Alex Cora joins a list of previously successful Red Sox managers who have been let go during a season.

Relieving a manager can energize a team to post-season success, or it can demotivate them and lead to many years of meandering. What does history show?

Dick Williams after a successful World Series run in 1967 was fired in 1969 with a record of 82-71 with the Red Sox ending in 3^rd place. It took 8 years before the Red Sox again appeared in the post-season in 1975.

Darrell Johnson, who managed the Red Sox to the epic 7 game 1975 World Series loss, was fired in the middle of the next season with a 41-45 record. The Red Sox would go 11 years and through 3 other managers before returning to the post season in 1986.

Despite taking the Red Sox to a Game 7 in the 1986 World Series, John McNamara was dismissed mid-season in 1988 with a record of 43-42. The Red Sox won the AL East after his departure that year.

Tapped as temporary manager, 3^rd base coach “Turnpike Joe” Morgan went 46-31 the rest of 1988 to take the Red Sox to the ALCS and again in 1990. However, the Red Sox were swept 4 straight by the Oakland A’s in both years. After a 2^nd place finish in 1991, Morgan was fired with one year left on his contract and succeeded by Butch Hobson who was not successful with 3 consecutive sub-.500 seasons.

The Red Sox did not see the post season again until 4 years later in 1995, when Kevin Kennedy replaced Hobson.

Kennedy was replaced himself after failing to reach the post season in the following year. Jimy Williams came next and took the Sox to the 1998 ALDS and 1999 ALCS but was fired in 2001 with a 65-53 record, 2 games out of the wild card and 5 games behind the division leading Yankees.

Replaced by pitching coach, Joe Kerrigan, the Sox plummeted losing 26 of 43 and ended the season 13.5 games behind the Yankees and 20.5 games out of the Wildcard, missing the postseason.

Grady Little came next and went to the 2003 ALCS, losing to the Yankees. His decision to leave Pedro Martinez in the game after throwing 100 pitches and leading 5-2 in the 8th inning of Game 6 was heavily criticized and contributed to his contract not being renewed.

Finally, with their 6th manager since 1992, the Red Sox won the World Series under Terry Francona in 2004.

Francona won a second World Series in 2007 and had two more post-season runs, but in 2011, after  the  Red Sox lost a playoff spot on the final day of the season, Francona’s option was not exercised and he ended his Red Sox tenure. The Red Sox missed the post season in the following year but won the World Series in 2013 under John Farrell.

Farrell himself was dismissed after two consecutive ALDS losses to the Houston Astros in 2016 and  2017. Alex Cora then in his first year wins the World Series in 2018, and seemed to be the toast of the town.

Now after a 10-17 start in 2026, Alex Cora has ended his Red Sox manager tenure, and Worchester Red Sox manager, Chad Tracy takes the reins.

Will The Red Sox respond to their new manager and rise in the standings or will it take more than a new manager to win post-season laurels?