Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen recently shared a story about a moment that solidified his respect for manager Alex Cora. Cora, recognizing the sensitivity of having former Los Angeles Dodgers players Jansen, Kiké Hernandez, and Justin Turner on his team, addressed the 2017 World Series controversy head-on.

The 2017 World Series, in which Cora served as the Houston Astros' bench coach, remains a contentious topic due to the Astros' sign-stealing scandal. Cora, now managing the Red Sox, took responsibility for his part in the Astros' actions in a meeting with his three former Dodgers players. Jansen, Hernandez, and Turner were all members of the Dodgers team that lost to the Astros in that controversial series.

Jansen described the impact of Cora's apology to WEEI.com: "I just felt like I wanted to cry at that moment...It just felt like a weight came off, for him to step up and say we messed up as a whole group." Jansen recalled feeling that 2017 was his best season, dominating throughout the regular season and playoffs, with the Astros being the only team to effectively challenge him. He now believes their success was tainted by their cheating.

Jansen expressed his deep appreciation for Cora's accountability: "It’s over with, and you can’t change stuff, but what we can do is appreciate when someone steps up and comes forward and be accountable for what they did. … I will respect AC forever for that, and I will appreciate him forever for that."

While the Dodgers were favored to win the 2017 World Series, the Astros ultimately prevailed. Jansen, a key contributor to the Dodgers' success that year with 41 saves, later learned about the Astros' illicit activities. He admitted to having moved past the scandal by 2021, after it came to light in 2020.

Jansen emphasized his forgiveness for Cora: "Why should I be mad? If you tell me you don’t make mistakes, who are you? We all make mistakes in this world. We learn from it and get better and, for him, he learned from it and got better. I learned from it also, too. You have to forgive, and I forgive him for that. I appreciate him, and I love him for that. We can move on." Justin Turner also expressed his appreciation for Cora's apology, stating, "I’m glad you did this…It was good to hear and good to wipe our hands clean and move forward."