Alex Cora and the Red Sox are bringing the 2018 World Series trophy to Puerto Rico today to celebrate the championship in Cora's hometown of Caguas, located about 16 miles south of San Juan.
A number of team officials, coaches and players will join Cora on the trip, including chairman Tom Werner, president and CEO Sam Kennedy, assistant hitting coach Andy Barkett, first-base coach Tom Goodwin, advance scouting/statistical analysis coach Ramon Vazquez, infielder/outfielder Brock Holt, catcher Sandy Leon, pitchers David Price and Eduardo Rodriguez and catcher Christian Vazquez.
"It should be fun," Cora said. "They're expecting a lot of people. Treat these guys with a lot of food and beverages and just show the people from back home that they're part of it. So it should be a cool day. To be able to wear shorts and T-shirts again, yeah, that'll be great."
Caguas mayor William Miranda Torres will be on hand to escort the Red Sox contingent and the trophy to the town.
This marks the Red Sox's second trip to Puerto Rico this year. Cora led a relief effort in January to deliver nearly 10 tons of supplies to the island, which is still recovering in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in September 2017.
JetBlue sponsored the first trip and is again partnering with the Red Sox this weekend. The airline is providing a Red Sox-themed plane and donating $1 to a charity of Cora's choosing for every passenger that travels aboard the Red Sox plane in November.
Cora led the Red Sox to their best season ever -- 119 wins in the regular season and postseason combined -- and a title in his first year at the helm, becoming just the fifth rookie manager to win a World Series and the first since the D-backs' Bob Brenly in 2001. He's also the first Puerto Rican manager to win a championship and only the second Latino, joining Venezuelan Ozzie Guillen, who won with the White Sox in 2005.