Cox won’t commit to returning for another season

First!!!!…….to bash Mr. Cox, but I won’t. He’s the only Braves manager that I’ve known and that makes it tough. As frustrated as I get with him and his mind boggling pitching decisions and his bromance with Norton, it would be hard to see him go.

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The Hanson fiasco, when pulled after 8 masterful innings on less than 100 pitches, was the last straw for me with Bobby.

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Poor bullpen management.

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Like all lucky cowboys you can ride off into the sunset with you head up. Its dear Bobby’s time!

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The people that continue to bring up Hanson’s last start forget to mention that the lineup was only able to score one run. Why don’t you bash them? It is so easy for these people to bash Cox but what about Soriano who blew the save?

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Oh yeah. Cox bashers don’t know anything, and shouldn’t dare express an opinion. And I love the “But there’s something about this team that Cox’s critics still don’t grasp” comment. Yep, a sports writer talking down to ANYONE. Good stuff.

Some people like to lose. They find honor in it.

Disgusting.

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Plee-zuh!! Bobby Cox has got to go. His departure is long overdue!

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Wow this is tough. I have to think back to a game in 1976 on Sept 9th with Doug Adams playing first base and i think my god we suck and now we are ok so we love one another and love Bobby Cox for all the better things not the stupid things like Norton, Frenchy, Maddux. Who cares about them it is all about Bobby Cox.

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He’s the only Braves manager that I’ve known and that makes it tough. As frustrated as I get with him and his mind boggling pitching decisions and his bromance with Norton, it would be hard to see him go.

I feel exactly the same. He annoys the hell out of me at times but I have a lot of respect for the man and even on nights when he does something completely baffling I still think there are only a handful in the game who are better.

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I respect, admire and love Bobby Cox as a person and as a Baseball Genius. People forget that he was the GM who loaded the minors with talent that led to the 14 Straight playoffs. His Player all respect him, they don’t bad mouth him even after they leave here, that is rare among any teams Coaches of Managers. I understand people want perfection from Managers and Coaches but seem to accept anything from Politicians, Company CEO’s, and everyday leaders.

Whether it is this year or the next Bobby Cox will be leaving the Braves as Manager. Whomever follows him will, if history is any guide, fail miserably. It is never easy to follow a legend. Bobby Cox is a genius whose genius appears that much greater from a distance and over time. No Bobby isn’t perfect, just great! We Braves fans will miss him when he’s not there any longer, as will all of Baseball.

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I’d like to see Bobby back to work his 25th season, if anything, to groom the next manager. It would be a nice round number to go out on, if he did so after 2010. If I understand correctly, Chipper is giving 2010 a shot to gauge whether it’s time to retire or not. I always figured that if Bobby left, Chipper would go. And, maybe vice versa. The Braves, however, should not build hitting around Chipper any longer. And, I believe Chipper would agree with that. Next season could be very interesting with the pitching staff the team has. They need a couple of bats, though.

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25th Anniversary would have a good ring to it….Give Bobby one more year and then unless he wins the World Series which I seriously doubt he can or will do then send him into then sunset…Bobbys problem is that he has hunches that only he has….and knowing Bobby we will get to the playoffs and he will get a hunch and pull LaRoche out and put in Norton because he just has a hunch…I begin to wonder sometimes with another manager would we have two three even four World Championships in Atlanta….We possibly could have had a dynasty with another manager but 14 pennants in a row is just unheard of….Bobby did put the Braves on the map whenever before 1991 were the laughing stock of the league….I say one more however I would not cry if he decided to leave this year.

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I hope he returns……I’m 41….my dad is 67 and wants him to hang it up…..who’s right.???..probably my ole man….

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I do think Cox is one of the reasons we will not be in the playoffs. We will miss the playoffs by a few games and Cox has probably cost us at least 10 games in the win column. Sure, the players have to play but the mgr sets the tone with the right decisions and players. Thie team has basically been the same for 4 years now and nothing is going to change with Cox as the mgr. He has done a lot for the Braves but we just need a change. Laroche just hit another homer. No other mgr in the NL would have him hitting behing Brian and GA.

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Bobby Cox is a Brave Legend..Hall of Famer…and one of the greatest managers of all time. I have nothing but Love and Respect for Bobby Cox and if he decides to stay then I’m fine, but if he decides to retire then I respect that as well.

For everyone who says “lets get rid of him” or “getting rid of Cox is over due” I will only say this: Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.

