Cox won’t commit to returning for another season
Could this be Bobby Cox's final season as manager? (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com)
The Braves released their 2010 schedule Tuesday. But that is the extent of guarantees we’re going to get from the organization right now — and I’m including the return of Bobby Cox.
When asked if he would come back for a 25th season as the Braves’ manager next year, Cox would not commit one way or the other.
“We’ll see,” he said. Anticipating a follow-up question, he repeated, “We’ll see, OK?”
He is 68 years old. The Braves are likely to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Cox has come under more criticism than at any time in the past, primarily from a frustrated segment of the fan base (and I’ll get back to that in a little bit).
But he says the age isn’t an issue, the competition still fuels him and the criticism — well, that’s a new one on him.
“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” he said. “That’s why I don’t read them.”
But there is uncertainty about next season. He repeated the, “We’ll see,” response two other times when I asked about managing in 2010. It’s not a subject he enjoys discussing. Cox never likes being the subject of an interview, but especially when it involves a topic that might be perceived as rubber-stamping the end of this season.
“I just don’t know right now,” he said. “I’m not thinking about it. I’m still trying to get us in the playoffs somehow.”
He allowed only that it’s the same decision-making process he goes through every year, saying, “It starts in spring training almost. But you always feel good then. I guess I’ll be sitting down with [management] after the season.”
Let me caution: We’ve been down this road before.
In spring training 2007, Cox made his most emphatic statement ever on retirement, saying 2008 would be his final season. “This year and next year and that’s it,” he said that day at Lake Buena Vista, and I remember being stunned by the lack of hesitation in his voice. “I still love it. I feel great. I want to do this year and next year and then probably hang it up. … I haven’t really told anybody this. But it’s what I’m thinking.”
We’re now one year past that plan.
He knows he is missing out on non-baseball things. He has eight children and 14 grandchildren. But he’s having a hard time dragging himself away from the dugout.
“The game is still amazingly fun,” he said. “To be able to participate in a game every day is every kid’s dream. That’s never changed. I still love it. It’s the competition. Whether it’s a so-so team or a great team, it’s still competition. It’s what you thrive on.”
And difficult to find a substitute for?
“Yeah — there really won’t be one,” he said. “But I think [after retirement] I’ll still be around a little bit. As long as you’re connected a little bit, I think you’re OK. I’d still like to go to spring training and things like that.”
It has been a difficult season. There were high expectations — probably too high. But when Jeff Francoeur, Jordan Schafer and Kelly Johnson all tanked early, and we half-wondered if Brian McCann was going blind, and the Braves were still a .500 team at the end of June — well, it forced this team to grind to get back in the race.
But there’s something about this team that Cox’s critics still don’t grasp: The Braves are only good, not great. With Chipper Jones slumping, they’re closer to average. They have very good starting pitching but sporadic hitting.
If and when the Braves miss the playoffs again, it won’t be because of Bobby Cox, it will be because of the personnel. But it’s the easy answer, isn’t it? Michael Vick breaks a leg, fire Dan Reeves. And where are Joe Paterno’s critics now?
There’s talk he has overworked the bullpen. Yeah. It’s really hurt Mike Gonzalez and Peter Moylan, hasn’t it? There’s talk he tried to depend too much on Jones and McCann. I’m sorry, but is there some deep bench that I’m missing? There’s talk he keeps sending the lost Greg Norton to the plate. OK, that he’s guilty of.
Maybe this is the end. But it was game day again and Cox wasn’t feeling his age.
“Too old is when you don’t like it any more,” he said.
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308 comments Add your comment
ijudgenot
September 17th, 2009
12:49 pm
Keith
“You know who the #1 manager MLB players voted for that they would want to play for? Bobby. By a significant margin. That tells me he is a good manager”
No, that tells you that veteran players know that he will not call you out when you are not performing. He will always be your vocal cheerleader on the bench and your appologist to the media afterward. Andruw and Escobar are the exceptions in 24 years. Remember when you were in school and they voted for the most popular teacher. The teacher that let you play at recess longer, brought goodies for the class and never scolded you about not doing your work better, was always thought by the studensts as the teacher they wanted to be their homeroom teacher, not the teacher that demanded excellence from the class everyday.
erho
September 17th, 2009
8:51 pm
Always a fan, Bobby.
