You can add Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora to the millions of Bad Bunny fans around the world.
Speaking with reporters Monday at his team’s spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla., Cora spoke about the Puerto Rican artist for more than five minutes before taking questions, praising the artist’s performance in the Super Bowl halftime show.
“I kid you not, I gotta be honest, this morning I watched it and there were tears,” Cora said. “Because wow, it was amazing.”
Like Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Cora was born and raised in Puerto Rico. The 50-year-old competed for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009. On Monday, Cora expressed how well Bad Bunny represents the island in his performances.
“The cool thing about him, and I give him credit because he’s developed into this icon, he’s true to his roots,” Cora said. “I’m a proud Puerto Rican. I defend my island whenever I have the chance and I talk about my island whenever I have the chance.”
Bad Bunny was praised by many for the technical elements of his performance and nods to Latin culture.
Cora was struck by those informed creative decisions, which included a child sleeping during the wedding party scene.
“That’s what we do,” Cora said. “We sleep during the party. And he woke him up, and I was like, oh s—, that’s cool.”
In the months leading up to the Super Bowl, some have criticized the NFL for selecting Bad Bunny as the halftime headliner due to his political views, including the artist’s outspoken stance against President Trump’s immigration policies. Cora said the dialogue around the singer is a sign that he is making a strong societal impact.
“He wasn’t afraid of showing people how we are living right now,” Cora said. “The guy’s a stud. When you have people tweeting about you, good or bad, people watch.”
Core noted that he was far from the only member of the Puerto Rican community who had high praise for the performance.
“Kudos to him,” Cora said. “So many people watched it. The feedback back home was amazing.”