"This is absurd" - Fans furious by Red Sox manager being criticized for prioritizing daughter's graduation over 1 game

As the Boston Red Sox took on the New York Mets at Fenway Park on Monday, there was one noticeable absentee in the contest. Instead of the familiar presence of skipper Alex Cora in the dugout, bench coach Ramon Vazquez took charge of the team as the Red Sox went on to win 3-1.

As Cora later clarified, he was unable to attend the game because he was occupied with his daughter Camila's college graduation ceremony. Though many fans appeared to empathize with Cora, the Puerto Rican came under fire from Boston's local media, with many claiming that there was enough time for Alex Cora to make it in time for the game after attending the graduation ceremony earlier in the day.

Addressing those claims, Cora defended his decision, with NBC News also posting about the whole situation on X (formerly Twitter).

"(Camila) wanted me to be with her and it was her day so this is secondary...You know, we’re in this world for a purpose, right, and for me, it’s to raise her, try to do the best we can...I wasn’t going to miss it," the post quoted Cora.

In response, many fans left comments supporting Cora, ripping into those who called him out for missing a single game for his family.

"There are many baseball games and only one graduation. The fact that he has to defend this is absurd," a fan wrote.

"Why is this a story? He has no reason to defend himself," another fan posted

"Seriously? This is an issue? 🙄 Family always comes first," another fan replied

"He did the right thing by attending the graduation," another fan responded

"Good Lord, he shouldn’t have to defend himself. Anybody complaining about him missing a game needs to get a life," another fan shared

"He was were he should have been. This is a once in a lifetime experience and his daughter should always be more important than your job," another fan commented

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Alex Cora defends his decision of attending daughter's graduation instead of attending Red Sox ballgame

Speaking to NBC News, Alex Cora claimed everything else was 'secondary' on his daughter's big day. He also addressed the criticisms he faced for missing the game.

"People have their own opinions. I bet those people, they have families too. And at one point, they had to make decisions, too. And I bet they made decisions for the best of the family,” Cora added

Boston Red Sox v Cleveland Guardians - Game One - Source: Getty

So far this season, Alex Cora and the Red Sox have enjoyed a decent campaign, currently sitting third in the AL East as they hope to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2021.