JEFF DOWDY
September 20th, 2009
10:40 am
I dont always agree with everthing mr cox does , but he is a great mananger and the braves are lucky to have him
Ctriv
September 20th, 2009
10:11 pm
Thank God. While a successful regular season coach, on World Series in 14 playoff trips is disgraceful- he was and is an idiot in October who let his kiss-the-players-butt attitude take over.
Jim Rome, an unotherwise reprehensible human being had a great line 15 years ago- “Somebody call Mrs. Cox and tell her to get out of the trailer- the Braves lost and Bobby is headed home.”
Braves made the right call with Cox | Jeff Schultz
September 23rd, 2009
5:10 pm
[...] When I spoke to Cox a week ago, he declined to publicly commit to next season. [...]
Braves made the right call with Cox | Jeff Schultz « CelebrityTwitterGossip.com
September 23rd, 2009
5:34 pm
[...] When I spoke to Cox a week ago, he declined to publicly commit to next season. [...]
Alden
December 7th, 2009
10:24 am
I’m not here to start any arguments with anyone, but i do wanna add my 2 cents, there is no doubt that Cox is a Hall of Fame manager, taking this team from what it was before 1991 and then made them a contender for 14 straight seasons is no easy task, its never been done and won’t be ever again. He took them out of a hole and after 3 years of trying to figure it out, finally helped them get it, and the next year it took inspiration from tony larussa for the cardinals to win 3 of the 1st 4 LCS games, and it took even more from Cox to outscore the Cardinals 32-1 in 3 games, and dominate back to front away from home for both games 1 and 2, but that game 4 messed with his head, and he hasn’t recovered since, and its shown in his managerial style change since that game 4 that ultimately ruined this teams chances of ever doing anything great again, and since its been bad calls, short-sightedness, impatience, 1-0 losses, and the list goes on and on. I mean lets say the 1996 loss was like the 1991 series, it took 4 years after that 91 loss to win the whole thing, and in the process they made it to a game 6 of another world series, and then a game 6 of an NLCS, After 1996, they lost 2 years in a row to underdog teams before they could make it to the world series, then the yankees just added to the momentum that only existed from bad calls made from Cox in a series that should have been over in 5 games with the Braves winning 2 series in a row and so much promise for the future, but how many close games have been lost, how many double plays have been hit into that could of been avoided with smallball that hasn’t been taught, how many starting and bullpen pitchers and starting players have been given too much room for error, and then if a change was even made, it was too late, how many promising players have rode the bench to make way for struggling, aging, impatient players who have the perfect cocktail for failure, the answer, a lot!!! While this team thinks its got to prove how powerful its bats are and fail miserably, a diamondbacks and marlins team have done the job as an underdog team that braves couldn’t do against any team as an underdog or favored team, the same excuses of we don’t know how to use smallball, we don’t have speed, we don’t need to stay patient, we’re too good to manufacture runs, among other excuses that have been allowed to flourish through this team as a security blanket to make them feel like its justified why they haven’t done well, Cox has been given so much room for error because of his past, the same ambitions and goals are set every year, yet they come up with wait til next year, and that chase is as ongoing as the search for Jimmy Hoffa’s corpse, people will tell of how hes gotten ejected so many times, well, when you have such a small margin for error like this team does, the littlest bad call, or right call that the team can’t afford to have against them deflates them, they have no momentum, nothing to help carry it, each year is a different lead up to the same ending, now I do respect him, but i’m just saying all this stuff to say his time went a long, long time ago, he sticks up for his players, and still tries, but its a lost cause, the braves need a fresh approach, he’s held this team back, like hes trying to make everything perfect, and its far from successful, i’m just stating facts, and i hope everyone who thinks he should stay will understand where i’m coming from, Cox needs to go to make room for someone who has a fresher approach
Everyone loves a winner. Time for Cox to go? - The Recycle Bin
June 4th, 2010
6:45 am
[...] appearance, out of the current Braves or the past few teams that have failed to make the playoffs. Jeff Schultz has a blog entry on the current status of Cox; he may be contemplating retirement. But there’s [...]