Back in January, Major League Baseball completed its investigation into the Astros’ cheating scheme in 2017. The league suspended GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch each for one year, fined the team $5 million, and rescinded the club’s first- and second-round draft picks in both 2020 and ’21.
Alex Cora was the bench coach for the Astros in 2017 then landed a managerial job with the Red Sox in 2018, winning another championship. Those Red Sox, too, were the subject of a separate Major League Baseball investigation into cheating.
Cora spoke to ESPN’s Marly Rivera, making his first public comments since the investigation. Cora insists that, despite the framing of the scandal, the Astros’ cheating “was not a two-man show.” He added, “We all did it. And let me be very clear that I am not denying my responsibility, because we were all responsible.” Cora specifically named Luhnow as someone “singling me out … as if I were the sole mastermind.” Cora said, “We made a mistake and I must pay for the consequences of my actions.”
At least someone involved with the cheating is accepting a modicum of accountability.
Some members of the 2017 Astros, and even owner Jim Crane, went out of their way to deny any knowledge or involvement during this process.