McAdam: In tragedy, Red Sox unite to support one of their own

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Alex Cora loves being at the ballpark. It's his office, his refuge, his second home.

Sometimes in spring training, Cora arrives before the sun comes up. And by the time he leaves, it's near dark.

But Wednesday wasn't one of those days. As he watched a split-squad version of his Red Sox come up a run shy in a 5-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, Cora wanted to be anywhere but the ballpark.

"Can't wait to go home,'' he said. "The whole day, I just (wanted) to go home. That's the first time I've felt (like that).''

Cora's sudden aversion to jetBlue Park was understandable. Shortly after 9 a.m., Cora had to, for the second time in a week, address the team about a death in their baseball family. Last week, it was the sudden passing of Boston Globe baseball columnist Nick Cafardo. On Wednesday, it was 23-year-old Romell Jordan, the younger, adopted brother of catcher Blake Swihart, who died unexpectedly.

It was all too much.



"There was no energy,'' Cora said. "We just showed up today. And I'm not complaining, because I was the same way. I just told Dave (Dombrowski), 'We've got to go home and get some rest.' It was a tough one.''

When the Red Sox emerged from their meeting with Cora to stretch and begin pre-game drills, they had somber looks. The usual chatter and enthusiasm was absent.

There had been a death in the family. Their baseball family.

"He's a good kid, from a great family,'' said Cora of Swihart. "He's very well-liked in the clubhouse, a great teammate.

"We talked about it today in the coach's meeting: Last year, if he wanted to, he could have shut it down (and said), 'They're not going to use me, so why work? I show up here, I have no (remaining) options. Either they trade me or whatever.' But he was the total opposite.''

Beyond the respect for Swihart, there was the shared heartbreak.

"He's like a brother to me,'' said Mookie Betts. "He's been with me since the first day we stepped into the Red Sox organization. So I'm there for him, I'm praying for him. It's a tough time to get through. We're family here, and we're doing what we can to make him as comfortable as (he can be). Obviously, it's tough. It's going to take (some) time, but as a unit here, we're doing what we can to make sure he's OK.''

Real life interjected itself into the Red Sox world this past week. But they also understand other franchises have faced similar -- or worse -- challenges.

"You start thinking about what the Marlins went through (a few years ago when pitcher Jose Fernandez died in a boating accident),'' marveled Cora. "I can't even imagine. That organization, they haven't bounced back from Jose. You start thinking about Cleveland back in the day (when two teammates died during spring training in the early 1990s). How?

"I've said it before, I said it last week -- you spend so much time away from your loved ones, that this group becomes your loved ones. I'm 43, but I feel like they're my kids. That's the way I see it.''

Amazingly, with arrangements back in his native New Mexico incomplete, Cora said Swihart intends to rejoin the Red Sox Thursday, and may even DH against the Washington Nationals.

"He feels like being around his teammates right now is good for him,'' said Cora of Swihart. "He feels like whenever he has to go (home), he'll go. But right now, he's here with his wife and around the guys. It's up to him; whatever he wants to do. I told him, 'If you want to play, play. If you don't want to play, it's OK.' He said, 'My brother would love me to show up and play,' so he might DH (Thursday). We'll see how it goes.''

There are no guidebooks for any of this, no right or wrong. So the Red Sox will allow Swihart to do what he wants and provide him with the necessary support.

"We'll be OK,'' vowed Cora. "We're together. Our condolences to the family, but we're here for their kid.''

Because they're a family. A baseball family.