Bobby Cox, legendary Braves manager, dies at 84
He was not on the list.
Bobby Cox, who managed the Atlanta Braves to the 1995 World Series and was a four-time manager of the year, died on Saturday, the team announced.
“We are overcome with emotion on the passing of Bobby Cox, our treasured skipper,” the team wrote in a statement. “Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform. He led our team to 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and the unforgettable World Series title in 1995. His Braves managerial legacy will never be matched.
“Bobby was a favorite among all in the baseball community, especially those who played for him. His wealth of knowledge on player development and the intricacies of managing the game were rewarded with the sport's ultimate prize in 2014 — enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
"And while Bobby's passion for the game was unparalleled, his love of baseball was exceeded only by his love for his family. It is with the heaviest of hearts that we send our sincerest condolences to his beloved wife, Pam, and their loving children and grandchildren.”
Before his run as a Hall of Fame manager, Cox had a short playing career that saw him spend two seasons with the New York Yankees. He would get his start on the bench after his playing career ended in the Venezuelan Winter League. From there, he took on coaching and managing roles in the Yankees' system.
Cox would work his way up and onto Billy Martin's staff for
the 1977 season, which ended with the Yankees winning the World Series. That
offseason, he was hired as Braves manager, but was later fired following the
strike-affected 1981 MLB season. He would then join the Toronto Blue Jays and
help the franchise to its first winning record after going 89-73 in 1983 and
1984.
In 1985, Cox's final year in Toronto, he helped guide the team to a 99-win season and an AL East title.
Following the season, Cox resigned and returned to the Braves to become the team's general manager. Over parts of his five seasons in the role, the franchise was responsible for adding talent that would help build its powerhouse roster of the 1990s. Players such as John Smoltz, Steve Avery, Tom Glavine, Ron Gant and David Justice were brought in and Chipper Jones was selected first overall in 1990 MLB draft.
Three months into the 1990 season, Cox was back on the bench after firing manager Russ Nixon. He would remain as GM through the end of the season before naming John Schuerholz as his replacement.
Beginning in 1991, the Braves won the first of five National
League pennants under Cox. The team won a second straight pennant in 1992, but
it fell in the World Series both times. The breakthrough would finally come in
1995 when the team won the World Series over the Cleveland Indians.
The Braves would reach the World Series twice more under Cox in 1996 and 1999, but both times they lost to the Yankees. Cox would stay on as manager through the 2010 season, guiding the franchise to seven more playoff appearances.
Cox's managerial record ended with a 2,504-2,001 record with five pennants, one World Series championship and four Manager of the Year awards. He currently stands as the fourth-winningest manager in MLB history.
One unique record Cox holds is most times being ejected. Over his 4,508 games as a manager, he was thrown out 162 times, 41 more than John McGraw.
The Braves honored Cox in 2011 by inducting him into the
team's Hall of Fame and retiring his No. 6 jersey. Three years later,
Cooperstown came calling and he was elected by the Veterans Committee for
induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame's Class of 2014.
“We are overcome with emotion on the passing of Bobby Cox, our treasured skipper. Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform. He led our team to 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and the unforgettable World Series title in 1995. His Braves managerial legacy will never be matched.” — The Atlanta Braves
“I never wanted to go anywhere else; I wanted to play for Bobby.” — Hall of Fame pitcher and current Fox analyst John Smoltz
“I’m so sad today, but as I sit here watching my two
youngest boys play in their championship games on the day he passed, I can’t
help but shout the same things he did from the corner of the dugout. ‘Come on
kid, u got this!’ We are gonna miss him so much, but his legacy is forever
cemented with the success of this franchise for the last 35+ yrs.” — Hall of
Fame third baseman Chipper Jones on X
“So thankful for the chance to play for him. What can I say?
