Alex Cora
Jeremy: Midas Cora strikes again. Literally, no matter what button this guy pressed, it was the right one. It’s insane. The epitome of this was Game 1 of the World Series. All I can remember is me and my friends cackling maniacally as I half-heartedly called a home run by Nuñez only to see it actually happen. This is the greatest season any rookie manager has ever had, maybe for any manager period. Alex Cora deserves every bit of praise he got and every bit of the expectations that will be there for years to come.
Grade: A+
Jordan: I don’t know if there’s a grade high enough that does Alex Cora justice. Everything, and I mean everything he touched turned to gold. Even though Drew Pomeranz didn’t make an appearance in the World Series, having him warm up in I believe Game 4 actually kept Dave Roberts from going to a pinch-hitter in a particular situation. Who would’ve thought to go to Eduardo Nunez in the pinch against Alex Wood in Game 1, only to have Nunez hit a three-run homer? That’s the stuff I mean. Oh, and he won a franchise-record 108 games in the regular season, plus a World Series.
Grade: A+
Dave Dombrowski
Jeremy: Ty Buttrey? Who cares. Ian Kinsler. Nathan Eovaldi. Steve Pearce. I’m not quite sure how Dombrowski continues to work miracles, but that’s exactly what he did. All three players played pivotal roles in this championship team, and Dombrowski deserves high praise. Frankly, I don’t care how spent the farm system is. This is what the Sox brought him in to do; win a ring. This was his first since 1997, and he deserves it for the job he did by assembling this roster and bringing in Alex Cora.
Grade: A
Jordan: Jeremy alluded to three people in his little blurb about Dombrowski. All of which is correct. However, the 2018 success of Dave Dombrowski has a lot to do with how he handled business in a couple of years prior to 2018. Trading for Craig Kimbrel and Chris Sale, signing David Price, as well as deciding not to deal Jackie Bradley Jr. back when he first took over the decision-making in the summer of 2015, firing John Farrell after back-to-back Division titles. He’s been working miracles since he got to Boston, and I find it to be a bit concerning when he gets minimal credit for his efforts. He’s one of the best executives in the game, and he even has started drafting a lot better in recent years.
Grade: A
