Joey Cora MLB Hiring

[FirebreathingMonkey]

One of my all-time favorites.

Joey Cora: MLB hiring system unfair to Hispanic candidates

Former major leaguer Joey Cora, who is currently a manager in Double-A and who aspires to manage in the big leagues, thinks that Major League Baseball's hiring system for managerial openings is unfair to Hispanic candidates.

The lack of minority managers in MLB has always been a concern, but the Braves' firing of Fredi Gonzalez has brought the issue to the forefront again.


During an interview Friday with ESPN's Max y Marly, Cora discussed the lack of Hispanic managers in the majors, saying that qualified Hispanic candidates simply need a chance.

The Atlanta Braves became the first team to make a managerial change this season Tuesday when they fired Fredi Gonzalez, who was the only Hispanic manager in the major leagues.

"When you have a ... Sandy Alomar, Alex Cora, Eduardo Perez, Dave Martinez, a bunch of guys -- and I'm going to include myself -- I have been in the big leagues," Joey Cora said Friday. "I coached in the big leagues, I've managed in the big leagues a few games because someone got thrown out. I've been a bench coach too.

"Some of the guys tell us we have to go through the minor league system to get experience. I don't think that is fair. All they have to do is give us a chance -- the same chance you'd give anybody else. It is not because we are Latinos. Our resumes speak for itself."

Cora, 50, is in his first season as the manager for the Altoona Curve, the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also was a manager in the New York Mets' minor league system in 2001 and 2002, and he managed the Montreal Expos' Single-A affiliate in 2003.

Cora also worked as a bench coach under manager Ozzie Guillen with the Chicago White Sox and the Miami Marlins. He was a serious candidate for the Seattle Mariners' managerial vacancy after the 2008 season, but the team ultimately hired Don Wakamatsu.

Gonzalez, who was fired after getting off to a 9-28 start this season with Atlanta, told ESPN earlier this week that he thinks there are "a lot of qualified Latin American coaches out there" who deserve a chance to manage in the majors.

But Cora pondered Friday whether Hispanics should also strive for front-office positions rather than solely focus on managerial openings.

"Maybe us as Latinos are going at it the wrong way," Cora said. "We are looking at being a manager as the thing. But it shouldn't be that way. I think we've got to go higher than that. We have got to get into positions of power -- [general manager], director of minor league systems, assistant GMs.

"Our aim has to be higher than only being manager. If we get to be GMs, assistant GMs or directors of minor league systems, then we can make the hires. We can make the decisions. We have to be in the decision-making positions to make hires. It might be our fault that we only aim to be managers and that shouldn't be it. It should be higher than that."

Cora played parts of 11 seasons in the majors, including four with the White Sox and four with the Mariners. He was a .277 career hitter and was an American League All-Star in 1997, when the Mariners reached the ALCS.

 

[wazzu31]

So is there a how it is unfair or just a complaint about the ratio like the NFL. Instead of trying to be a bench coach he should've tried being a minor league manager.

 

[NWinAZ]

I think Ozzie Guillen set them all back a decade.

 

[wazzu31]

I think Ozzie Guillen set them all back a decade.

I don't even think that, Edgar was 20 times the player Joey was an would deserve a managers job over him but I don't think he is ready to manage. Seems most Latin players are content with position coaches instead of doing what most managers do which is gain experience in the minors. Being a bench coach doesn't mean squat. McLaren was a bench for what 2 decades and shat the bed when given his opportunity.

 

[NWinAZ]

I could be 100% off base on this, but my belief is that GM's (under the thumb of owners) feel that foreign born (mainly Spanish speaking former players) potential managers don't communicate well enough as the face of a franchise and that is why they are not hired. They can communicate with the players since a high majority are Spanish speaking, but the Ozzie affect when they deal with the media and fans can sometimes bite them. They use limited words which sometimes comes off as blunt and cold when it is just a language deficiency. My mom is 100% Italian born and raised who had to leave school after the 6th grade do to a little thing known as WW2 so she had to learn English as she went. Her saying something simple to you could sound cold if you didn't know her language issues.

I truly believe it is about public perception in the eyes of ownership.