He saved my career. Hung in there with me during my early days and made the
decision to move me to the outfield. Changed my career/life forever.” — Former
Braves outfielder and two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy on X
“RIP my second father.” — Hall of Fame center fielder Andruw Jones, who won 10 Gold Gloves with Atlanta, on X ___
“I remember ’99 when we lost the World Series to the Yankees. I mean, to a man, everybody in the room felt like we let Bobby down. That’s how we felt. And that’s powerful, you know, and that doesn’t just happen in professional sports. But that just goes to show how guys felt about Bobby. We, to a man, we felt like we let him down.” — Braves manager Walt Weiss
“My favorite memory of Bobby is 2017 spring training.
Charlie was 6 months old. … To see Hall of Famer Bobby Cox, the joy on his face
when he saw my 6-month-old son, that’s stuff I will never forget. Him and Pam
just, like, loving on Charlie while he was in the stroller, those are the fond
memories I have.” — Former Braves and current Dodgers first baseman Freddie
Freeman
“Skip — thank you for helping shape me as a coach and as an
MLB manager. Your guidance and belief in me will always mean a lot. Thank you
for the time You took in helping me make my transition from player to coach.
And I ended up loving cigars after all (smiley face emoji). Much respect
always.” — Ozzie Guillen, who played two seasons with Atlanta and won a World
Series title managing the White Sox in 2005, on X
“Bobby Cox led one of the greatest eras of sustained excellence in baseball history. As manager of the Braves, his clubs became an October fixture, representing consistency, professionalism, and championship-caliber baseball for an entire generation of fans. Through his leadership, eye for talent, and commitment to player development, Bobby helped shape the careers of numerous Hall of Famers and guided the Braves to Atlanta’s first major professional sports championship in 1995.
“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Bobby’s family, the Braves organization, the many players and coaches whose lives he impacted throughout his 29-year managerial career, and Braves fans everywhere.” — MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred
“We are saddened to learn about the passing of former Blue Jays Manager Bobby Cox. Before tonight’s game, we held a moment of silence to remember one of the game’s greats. Bobby managed us to our first division title in 1985, also winning Manager of the Year that year. Our thoughts are with his family and the Braves organization.” — The Toronto Blue Jays on X
“The Yankees join the baseball community in mourning the loss of Hall of Famer Bobby Cox. We offer our deepest condolences to Bobby’s family, friends and loved ones.” — The New York Yankees on X
“Over 29 seasons as a big league manager, Bobby Cox earned loyalty and respect from his players with his steady hand and passionate heart.” — National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
“Thank you for everything you meant to Atlanta, Skip.” — The Atlanta Falcons on X
“Atlanta has lost a true icon in Bobby Cox. His leadership helped define one of the most successful eras not only for the Atlanta Braves, but for the city's sports identity. Known for guiding the club through a historic run that included a World Series title and sustained excellence, his influence will be felt for generations. Our thoughts are with his family and with the entire baseball community as we remember a figure who meant so much to the City of Atlanta.” — Atlanta United FC on X
“Georgia and Braves Country have lost a true legend today
with the passing of Bobby Cox. Shepherding the Braves for over 20 years, he led
the franchise to 14 straight division crowns and a World Series title during
his second stint, solidifying him in the hearts of generations of fans as the
beloved manager we will all remember.” — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on X
He recorded a 100-win season six times, a record matched only by Joe McCarthy.
Cox first managed the Braves from 1978 to 1981, and then
managed the Blue Jays from 1982 to 1985. He rejoined the Braves in 1986 as a
general manager. He moved back to the manager's role during the 1990 season and
stayed there until his retirement following the 2010 season. Cox led the
Atlanta Braves to the World Series championship in 1995. The Braves retired No.
6 in his honor.
Cox holds the all-time record for ejections in MLB with 158
(plus an additional three post-season ejections), a record previously held by
John McGraw.
