Cora insists Astros' sign-stealing scheme wasn't a '2-man show'

Former Boston Red Sox manager and Houston Astros coach Alex Cora objects to the narrative that he and Carlos Beltran were mainly responsible for leading Houston's illegal sign-stealing scheme in 2017.

Cora was suspended for one year after a Major League Baseball investigation determined that he played a central role in the Astros' illegal sign-stealing scheme during their World Series-winning campaign.

"Out of this whole process, if there is one thing that I completely reject and disagree with, (it's) people within the Astros organization singling me out, particularly (ex-general manager) Jeff Luhnow, as if I were the sole mastermind," Cora recently told ESPN's Marly Rivera. "The commissioner's report sort of explained, in its own way, what happened. But the guys (Astros players) have spoken up and refuted any allegations that I was solely responsible."

Cora added: "If there is one thing I am absolutely sure of, it is that it was not a two-man show. We all did it. And let me be very clear that I am not denying my responsibility, because we were all responsible."

The Red Sox were investigated for using similar illegal sign-stealing tactics in 2018, the year that Cora managed them to a World Series title.

Red Sox video room operator J.T Watkins was suspended and Boston forfeited its second-round selection in the 2020 draft. Cora was not punished, as the investigation determined the Red Sox video room was used without the manager's knowledge.

Cora is eligible to manage again in 2021, but the 44-year-old said returning to baseball isn't on his mind at the moment.

"Right now, all I care about is my personal life and my family. This has not been an easy time for us, and it's my fault," he said. "Do I want to return the game? Absolutely. That's why I worked so hard for so many years before being named Red Sox manager. But right now, all of that is secondary. My focus is on much more important things."