Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora hasn't had a stress-free start to the 2026 season, that's for sure. It's not just the ordinary manager stuff that Cora is dealing with, like unexpected injuries or having to make tough lineup decisions.
No, Cora is also working underneath an uncomfortable cloud of fan rage whenever the Red Sox aren't performing up to standard, more so than he would be with pleny of other MLB clubs. Cora has himself admitted that this is good pressure, as it not only indicates that the Red Sox are a winning organization, but that the fans' passion is unmatched.
That being said, when you're off to the worst start in franchise history (as Cora was when the Red Sox were 2-8 on the season, before winning their next two), the "good" pressure doesn't feel anything but oppressive in the moment, and it can make Cora's job difficult.
While there are only a handful of human beings who know what it's like to be in Cora's shoes in Boston, luckily, Cora had the chance to speak recently with one of them: Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla recently spoke with Alex Cora during Red Sox's difficult start
Mazzulla is no stranger to being thrown under the bus by Boston fans and maybe even feeling like his job is at stake, even if you can't tell nowadays. Mazzulla is currently a favorite for NBA Coach of the Year, and he's already won a championship with the Celtics. But during Mazzulla's debut season in Boston, when he was thrust into the spotlight in the wake of Ime Udoka's infamous departure, Mazzulla suffered the slings and arrows of media bashing and overarching mistrust from the basketball public as he worked through his first season as an NBA head coach.
Plenty of Mazzulla supporters who now champion him as one of the league's best coaches once doubted him. The Ringer's Bill Simmons, for instance, used to mock Mazzulla by calling him "second row Joe" (referring to his assistant coach status) and has since acknowledged that he was wrong about Mazzulla.
Mazzulla has made his doubters look silly, but it's also clear that he was never too affected by the noise, in the first place. In appearing on the Zolak & Bertrand show on 98.5 The Sports Hub this week, Mazzulla hinted at some of the things he and Cora discussed.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla spoke with Alex Cora recently following the Red Sox' slow start.
— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) April 8, 2026
"I had a great talk about the mindset," Mazzulla said. "I think one of the best things he does is focus on what you can control." @ZoandBertrand pic.twitter.com/Msc55wwDzb
Alex Cora and Joe Mazzulla have given each other advice through the years
Cora reportedly opened up to Mazzulla about where the Red Sox were at to start the season, asking what Joe's own strategy was about staying the course during a tough stretch.
In relaying the conversation to Marc Bertrand on the radio show, Mazzulla acknowledged the importance of communicating with his fellow head coaches in Boston, suggesting that they are going through a similar experience in terms of the "expectation ... and responsibility to win" in the city.
"When you're in situations when you lose a couple, it's easy to focus on the things that you can't control," Mazzulla told Bertrand. "And I think one of the best things (Cora) does is focus on things he can control."
Mazzulla also revealed to Betrand that Cora helped Mazzulla during his first year or two at the helm of the Celtics. It's clear that his has become a mutually-beneficial friendship for both coaches. With Cora and Mazzulla in each other's corner, their respective teams can only benefit moving forward. It just so happens that the Red Sox are the squad in need of more help at the moment, and they've already begun to get back on track since Mazzulla provided his magic touch.