Its gonna be very hard to replace Bobby and I am scared to death of what they may do when he decides to go. My biggest fear is that Terry Pendelton will be promoted even though IMO he has done nothing to deserve it. I hope we could get Freddie Gonzalez away from the fish…would be fine with Yost as well. Either way, dont think anyone is going to be able to do what Bobby has done here.

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Bobby Cox has earned the right to retire when he wants to. He is one of the best managers of all time and he should be treated as such. We (Braves Fans) love you and wish you the best.

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Roger Searcy = idiot with a computer.

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The Braves will continue to be average as long as a FACELESS CORPORATION is the owner. Too bad poor ownership is going to result in one of the best managers of all time leaving our team. Makes me sick, honestly.

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Bobby doesn’t need to go because of his managing; he doesn’t deserve to stay, and suffer, because the ownership has depleted the talent pool and winning is at least three or four years away. If he stays, he should be given a key job in the rebuilding of the Braves. Forty three years ago I put out the first Braves brochure after helping them move from Milwaukee, and that roster was far superior to recent editions. Whatever is wrong, it’s not Bobby Cox.

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Its not Bobby Cox’s fault the Braves KEEP bringing in these bargain batters and letting the big bats go like Texiera.. Hell even Andruw Jones is sitting on over 20 homers and he’s playing part time.

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Jeff with all due respect (I think you’re a darn good sportswriter…and your weekly predictions column is pure gold), your apologies for Cox either signal a short memory, or some sort of denial.

Point by point:

1. “The Braves are only good, not great.” Well, actually they’re slightly above average. As a team, they’re certainly not good. But I recall some wise sportswriters bemoaning the lack of starting pitching in 2008. “If we only had good starters…” Well, we got ‘em. Which brings me to:

2. “Jeff Francoeur, Kelly Johnson and Jordan Schafer all tanked early…” Sure did. While Matt Diaz, Martin Prado and Omar Infante rode the bench. Check your box scores. How long do you stay with players who “tank early.” Is July early?

3. “Chipper Jones slumping…” and still batting third. Who makes that call? How many rallies have died with this part-time occasional singles hitter up?

4. “If and when the Braves miss the playoffs again, it won’t be because of Bobby Cox, it will be because of the personnel”….or should you say, “the personnel he has chosen to start, and the lineup choices he has made.” The two hottest hitters on the team during the most important period of the season were Adam LaRoche and Matt Diaz…usually batting 7th/8th. The 3-4-5 spots (Jones, McCann, Anderson) were terrible. Who made those decisions?

5. “There’s talk he has overworked the bullpen. Yeah. It’s really hurt Mike Gonzalez and Peter Moylan, hasn’t it? ” I’ll give you Moylan. He’s been impressive, especially during the second half. But Jeff, would you seriously feel comfortable giving the ball to Gonzo in the 8th or 9th inning of a playoff game? Have you actually seen him pitch lately? And have you already forgotten what Cox did with Jeff Bennett and more recently, Kris Medlen? Malpractice.

6. And while you minimize the Greg Norton issue, again, during the most crucial period of the season, he sent down a hustling, contact hitter who had made an impact with his bat, speed, and ability to play the field, in favor of Norton’s impotent bat. Did Norton cost the Braves any games? Who knows? Did he contribute to any wins? We do know the answer to that one.

Jeff, I’m glad you and Cox are buds, and I guess you and the AJC need to stay on his good side. The current stagnant, disinterested ownership no longer sees the need to provide a winner for largely disinterested Atlanta fans (Mets at Braves in a mid-September NL East matchup! And nobody there!)

But it’s disappointing to see such a weak, rose-colored column. Especially on a night that should have pennant or playoff implications, but due to a has-been manager’s incredibly poor performance, means absolutely nothing.

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Damn right Curtis Jones! Nicely put!

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Curtis I do agree with you but at the same time Cox has been dealt a bad hand. Every great team has a couple of big batters. McCain his a GOOD BAT but not a Great Bat. Chipper is the only great batter and he’s on his way down. The Braves look past past the great bats to see what’s on the clearance(Greg Anderson) or up and coming shelf.

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Hire Yost, p? Are you out of your mind? He has no people skills whatsoever.

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Anyone else think it’s a conicdience since the Braves are no longer in the top 5 in payroll there has been a dip in the standings? During most of the 90’s we were not far from the Yankees payroll.

Cox’s lack of post season success speaks for itself. Please retire and please don’t hand pick a replacement or Cox will set us back another 5 years. It’s not Cox’s fault for not trusting 3 sure fire hall of famers over the bullpen in the post season blown save after blown save?

