BOSTON -- On an emotional day at Fenway Park, Red Sox manager Alex Cora took a moment to pay tribute to retiring NESN color analyst Dennis Eckersley.
“The guy, he has passion about this,” Cora said before Wednesday’s game. “That’s not an easy job. I know it for a fact. You have to prepare kind of the same way you prepare as a manager. He’s on point. He’s very passionate about it. It’s black and white with him. There’s no gray areas. He’ll let you know how it goes.
“I remember watching games during the playoffs, in ‘18, I think he did. I was like, ‘This guy gets it.’ He’s a Hall of Famer as a player so he understands how it goes,” Cora continued. “Sometimes, people don’t agree with him. Most of the time, they do. At the end, he’s a guy who has been great for the organization and great for TV. Now that he finally is going to give up this and give to his family, it means a lot.”
Eckersley announced in August that he would retire at the end of the year. He plans to move to California to spend more time with his children and grandchildren. Eckersley plans to watch the Red Sox from afar and make occasional trips to Fenway Park as a visitor. Cora’s hoping he’ll make a special one in late October 2023.
“I wish him nothing but the best,” Cora said. “Hopefully, we can see him on the west coast a few times next year. Like I told him last night, I said, ‘Hopefully, next year you’ll be throwing the first pitch of the World Series.’”
Ad Choices