Alex Cora praises Jarren Duran, says opening up about suicide attempt will "save lives"
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora spent the bulk of his Monday press conference praising Jarren Duran, but it wasn't for anything the outfielder has done on the field. Cora applauded Duran for opening up about his 2022 suicide attempt in a new Netflix documentary series on the Red Sox, saying it will help a lot of people and save lives.
In the fourth episode of The Clubhouse: A year with the Red Sox titled "Still Allive," Duran discussed his struggles during the 2022 season and recounted a moment when he attempted to take his own life.
"It was a pretty low time for me. Like, I didn't even wanna be here any more," Duran said in the episode, via an early review of the Netflix series by The Boston Globe. "I got to the point where I was sitting in my room; I had my rifle and I had a bullet and I pulled the trigger and the gun clicked but nothing happened."
All eight episodes of the series were released Tuesday.
Alex Cora praises Jarren Duran
Cora spoke with reporters Monday at Fenway Park ahead of the Red Sox opening a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, and had nothing but adulation for Duran. Cora said he was aware of Duran's suicide attempt and knew it was a focus in the Netflix series. The manager believes it will do a lot of good for those battling with their own mental health struggles.
"Obviously I was aware of it," said Cora. "And since I learned about it, me as a person, I've given him support, love and just somebody that he can talk to. You know, that door is always open, and the relationship has grown throughout the years.
"Obviously, a lot of private conversations about the subject. I truly believe that him opening up is going to help a lot of people. It takes a person with courage and being transparent and genuine to do that, and I hope that's how we see it, right? And he will impact others, and he's gonna save lives with what he did in Netflix," said Cora.
Cora did not want to share any details about his own talks with Duran during the 2022 season or when he found out about Duran's attempt to take his own life. He said the support from the franchise has been incredible, and the support around the league has grown since his own playing days.
"Sometimes players feel like the mental skills and that structure that we have; you know, they work for the organization. No, they actually work for you," explained Cora. "They're here for you and I lived it in the past with players. I used them whenever I needed to, you know? And I think it's something that is a tool and a department that is needed in every professional team, every company, it's needed.
"We live in a tough world. We do," continued Cora. "The pressure to perform at this level is unique. Nobody knows what a professional athlete has to go through. And we lived it through Jarren, right? Throughout his career, we've seen part of the stuff, right? And I'm glad that I work for the Boston Red Sox, and we take this very seriously. The people that have worked with our players, our personnel, people in the front office -- they're amazing people and they mean a lot to us. They take [our players] to the next level. Without them, it would be hard to perform."
Duran is set to speak with reporters at Fenway Park on Tuesday afternoon.
Mental health resources
If you need help with depression, suicide prevention, substance abuse or other issues, there are several resources available here.
You can also call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can have a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor anytime.