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GET GOING BOBBY AND TAKE CHIPPER WITH YOU . DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT .

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Schultz’s arrogance in this article is a tad unbecoming.

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Bobby has forgotten more about baseball than any of us will ever know. Heck, he’s forgotten more about most things…just kidding. He’s a first ballot HOF manager. It’s time, however, to go in a different direction.

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I can’t argue with knuckleheads, or even non-Braves fans *like you Schultzzz*.

One thing that should indicate Cox’s ineptness, lack of intellect, etc, to even the most backward hick posting here, is he will stick his hand up to the elbow into his nose on a nightly basis. He booger-picks on a national television stage, day after day, night after night, year in a year out. This is a sign of a moron.

Lord knows what he does in the locker room.

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Jeff, I appreciate the reasonable dialogue. It’s nice to interact with a sportswriter who doesn’t automatically insult anyone with a differing opinion. And I know you guys usually get the final word, but I must respond to your responses, if you don’t mind.

1. Going into tonight’s game the Braves winning percentage is .524, with no hope for postseaon play. That screams “slightly above average” far more than “good” to me.

2. You don’t think they waited too long on Schafer? Again, let’s look at the facts: 50 games, 167 AB, 63 strikeouts, .204, 2 HR, 8 RBI. That’s one-third of a season. Blame it Cox, blame it on Wren, blame it on Rio. Maybe someday he’ll be a big league player. But someone made a seriously wrong call this year, and it cost the Braves some runs, and some games. And keep sending Frenchy up there thru July 31 to kill rallies, based on what he did in the past? Well heck, if we’re going by past performance, activate Knucksie.

3. Yep, as I’ve posted here before, Chipper would have been in the 6-hole for the past two months. If that’s a blow to the ego, too bad. Diaz, LaRoche, and Escobar could not possibly have done any worse in the 3-hole. You say “there was nobody,” I strongly disagree, and the numbers back me up.

4. Thank you.

5. Again, Jeff Bennett, Kris Medlen. I can’t make it any clearer. The games were played, the results are in the record books.

6. I don’t think Wren sent Norton and his Swiss cheese bat to the plate in recent weeks while Conrad, Ross, KJ (heck, why not) and other living, breathing human beings were available on the bench.

LaRoche just hit another bomb. Imagine what he could have done higher in the lineup, with men on base. Which reminds me of a fact you didn’t even mention. Cox chose to play the slowest 26-year-old “hitter” in the history of baseball (Kotchman) for 4 months, again while Prado usually rode the bench.

Nobody at the AJC has the guts to do it, so please allow me:
“Thanks Bobby, but it’s time to go.”

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To Greg,
I’m sure if you decide to not watch the Braves after this year they will play on anyway.What a loss!

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There are quite a few great managers contributing tothis blog; for sure a good many of you have won coaching a world series. So you can certainly tell Bobby Cox a few things. Afte all, you are a much better coach; NOT!!!

As far as I am concerned, Bobby Cox can write his own departure. The issue with the Braves is ownership. During the 14 year run, the Braves had talent. Since that time, the total talent level has not been near as good as it was during the 14 year run. Cox can tay as long as he want to.

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It’s a shame that it has come to this, but if Bobby Cox doesn’t return, I don’t blame him one bit. With all that he has done for the Braves’ organization over the years, I believe he deserves to go out on his terms.

If the decision has been forced as a result of problems with ownership and the general manager, that is bad. Looking at the roster and the uncertainties for 2010 (one or more starting pitchers will be gone – and no definite improvements for the offense), I can see why Cox would be contemplating leaving.

On a separate note, Jeff, I love how all of the “experts” out there think you have an agenda just because you don’t want Cox run out of town.

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You tell’em Shultz!

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Well, I’ve made my case; the numbers, and the results don’t lie. Bobby has had choices and decisions to make this year, and the record shows he’s made the wrong choices more often than not.

The division, and later the wild card were winnable. They are no longer within reach.

For those of you, like Jeff, who don’t want a change of managers, it’s pretty simple. If you like finishing in 3rd place, without pesky baseball games to interfere with your October football viewing…Bobby Cox is your man!

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How many times in Atlanta sports history has a manager/coach been fired because he wasn’t able to “get us to the next level” and the new guy took that to mean the next level DOWN. Remember when the Braves fired Joe Torre? The Falcons fired Leeman Bennett? The Hawks got rid of Hubie Brown? Mike Fratello? Lenny Wilkens? In every instance the team tanked thereafter and it was years before we returned to respectibility. Somebody said it earlier: Be carefull what you wish for, sports fans.

