Red Sox Hold Emotional Spring Training Meeting

Video messages from players' families bring tears to players' eyes

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Boston Red Sox held their annual first full-squad workout meeting, which included a new and powerful element this year - video messages from the players' family members. The idea was spearheaded by Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who wanted to give the players a perspective on the sacrifices their families make during the long baseball season. The messages, which took two weeks to produce, resonated deeply with the players and staff, bringing many to tears.

Why it matters

This meeting represents an effort by the Red Sox organization to connect the players more deeply with their families and the personal toll the long baseball season can take. By hearing directly from spouses, children, and parents, the players were reminded of the support system behind them and the importance of maintaining those connections throughout the grind of the season.

The details

Red Sox president/CEO Sam Kennedy said the video messages from players' family members, including Cora's daughter Camila, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's daughter Livia, and hitting coach Pete Fatse's son Bryce, were "the stars of the show." Kennedy also singled out the message from Roman Anthony's parents as particularly impactful, with their words of gratitude, appreciation, and prayers for health.

  • The annual first full-squad workout meeting took place on Sunday, February 15, 2026.

The players

Alex Cora

The manager of the Boston Red Sox, who came up with the idea for the family video messages.

Sam Kennedy

The president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, who was impressed by the emotional impact of the meeting.

Roman Anthony

A Red Sox player whose parents participated in the video message presentation.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It's one of those [elements] that we take this for granted sometimes, and we don't put ourselves in their shoes, the sacrifices they make and the time they spend alone [during the season]. And how hard it is, this whole thing. So we kind of switched the whole script [to hear] it from their perspective, what it would take, what it would mean [for them for us] to win a World Series. And it was good. A lot of kids [spoke], there were a lot of good messages. I thought we nailed it. The message that I wanted to send, it was right on point.”

— Alex Cora, Manager (mlb.com)

“[Roman's] parents were great participants in today's meeting. Their message was one of gratitude, appreciation for his teammates. And prayers for health, which we all share.”

— Sam Kennedy, President/CEO (mlb.com)

“This was our 25th meeting, incredibly for [owner] John [Henry] and [chairman] Tom [Werner] and myself, and it's not recency bias, this one was the best one we've ever had. It was remarkable. John Carter pulled together an extraordinary message for the players from their own spouses and kids and moms and dads. And it was great. I've never seen tears in a Spring Training meeting coming out of the eyes of our players, but we got it this year for the first time ever. It was awesome to watch.”

— Sam Kennedy, President/CEO (mlb.com)

What’s next

The Red Sox hope the emotional meeting will set the tone for a successful 2026 season as they work towards their goal of winning the World Series.

The takeaway

The Red Sox's decision to incorporate personal video messages from players' families into their annual spring training meeting demonstrates the organization's commitment to supporting the players' work-life balance and recognizing the sacrifices their loved ones make during the long baseball season.