The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today that Joey Cora has been relieved of his duties as Major League Third Base Coach. The announcement was made by General Manager Ben Cherington.

“We would like to thank Joey for his passion for the job and his commitment in continuously helping our players grow as big leaguers,” said Cherington. “Even though this was a difficult decision, we wanted to make it now out of respect for Joey so that it allows him to immediately be able to pursue other opportunities. We wish Joey nothing but the best moving forward.”

“Joey Cora is a great baseball man whose love for the game and passion for the job was obvious every day that he represented the Pittsburgh Pirates,” said Pirates Manager Derek Shelton. “I want to thank him for his commitment to the organization along with all the time and dedication that he gave to our players.”