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Bobby Cox should have retired years ago–his team has slipped and he gets thrown out of so many games, his effectiveness is way down. Give it up bobby—hit the golf course and casinos.

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I mean Schultz! Bobby can do whatever the hell he wants to!

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These comments from Cox lovers about “be careful what you wish for if Bobby is replaced…” What are you afraid of? That the Braves won’t make the playoffs (again) next year?

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Great run Bobby. Adios and God speed.

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NC, I didn’t say any of that.

I will say Cox has one of the best pitching staffs in the NL.

I will say he squandered game after game with his lineup decisions, and pitching decisions. Typical year.

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He was an average manager before Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux and no better since. So you tell me

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Bobby – Thanks for being the best manager ever. Please take Oblique Jones with you

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CURTIS JONES – Keep at him!

SCHULTZIE – So you’re saying the although Wren put Norton on the roster, Cox is in no way at fault for playing him night in and night out? Laughable. If Cox were the steward that people think he is, he would let Norton rot on the bench until Wren capitulated and released him. If I may ask, who was it that finally got fed up with Frenchy (far too late, if you ask me), and thus he was traded that week. Oh yeah, Booby Cox. So to say that he has no say in a player’s future, and to imply that Cox is just playing the hand he is dealt is naive at best, ludicrous at worst.

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Jeff, we was reading some of these comments and some of these folks are giving you a pretty bad time. We was always trying to be nice when we blogged with the newspaper writers. Sometimes they would get a little testy but for the most part they was nice, too. We was not sure it was okay to say booger in a blog but we guess it’s okay. That blogger is right, though, that nose picking doesn’t make you look very smart. Coach never picked his nose in the dugout and we never had to worry about boogers on the railings. If we was playing pro ball we would never want to be in a dugout where the manager was a nose picker.

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Cox let the best talent in Baseball during the 90s come and go. We got one series win. He and Terry Pendleton screwed Francouer up so bad it was shameful. One of the best talents to come down the pike in a long time and we lost him. Cox should have left a long time ago.I wont even comment on pendleton. What a joke.

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Greg

September 15th, 2009
7:43 pm
If Bobby doesn’t retire at the end of this year, I am going to retire from watching Braves’ baseball. That’s not a “we’ll see” that’s a promise.

Well, good f’ing riddence!! You just told us all that you’re not a fan of the Braves, and you’ve told me all i’ll ever need to know about you!!

A manager makes a move on a big stage many times every night, and if he misses one we’re ready to crucify him. The moves that he makes that work out, you never hear about.

Bobby Cox is a man’s man and a player’s manager and has accomplished more tonight, September 15th, 2009, than anyone on this blog ever will. He deserves respect, honor and a great big thank you from anybody who has ever claimed to be a Braves fan or a baseball fan in general. He should retire when HE is good and ready and how HE wants to do it.

Bobby Cox… I’ll be in Cooperstown on the day that you’re inducted into the HOF and I’ll be more than proud to say that I’m a Braves fan and have been since 1966!!

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i sure hope if cox leaves they don’t hire terry p he is not even a good batting coach

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NCBravesFan @ 9:50 –

Ridiculous analogy. It’s a little different with Manuel when he can spare games to lose. Philly is up by so much that Manuel can afford to let Lidge work out his kinks in the field. Let’s see if he uses him come crunch time in the playoffs if he’s still stinking up the joint. In Booby’s case, when every game mattered, there is NO excuse for continuing to use Greg Norton. Not to mention any other number of boneheaded moves on his part.

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“If Chipper was hitting this year and McLouth & Esco had been healthier, we’d be a lot closer. I chalk up this season to that more than Cox.”

Yep, the great Bobby Cox is the only manager in the majors who’s had to endure player slumps and injuries. Not the Phillies. Not the Marlins. Not the Cards, Dodgers or Rockies.

Only the Braves. It’s just not Bobby’s fault. So give him another year. We LIKE 3rd place!

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I say give Cox another year, but as a GM give him NO total crap players to work with. NO Woodwards, or Corky Millers! There’s just no excuse to go into the season giving someone loyal to a fault like Bobby, players with a career average of .240 or below to work with. At least with Norton the guy had success the year before.
And we have all seen what Cox does when given a bullpen where he only trusts half the guys. Then again i will not excuse him for using Soriano/ Gonzo in blowouts like he often did…. now that was just stupid.
Maybe im just being sentimental here in wanting Bobby back….. or maybe im just scarred of the future manager…… i have no doubt the Braves would be just fine with Cox IF someone else was pulling the strings with the bullpen. After all, you really think Joe Paterno is still calling all the plays at Penn State? Hell no, but hes the sentimental leader.

