With the recent firing of Atlanta Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez, major league baseball now has no Latino managers, prompting longtime veteran infielder Joey Cora to lament Hispanics simply aren't getting their fair shot.

"When you have a Sandy Alomar, Alex Cora, Edurado Perez, Dave Martinez, a bunch of guys, and I'm going to include myself," said Cora, currently managing at the Double A level in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. "I coached in the big leagues, I've managed in the big leagues a few games because someone got thrown out. I've been a bench coach too."

In Cora's mind, all his experience and so little to show for it adds up as proof of an unfair system that doesn't afford Latinos the same breaks it does some others.

Cora Just Wants a Chance

"Some of the guys tell us we have to go through the minor league system to get experience," he said. "I don't think that is fair. All they have to do is give us a chance. Our resumes speak for itself."

The 50-year-old Cora has also managed in the New York Mets and Montreal Expos minor league system. He also worked as a bench coach on the staffs of former Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen, as interview for the Seattle Mariners managerial vacancy in 2008.

"Maybe us as Latinos are going at it the wrong way," he said. "We are looking at being a manager as the thing. But it shouldn't be that way. I think we've got to go higher than that. We have got to get into positions of power -- [general manager], director of minor league systems, assistant GMs. Our aim has to be higher than only being manager."

Just a shade under 40 percent of all major league players identified as Latino on opening day this season, but only 13 percent of all general managers and less than 1 percent of owners and managers were considered to be people of color.

Latino Players Regularly Among Game's Biggest Stars

A recent Undefeated column also pointed out that 16 Latin-born players were named to last season's All-Star Game, far more than double the number (6) who have served as big league managers over the games 100-plus year history.

Before entering the game of managing, Cora played parts of 11 major league seasons, including four with the White Sox and four with the Mariners.

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