DETROIT -- Red Sox manager Alex Cora is never too young to have fun with his older brother Joey’s birthday.
Joey, the third-base coach for the Tigers, celebrated his 60th birthday on Wednesday, the finale of a three-game series against Alex and the Red Sox.
For the younger Cora brother, the opportunity was too good to pass up. And that’s why there was a clown that roamed the field during batting practice, complete with a tiger puppet and balloon animals.
Alex is definitely the more fun-loving of the Cora brothers. Joey, one of the most respected coaches in the game, carries an all-business attitude.
“We had a cake, we had clowns, we had balloons,” said Alex. “He’s only 60. I want to make it as fun as possible that he’s so mad at me tonight that he doesn't do his job at third base.”
When did Alex come up with the idea to hire a clown?
“Actually, the idea came late last night,” Alex said. “It’s fun. The fact that I'm here for his birthday, it means a lot to be around him. He's my mentor. That’s the bottom line. I looked up to him, and for him to be happy, and doing an outstanding job with that team, it makes me proud. And obviously it’s a big day for us.”
The Tigers helped facilitate the clown.
“They helped us out,” Alex said. “She works here.”
All kidding aside, the respect that Alex has for Joey is something he’s never been shy about expressing.
“At one point, a lot of people thought he was gonna be a big league manager, and it didn't happen for X or Y reason,” said Alex. “He was always with Ozzie [Guillen] in Chicago and Miami, and then he went through the grind of the Minor Leagues, and worked with Buck [Showalter], which was great.”
When Tigers manager A.J. Hinch needed a new third-base coach, he called Alex, his former bench coach with the 2017 Astros, for a reference on Joey.
“A.J. asked me about him. I said, ‘You know what? You should talk to him, and you decide what you’re gonna do.’ [Joey] has been great for [A.J.]. He’s just a different mind the way he sees the game,” said Alex.