Ten Trivia Gems: Joey Cora Edition

1. In Joey's 11 year career, he hit 30 HRs. He didn't hit any in his three seasons with the Pads; in fact, he didn't hit his first until his sixth season.
2. After a 1986 game in AA San Antonio, Cora got jumped by eleven guys
and was stabbed. According to Sandy Alomar, Jr., "The doctor told me if the stab was two inches lower, Joey's probably dead."
3. In 1997, Joey hit in 24 consecutive games. This is a record for American League switch hitters.
4. He was no stranger to hitting streaks; in 1989, he hit in 37 straight games for AAA Las Vegas.

5. Joey led the A.L. in sacrifice hits in 1993.
6. Best remembered with the White Sox and Mariners, he played the last month of his career with Cleveland. He went to Spring Training in 1999 with the Blue Jays but retired before the season began.
7. Joey wore numbers 4 and 5 with the Friars, 21 and 28 with the White Sox and kept 28 the rest of his career, wearing it with Seattle and Cleveland.
8. His best season was 1997. He was an All Star and posted career highs in most statistical categories. He hit exactly .300 with an OPS of exactly .800. It was his only season with an OPS+ over 100 (110).
9. In 402 plate appearances in 140 games spread out over three seasons with San Diego, Joey had 35 walks and 35 strikeouts.
10. My cat Cora is named after him. The day I got and named her, Joey's brother Alex was released by the Rangers about an hour later.

The Tony Gwynn Golden Jubilee #9 & 10 of 19

I followed the Mariners a bit during the 90s due to Joey Cora being there. I got pretty familiar with these two guys and I really think that Edgar should be in the Hall of Fame along with T. The other guy, though? Oh, hell no.

My Love For Joey Cora Knows No Bounds (Part I)

I’m always meaning to write something about Joey Cora on here but I have yet to actually do so. Maybe it’s because I feel like my stupid little words can’t do him justice; it’s certainly not for a lack of things to say. I don’t have that many cards of him as a Padre- mostly due to not that many existing- but enough to hammer out a few of my favorite Joey stories. But first, a little background…

As anybody who even kind of knows me knows, he is, without competition, my favorite player ever. I first took note of him when he was still a Padre; I pored over all Padres cards I pulled but took an instant liking to Joey, relating to his small stature, diminutive frame and virtual absence of anything even resembling power. At the time, my Friar fandom was confined to card collecting, box score reading and, when they played the Reds, radio listening so I never had an opportunity to see him in action until he’d been jettisoned, along with Warren Newsome, to the White Sox. He then officially became my favorite player as I got to witness him wring every last ounce of effort out of his tiny body, slapping singles, taking extra bases and diving for balls that mere mortals would let pass without a step. My love for him grew even more after he joined the Mariners…

Stay tuned for Part II tomorrow!