Alex Cora stresses personal side in taking Red Sox reins

In real estate, it’s all about location, location, location.

In baseball, according to Alex Cora, managing is about relationships, relationships, relationships.

As Cora was introduced Monday as the 47th manager of the Red Sox on Monday, he stressed the importance, the value, indeed the utter necessity of building strong relationships with his players.

“We’re going to connect with players, be genuine and be accessible,’’ vowed Cora while speaking of the approach he and his coaching staff will take. “That’s the most important thing. This year, I learned that talking to players is not bad, having a good relationship with players is not bad.  Doing that, you’re going to get the best out of them.

“People may think that crossing that line is not helpful. But I see it the other way around. And I lived it. You embrace them, tell them how good they are and when you have to twist their arm and tell them, ‘That’s not good enough,’ they’re going to respond to you. That’s my goal here – I want players to respond to me.’’

Some managers – especially former big leaguers or those who recently served as major league coaches, as Cora did – find that making the transition to being an authority figure is a difficult one and that some distance needs to be observed. A manager can’t be friends with his players and being too close to players, some believe, can be injurious to your employment health.

But Cora doesn’t subscribe to that theory.

“Too close to players? That doesn’t exist,’’ he said. “At the end of the day, you’re dealing with people.’’

As if to illustrate his point, Cora noted that he has known and been good friends with veteran Houston DH Carlos Beltran for some 25 years. They played against one another in high school in Puerto Rico, competed in winter ball, and were teammates for a time with the Mets.

But during this past season, the 40-year-old Beltran saw his numbers decline and his playing time lessen. Cora had to navigate a tricky dynamic with his longtime friend, and was able to do so because of the relationship of trust that had been built.

“I had to honest with him and we talked and we were still close,’’ recounted Cora.

And while Cora didn’t mean to make his communication and building relationships as a priority come off as a criticism of what took place last season under John Farrell, it did signal as something of a corrective course.

The Sox clubhouse seemed to be a joyless place at times in 2017 – that is, when it wasn’t borderline dysfunctional with David Price leading an insurrection against broadcaster Dennis Eckersley and Dustin Pedroia seemingly distancing himself from staff and teammates following the on-field dust-up with Manny Machado.

Moreover, some players – including Xander Bogaerts — reportedly felt disconnected from Farrell as the 2017 season progressed and challenges arose.

Toward that end, Cora has already reached out to a handful of players, including Price.

“I touched base with them, told them I was excited to be here,’’ said Cora. “Obviously, throughout the off-season, I’m going to talk to a lot of them and probably visit some of them. I’m looking forward to it. I know some of them. I don’t know most of them. But before I get to Fort Myers, I want to have a feeling for what they’re all about and obviously, I want them to understand what I’m all about.’’

The game has become increasingly more complicated. There are reams of data with which to deal, plus more coaches and more input from front office personnel. There are discussions about spin rates, launch angles, and defensive shifting.

But there’s a personal dynamic that shouldn’t be overlooked, according to Cora.

“They’re human beings man,’’ he said. “You’ve got to talk to them. You got to see how they feel. I’m going to encourage my coaching staff to get close to players. You have a good relationship and then they understand (when you’re critical), ‘Hey, he’s not doing it just to get on me; he’s doing it because he wants me to get better.’

“That’s what happened over there (in Houston) and I’m going bring over here.’’