Bobby Cox is More Than a Manager

Bobby Cox is Not only a manager

Bobby Cox will enter his last season as the Braves Manager.

How do you measure a manager?

Is it the numbers?

Numbers like 2,413 wins (fourth all time), 15 Division Titles, 150 Ejections (first all time), four Manager of the Year awards and one World Series Ring.

Is it their coaching tree? Ned Yost, Fredi Gonzalez, Grady Little and Leo Mazzone, Ozzie Guillen, etc.

Is it their reputation with players and peers? Being able to attract players to your team, because you are known as a player’s manager, perhaps the most player friendly manager currently in baseball. Having other managers say that you are one of the best ever.

Is it the players themselves? Not only getting the most out of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Chipper Jones, but also Eli Marrero, Kevin Grybowski, Chris Hammond and Darren Holmes.

Regardless of what you like to look at, Bobby Cox clearly is among the greatest managers in the history of baseball. Originally a third baseman with the New York Yankees (1968-69), Bobby Cox took a long road to stardom. Between 1971 and 1976, Cox managed in the New York Yankees farm system, even winning the Governor’s Cup with the Syracuse Chiefs in 1976.

The following year, Cox was asked to be a part of Billy Martin’s staff on the 1977 New York Yankees team, which eventually went on to win the World Series. In 1978, Cox finally got his chance to be the manager of an MLB team, leading an Atlanta Braves squad that finished dead last the previous year. After two lousy seasons, Cox started moving the Braves up in the standings, before being fired by Ted Turner in 1981.

In 1982, Cox spent his first (out of four) seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he eventually led the club to the ALCS. In 1986, Cox left the playing field and became the Braves GM, acquiring many talented players. Cox was the GM when the Braves acquired John Smoltz, and drafted both Tom Glavine and Chipper Jones.

With Cox as the GM, the Braves were struggling, so, in the middle of a last place campaign in 1990, Cox decided to replace Russ Nixon as manager, and the rest is history.
In 1991, Cox led the Braves from worst to first, losing in the World Series, and began the Braves run of 14 consecutive Division Titles, a mark that no other team in major professional sports has accomplished.

In 1995, Cox managed the Braves to their only World Series victory in Atlanta.

Coming into 2010, Cox has announced that he will retire at the end of the season. Whether or not he is able to guide the Braves back to the playoffs one final time, Cox will go down as one of the greatest managers in history due to his numerous accomplishments.

But the reason that Cox is one of the best managers of all time is the relationships that he has with players.
As recently as this past off-season, the Braves attracted players because of their manager. Troy Glaus, signed to play first base, expressed interest in the Braves because of Cox.
Recently traded Javier Vazquez said that he “loved playing for Bobby Cox.”

Matt Diaz, might have put it best. Saying,

“It’s kind of like playing for your dad when he’s your coach at 11 and 12. You never have to wonder if that guy in the dugout has your back. You know he does. That just makes it really relaxing and you can go out there and play.”

Chipper Jones, who has never played for a manager other than Cox in the Majors, said of Cox,

“He’s constantly got your back as a player. You can go out there and really stink the joint up and he’s going to find some kind of silver lining, and I think players appreciate that.”

However, it’s not just that players enjoy playing for Cox, it’s that he manages to coax the best out players who are relative unknowns both before and after the Braves.

Darren Holmes pitched for 13 years in the Major Leagues, compiling a 4.25 ERA. A solid pitcher, he was never better than in his two seasons with the Braves, when he had a 2.89 ERA in over 100 games.

Chris Hammond was also a serviceable Major League pitcher, putting together a 4.14 ERA in 14 seasons. The number would have been much higher had he never played for the Braves. Following the 1998 season, Hammond didn’t pitch in the majors again until 2001. But his return was glorious, in 76 innings, Hammond posted a stunning 0.95 ERA which gave his career new life.

When Atlanta loses Bobby Cox at the end of this season, they will lose the manager who made them great.

The worst to first season in 1991 was a product of Cox’s brilliance as both a GM and a manager.

He and John Schuerholz formed a great couple, and lead the Braves to an unprecedented period of dominance in the NL East.

Under Bobby Cox, Leo Mazzone put together a career that has had people discussing whether he deserves to be the first non-manager to make the Hall of Fame as a coach.

Bobby Cox is the face of the Atlanta Braves franchise, plain and simple, and whether you are a fan of the Braves or one of their division rivals, you can appreciate the work that Cox has done over the past 40 years.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel called Cox an “icon in the sport.” Joe Torre said “He’s one of the greatest — not only managers, but people. He’s a Hall of Famer.”

“He’s been the one constant through the entire run that we’ve had over the last 20 years. It’ll be a sad day, a sad day when he leaves.” Said Chipper Jones.

Not just sad for the Braves, but all of baseball. When the 2010 season is over, and Bobby Cox takes his final curtain call, baseball will have reached the end of an era.
There’s only one fitting ending for Bobby Cox, and it’s an ending that he himself has thought of. “Hopefully,” he said, “it’s the last pitch in the World Series.”

Brett Kettyle