I’ve promised no more Alex Cora criticism until Opening Day, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t offer up this space if Alex Cora responded to criticism.

In this LoHud.com report, he does. And to his credit, for a guy reputed as an old-school, hard-nosed grit machine, he doesn’t entirely dismiss the “statistical analysis”:

“People are talking about age and that I’ve slowed down defensively,” Cora said. “There is some statistical analysis out there that says I am losing my range. I will just try to work on a few things, but if that’s something I can improve, I will just keep working on it.

“Let’s put it this way: I have been in the big leagues for 12 years and it’s not because I hit .300.”