As a player, Cox originally signed with the Los Angeles
Dodgers, but was never able to make the Dodgers' major league team. Eventually
he was acquired by the Braves, but never appeared in an MLB game for them
either. Instead, the Braves traded Cox to the New York Yankees for Bob Tillman
and Dale Roberts on December 7, 1967. Cox played for the Yankees during the
1968 and 1969 seasons, mostly as a third baseman. The Yankees assigned Cox to
the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs for the 1970 season. Cox also played from 1967 to
1970 for the Cardenales de Lara and Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter
League.
Cox began his managerial career in the Yankees farm system
in 1971 with the Fort Lauderdale Yankees. He was promoted to the West Haven
Yankees in 1972 and to Syracuse in 1973. In 1976, he led Syracuse Chiefs to the
International League championship. Cox also managed the Cardenales in the
Venezuelan Winter League from 1974 to 1977. He then spent the 1977 season as
the first base coach on Billy Martin's staff with the World Series–winning
Yankees.
Cox replaced Dave Bristol as the manager of the Atlanta Braves prior to the 1978 season, inheriting a team that had finished last in the National League West during the previous two seasons and, in 1977, compiled a worse record than the first-year Seattle Mariners of the American League. Building from the ground up, the Braves finished last in both 1978 and 1979. Entering 1980, Cox made one of the unusual moves for which he is known, moving power-hitting first baseman–catcher Dale Murphy, who had developed a throwing block as a catcher that hindered his ability to play, to center field. Murphy later won two National League Most Valuable Player Awards and five Gold Gloves, and became one of the premier players of the 1980s. In 1980, the Braves finished fourth with their first record above .500 since 1974.
During the 1981 season, which was shortened by a strike, the
Braves finished in fourth place during the first half and in fifth in the
second. After the season, owner Ted Turner fired him. Asked at a press
conference who was on his short list for manager, Turner replied, "It
would be Bobby Cox if I hadn't just fired him. We need someone like him around
here." The Braves won the National League West division title in 1982 and
finished second in both 1983 and 1984 under Cox's successor Joe Torre. Cox
finished his first tenure with the Braves with a record of 266 wins and 323
losses in the regular season.
The Toronto Blue Jays hired Cox as their manager in 1982,
and they steadily improved over the four years of his management. Cito Gaston
was brought in as a coach for the team because of Cox, and Gaston would be
named manager of the Jays years later. In 1983, Cox led the Blue Jays to the
first winning record in franchise history. In 1985, Cox's fourth season with
the club, the Blue Jays finished in first place in the American League East,
the franchise's first division title. That season, the American League
Championship Series was expanded to a best-of-seven format after 16 seasons of
a best-of-five format. This change ultimately made the difference when Cox's
Blue Jays became only the fifth team to lose a playoff series after leading
three games to one to the Kansas City Royals, with the decision by Dick Howser
to counter Cox's platooning by starting a right-handed pitcher before going
with left-handed relievers in the middle innings proving key.
After the 1985 season, the Braves asked for permission to
ask him about their general manager position, which Toronto allowed despite
nearly signing Cox for the next season. While he didn't think he would be
going, he ultimately came to accept their idea. On October 22, 1985, Cox left
to return to Atlanta as general manager; he stated that a key reason was to be
closer to his family, who had continued to live in suburban Marietta, Georgia.
Cox and incoming manager Chuck Tanner both received five-year contracts from Ted
Turner. Cox finished his stint as Jays manager with a record of 355 wins and
292 losses for his regular season record. Cox was replaced in Toronto by Jimy
Williams.
After going through two managers over the course of less
than five years with disastrous results in attendance and performance, Cox
fired Russ Nixon in June 1990 and named himself field manager. Cox had spent
the prior four seasons accumulating talented players, including Tom Glavine,
Steve Avery, John Smoltz, Ron Gant, and David Justice. He was also responsible
for drafting Chipper Jones with the first overall pick in the 1990 draft. After
the 1990 season, he handed the general manager's post to Kansas City Royals
general manager John Schuerholz. Greg Maddux
may have been his best player ever/
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