Comments on: Atlanta Braves: Bobby Cox vs. Lou Piniella – Which managerial approach works best?

By: Mark in mid-town

Mark in mid-town — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:14:54 +0000

The problem with Bobby Cox is not that he lacks fire and is too nice to his players. The major problem with Bobby Cox is that he has got to be one of the worst, if not the worst, situational tactical manager in the game. This has always been the case. I attribute this to Cox probably having an IQ not much higher than 80. His social IQ may be high, but not his critical thinking skills. Now, tactics don’t always come into play. In fact, most games are decided without the tactics mattering that much. But of the 25% or 30% of games where tactical decision making does matter, Cox’s low IQ conceptual ability costs the Braves far more of these games than they win. Back during the Braves hey-day, the roster was so deep (especially pitching), that very few regular season games came down to tactics. Not so during the post-season when far more of the games came down to tactics. And as we all know, the Braves only won one World Series when they probably would have won several if not for some very questionable tactical managing by Cox. Cox did win the World Series in 1995, but one could argue that the person managing the Indians wasn’t exactly a deep thinker either in the tactical arena.

By: Braves73

Braves73 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:53:06 +0000

This blog was truly weak. Who the he!! put his sorry crap together. Please don’t represent this as being the type of blog that real Braves fans are used to…You might as well talk about gardening while your at it…what’s next, a blog on how tall the average basketball player in the NBA is…PLEASE, PATHETIC!

By: NO MORE BOBBY

NO MORE BOBBY — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:41:52 +0000

The real question is….

Mark Bradley or DOB?

By: Keith

Keith — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:33:32 +0000

You don’t know what you have till its gone. That phrase fits with some of the fan’s attitudes towards Bobby Cox on here. It won’t sink in how great Bobby Cox is until he is gone, and at that point, everyone will be wishing for Bobby Cox again. As for the question in this blog, I would take Bobby Cox over Lou Pinella 6 days a week and twice on Sunday. He’s simply a better manager.

Now, with that said, when Bobby does decide to call it quits, I’d rather go after an up start guy rather than recycle someone that has been unable to get the job done somewhere else. IMO, there is clearly a lack of top notch managerial candidates in major league baseball right now. This is why managers like Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Felipe Alou, Lou Pinella, Jim Tracy, and others continually get recycled.

I realize the chances of hitting a home run with whoever the Braves end up hiring to replace Bobby is very unlikely, and chances are, it will be the guy who replaces that guy that replaces Bobby Cox that ends up getting this team back to winning ways. Give me a top notch minor league manager that is eager to manage at the major league level, and I’m not against promoting from within to get this done.

By: Vermont39

Vermont39 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:09:48 +0000

Cox has done his job. He lets the players play. The perennial playoff Braves never were a bashing team. They did have a few who could go deep: Gant, Andruw, Chipper, Andres, maybe Justice(one memorable) but their team was built around pitching and defense. Playoffs bring another dimension into the picture. Maddux and Glavine never really excelled in the playoffs and when a few untimely errors caused them to have to pitch to extra batters ad things happened. Leyritz was on ROIDS!!!
We never had a closer…FACT!!! Put Rivera in tour bullpen…we win!!! Have any closer worth his salt; Rivera doesn’t matter…we win. Smoltz was the ONLY dominant starting pitcher we had in post-season. So is Bobby at the gateway to sunset…most likely…and I would hope so because this year’s losses must be killing him. His decisions in post season would have made him look like a genius had he won…he didn’t have many choices after the 7th inning. I bet all those people who came into games then would tell you the same. BLAME JS for that, If blame is what you get your jollies from. WE NEVER HAD A CLOSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOOK IT UP!!!!!

By: Joe S

Joe S — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:05:08 +0000

I would also add on that the Braves always played with the 3 “P’s” pride, passion, and perseverance. If Frank Wren can go out in the offseason and find a new manager no matter if he’s from our system, another team, or a Super College program like Auggie Garrido is for Texas. That man has a way of working with young guys and understanding them as well and it would be great to get a guy like that.

By: VoiceOfReason

VoiceOfReason — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:01:31 +0000

Booby should have retired 3 years ago. He reminds me of a grandfather at a T-ball game with the onset of memory loss: “Come on Chumper!” “Let’s hit it hard, Esky” “Two bits, four bits,…….”
Turn the page. Get a leader.

By: Joe S

Joe S — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:00:33 +0000

Lou Pinella.

I like his style better because he has the fiery-passion to win. If players don’t things right and don’t respond and they deserved to get a yelling by a guy of Pinella’s caliber. Player’s like Kelly Johnson who botched the most simple thing to do was a 3-4-3 DP (double play) and cost Mike Gonzalez a run with Varitek scoring in the 9th.

I’ve been a fan of the Braves for a long time since 2000 and Bobby had a lot of fiery passion back then but it’s no excuse that he’s losing psychological confidence. We should get Phillip Wellman from AA Mississippi to take over for Bobby Cox for cheap. I believe Bobby Cox should bench some players for making horrific plays that a little leaguer can execute properly, and that would teach guys like Kelly Johnson to field better and run out ground balls, or just lazy fly balls.

By: UGA 75

UGA 75 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:54:59 +0000

Bobby Cox is Da Man………………..Unfortunately he is so loyal to his coaches that Terry Pendleton still has a job. He is the worst hitting coach in the history of Baseball. Could anyone name a single player who has credited TP with helping them? Don Baylor was great Julio Franco would be great, but like someone else said TP couldn’t help a teeballer hit a beachball.

By: NO MORE BOBBY

NO MORE BOBBY — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:52:00 +0000

Neither one of them are JOE TORRE.