Cox Didn’t Mind Speaking Out When Needed

I remember a lot of things about former Atlanta Braves Manager Bobby Cox and so will the history books. Some of the records he set can be looked upon as great accomplishments, but there is one record that most people might think is not so wonderful but it truly is.
Cox set several records, accomplished a great deal and a player and manager, which I will cover a little later in this column. The one record in his career as a manager is one I want to talk about. Cox holds the all-time record for ejections in the MLB. Sounds bad but as an old player and coach, I think it’s great and I’ll explain.
During a sporting event, officials are going to make mistakes and bad calls. That is just a fact. It is the manager’s responsibility to point out such calls or mistakes when it is crucial in the game and Cox didn’t mind doing that and when the official didn’t listen, he became very boisterous and animated. Those acts usually ended with him being ejected from the game.
As a manager it is also his responsibility to speak up for his players, and Cox didn’t mind one bit doing that and letting the officials know he wasn’t happy.
As a player and former coach, I can tell you when you speak up for your players they step up to the plate, so to speak. I’m not sure how many times when the Braves were trailing in a game, and he challenged the officials, the Braves’ players responded on the field and turned things around.
It also showed how much Cox cared about his players and that is why the players loved and respected him.
Cox played third base during his playing days and managed the Braves twice in his career. He first managed the Braves in 1978 and then in 1981 became the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. Cox returned to the Braves’ as manager in 1986 as the General Manager. In 1990 he moved back to the position of team manager and remained until he retired in 2010. Not many managers in the MLB can say they only managed two teams and managed a single team as long as Cox did with the Braves. He had other managing jobs, but not in the big leagues.
During his tenure as the Braves manager, Cox led the team to 14 consecutive division championships with the first in 1991 and the last one in 2005. He led the team to a World Series title in 1995.
Cox is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and set a record with a 100-win season six times, another record matched by Joe McCarthy.
He also is the all-time leader among MLB managers in playoff seasons with 16, and he was the first manager since Casey Stengel to have qualified for the postseason 10 times (four managers have accomplished that feat since Cox did).
He actually began his career in managing teams with the Yankees in the team’s farm system and served as the first base coach with Billy Martin when the Yankees won the World Series in 1977.
Overall, Cox had two World Series Championships, the 1977 Yankees and the 1995 Braves. Cox was named Manager of the Year four times during his career, is in the Braves Hall of Fame and his jersey, number 6, has been retired by the Braves.
He was a five time National League Pennant winner during his career and was the first manager since Casey Stengel to help his team qualify for postseason play 10 times.
He amassed a .556 winning percentage, which ranks second among all-time MLB managers. He is second to John McGraw.
Cox won 2,504 games as a manager and is the fourth all-time in managerial wins.
There can be no argument that Cox knew baseball, was a winner, and loved by his players and Atlanta Braves fans.
Cox earned his first win as a manager in 1978 in Fulton County Stadium. The Braves were playing the San Diego Padres and Darrel Chaney hit a walk-off home run to win the game.
It’s been a long time since that first win. But during those year’s Cox became a baseball legend and turned his beloved Braves in one of America’s teams.
“A manager’s job is to make players believe in themselves,” Cox once said. He realized the importance of having the trust and confidence of his players and team. That is why he was a great manager.
Cox brought greatness to the Atlanta Braves and will always be remembered for his accomplishments and his ejections. But those ejections were an indicator of how much he loved the game and his Braves.
You will be missed and remembered, Number 6.