El Profe: The Comfort of Home

A 162-game season is made longer by longing.

Longing to know how parents, siblings and other relatives are doing back home.

When the Houston Astros made history this year, winning their first World Series, Álex Cora played an important role. The bench coach for manager A.J. Hinch, Cora was hands-on throughout all of 2017. From running spring training camp in the Astros’ new complex in West Palm Beach to observing every little detail that could give his team an advantage, he was present and in control.

But there were certain things he had a harder time navigating over the course of September and October.

The longing.

No, not the one about winning it all. He and the Astros had control over their destiny in that regard. And they realized their goal Nov. 1 at Dodger Stadium.

Rather, it was the longing for home. Of longing to know that things in Puerto Rico were okay.

Like many other Puerto Ricans, Álex Cora had to deal with the feeling of being out of reach. Of not really being able to make things better. Of not being able to talk readily with family. Gone was what we have all gotten accustomed to — instant communication. The ability to pick up the phone and know that mami and papi would be able to answer: “Estamos bien, todo está bien.” (We are fine, all is well.)

That is why Cora was anxious to get home to Puerto Rico. After the celebratory champagne had flowed. After the parades and the parties had ended. And, in this of all years, after the managerial interviews had been conducted.

There was still that longing.

Switching Hats

Major League Baseball’s winter meetings are fascinating in person, especially if you are not a job-seeker. The arteries of the hotels are congested with baseball movers and shakers, both real and aspiring. Everyone is looking for someone.

People are noticed by their presence — and by their absence. Just ask Derek Jeter.

The comings and goings of managers, general managers and players are their own precious currency. Media are everywhere angling for a scoop, trying to land a precious few minutes of time with a team official, manager or insider.

For Álex Cora, the hubbub offered kind of a return to normalcy.

He had just returned from his native island with a renewed sense of purpose and relief.

Next season, trying to guide the Red Sox to another World Series will be a challenge, but not one as grave as what many in Puerto Rico are facing. Nonetheless, he could rest more comfortably after spending time in Puerto Rico. His family was safe, as he assured the media that gathered for his press conference on Tuesday afternoon in Orlando.

A week in Puerto Rico had enabled him to switch hats, from new Red Sox manager to concerned son and father. He was able to spend time with his parents and sister, to look after their homes and his own on the island.

The longing was satiated.

“To go home, and sit with family, see the kids, my daughter and everything, kind of like finally, uffff (exhale). It was crazy from mid-September all the way to a week ago,” he said.

Being able to see his parents, visit relatives and spend time with his children, to see his Puerto Rican family regain some semblance of normalcy, gave Cora great relief.

Proud Puerto Ricans

Traveling the island with his family, Cora began to more fully appreciate what his new position with the Red Sox meant to his countrymen.

He received congratulations wherever he went. In the midst of the devastation and continuing humanitarian crisis across large swaths of the island, people found hope and inspiration in Cora, one of their own, being given the helm of a storied major league team.

“You drive around, you eat, you go with your family, and to have strangers come up to you and tell you how proud we are. Usually your parents, close ones, they tell you how proud they are. But strangers? This is a big deal back home, it is,” he said. “I’m glad that I can bring joy to the island.”

Puerto Ricans need such hope. A week on the island permitted Cora to more fully appreciate the significance so many have attached to his accomplishment. It is a sentiment shared by Puerto Ricans, whether they reside on or off the island.

Walking through the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort during the meetings, I spotted Cora seated in a hallway chair. He was catching a moment of solitude — a rarity for managers and front office personnel during this week.

Yet, even this diehard Yankees fan couldn’t help it. I had to switch hats from media to fellow Puerto Rican before making my approach.

I’m not going to ask for an interview or any questions, I said, there will time for that at the presser tomorrow. I just wanted to say as a fellow boricua, congratulations on your new job. We are proud of you.

Cora smiled. “Thank you.”

And returned to his quiet place. Such moments will be rare in the coming season. But at least he had enjoyed the comfort of home, and in knowing that his family was okay. After three months, he could finally stop longing.

Featured Image: Billie Weiss / Boston Red Sox / Getty Images Sport