When Tony La Russa speaks about importance of fast starts, Alex Cora listens

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- When you’re a first-time manager and you have access to someone who managed more than 5,000 games in the big leagues and won three World Series, it only makes sense to take advantage of that wisdom.

So, when Tony La Russa speaks, Alex Cora listens. And when La Russa pointed out that in order to have a good start to the regular season, it’s essential to have a good spring training, Cora took immediate note.

La Russa knows of what he speaks. Across 32 seasons in Chicago, Oakland and St. Louis, La Russa’s teams won at a .553 clip in the first month of the season, improving on his overall career winning percentage of .535. In those 32 seasons, his clubs had a winning record in 21 Aprils and played .500 in another, giving his teams a head-start on the competition.

The results may be reaped in April, but they begin with an emphasis on fundamentals in February and March. That’s a message he’s stressing to Cora.

“It all starts in camp,’’ La Russa told BostonSportsJournal.com, while keeping an eye on the Red Sox from a suite during Tuesday's 6-1 loss to the Cardinals. “You have some organizations that just roll the balls out. They figure they have talent. But everything that’s fundamental to the execution … there’s an old adage that, ‘If it isn’t ready by Opening Day, it’s not going to get ready.’ You can’t do it like they do in the minor leagues and bring guys out at 10 o’clock in the morning.

“Like John Madden says, you’ve got to start at zero every year. You start with the ABC’s – pitchers covering first, all of that. If it doesn’t get done here, it doesn’t get done.’’

A key is a well-organized camp. For Cora, that’s in the hands of bench coach Ron Roenicke, who has run spring training for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels in the past.

“You have to organize a camp that emphasizes the basics,’’ said La Russa. “(You need) quality practice opportunities, quality repetition, time with the coaches. There needs to be a certain pace to the camp. If you play one day in really hot weather or have a tough travel day, then the next day, you back off.

“The camp is absolutely critical to being ready Opening Day. And then the idea is that on Opening Day, you improve again. Well, improve on what? On what you’ve been taught. But you’ve got to have that good foundation.’’

The key, according to La Russa, is to personalize the instruction so that specific weaknesses are recognized and corrected.

“Say today, that Mookie (Betts) doesn’t break well to his right,’’ said La Russa. “You make a note. Suppose Jackie (Bradley Jr.) doesn’t come in on a ball well. Whatever it is, you make a note and the next day, you may be planning to work on balls in the sun. But you make sure that Jackie and Mookie get ‘tweaked.’ You personalize it.’’

With the need for instruction and time to work on fundamentals, time management becomes imperative. It’s hard to find that time in Florida, where long bus rides to road games can easily eat up four hours of travel daily.

This week, for instance, the Red Sox had a split-squad doubleheader Tuesday, followed by games on the east coast of Florida Thursday and Friday. As a result, Cora plans to have an extended workout Saturday morning to make up for the lost time.

“If you understand the importance of it and you understand that (instruction) is a priority,’’ said La Russa, “then you work out a solution. It really isn’t that tough. But some people don’t understand the importance of (practice time).’’

According to La Russa, it’s imperative to adjust to the long nature of spring training, which can last nearly seven weeks.

“When you think about it,’’ he said, “when the players first get here, there’s a lot of energy. And then, after they’ve been here for two or three weeks, the end isn’t in sight. That’s when you do some walkthroughs, have them come in a little later, and show some variation. And in the end, with Opening Day eight or nine days away, it’s time to go to work.’’