta Braves with a score of 9-4.
“If we win 10 in a row, it's on me because I should have recognized that before,” Cora said.
In the game against the Braves, Cora mixed things up as he placed Trevor Story in the sixth spot of the batting lineup, J.D. Martinez in third, and Xander Bogaerts in fourth. Cora has stated that he's just experimenting and seeing if things will work out for the better. Some Boston fans, however, want to lean more on the supersitious side.
ALEX CORA BETTER NEVER GROW A DAMN HAIR ON HIS FACE AGAIN!
#RedSox | #DirtyWater
"ALEX CORA BETTER NEVER GROW A DAMN HAIR ON HIS FACE AGAIN! #RedSox | #DirtyWater" - @ Tyler Milliken
Whatever the case may be, the Red Sox need to turn things around fast. They are lagging way behind in the division so far, as the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays are making strides this season.
Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox so far
Cora and the Boston Red Sox are in need of a lifeline. After a superb showing in the 2021 MLB season that saw them get all the way to the American League Championship Series, the team floundered during the early stages of the campaign.
The Boston Red Sox pitching crew has been underwhelming, especially with the absence of ace Chris Sale. They are in the bottom half of the league when it comes to team pitching stats and have surrendered 32 homers already, the sixth-most in the league.
Their batting lineup isn't faring well either. They're batting just .230 with only 103 runs batted in so far. Add to that the .284 OBP which illustrates how the Red Sox have mightily struggled on offense. Outside of Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and J.D. Martinez, they've failed to find a way to generate firepower.