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Simply put… Cox or no Cox.. You can’t win with bargain players and that’s what Braves management have put together and called it a team. Meanwhile the players that cost are somewhere else WINNING.

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Sonny Clusters is a genius! LMAO! Bobby can do what he wants. Think if Chipper retired next year. Two Bravos in the Hall at the same time! We all knew it would end, it’s just a little sad is all. If Pendelton gets the job I hope we all show some class and treat him like a man. Remember the good times, cause we’re going to miss ‘em

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Jeff, as you know, I’m a regular poster on these blogs. I dont know if it’s “kosher” so to say, to bring up another writer’s blog, as I know this is your blog, but, Mark Bradley and I have been debating all year about whether it’s time for Bobby to go. Mark says this year isnt Cox’s fault. I’ve been saying, that the Braves need new blood in the manager’s office.

Now, as the season ticks down it’s last two and a half weeks, I’m not sure what to think. I still maintain that this team underachieved this year. We should have won the wild card, and we know we wont. With the upgrades of Lowe and Vazquez, plus the wonderful Tommy Hanson, it seems to me that the wild card should have been a lock, even if we didnt catch the Phillies. The home losses to San Diego and Cincy killed us.

Now, eight games over 500 for the season, with eighteen games left, 500 ball gets us 85 wins, and our best season since 2005. More than likely, we will probably get into the high 80s, maybe as high as 87 or 88 wins, unless we have a collapse these last two weeks. (Hopefully not, with the competition mainly being the Mets and Nats, save for the series with the Phillies.).

Earlier in the year, I was rooting for the Braves what the Yankees did to Torre in 2007, and place Bobby in another position in the organization. Now, if we finish strong, I dont know.

Considering that Bobby got his contracts in recent years earlier in the season, I’m thinking he’s done. With the upgrades we’ve made, and this being our fourth straight year out of the playoffs, I just have a feeling he will go to the front office, and TP will be our manager next year.

If I were a betting man, I’d say that the Oct 4 game against the Nats is Bobby’s last as our manager. He belongs in the Hall, and no one can replace him.

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And don’t worry folks. Liberty Media will sell off the Braves as soon as their commitment to hold on to them is over. Then Arthur Blank will buy them up. Believe it.

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Enter your comments here

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Bobby Cox holds a great many records, including most seasons managed with only 1 world championship, and most playoff appearances with only 1 world championship. Collect your gold watch and move on, Bobby.

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I hope he comes back for next season.

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If/when Cox retires, please spare us the frenzy of getting some manager who can only win with a payroll, i.e., Joe Torre or Jim Leyland. Torre stunk up the joint here, St. Louis, and with the Mets. He took Bobby’s team to teh NLCS in ‘82, and they got progressively worse during his tenure. Wayne Huizenga bought Leyland a World Series in ‘97, and he didn’t do squat after that, either in FL and Colorado, and how many winning seasons have the Tigers had under his watch? Yost would be good, as would Cito Gaston, if you could pry him away from TO. But you’re going to need somebody with Cox’s ability to make chicken salad out of chicken crap, and be a manager the players want to play for. In 1982, Cox took the dregs of the AL, the Blue Jays, and had them in the ALCS in three years, and then came back to ATL and did the same thing here. Find somebody else who can do that, and with the restrictions the Braves have with the payroll situation. Come on, I dare you.

PS: I will say that whoever gets the job needs to convert this team into a station-to-station team, base-hitting the daylights out of the opponent, rather than one that lives for the long ball. This kills the Braves a lot, and they need to respond in kind next year.

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Bobby has won many games and lost some too….

He does some dumb things. He’s only won one world series.

However, Bobby Cox is a heck of a baseball manager and a first class guy. He is like a dad.

I have been a Braves fan since 1966. I have to say I love Bobby Cox. The old man is a class act and a great manager, most of the time. Bobby is Bobby.

Please don’t retire. That will be the final loss for us old Atlanta sports folks.

I know that I will shed a tear or a few.

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[...] From the AJC That’s all Bobby Cox is willing to say about retirement right now. Not much more I can say about that either. There would be positives and negatives about him leaving, but we certainly wouldn’t know them until he was long gone. [...]

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The Braves need new management. Bobby has had his great years and will be a HOF manager but its time Braves get some new blood. Young and exciting mgr.someone to fire up the team and the FANS. I’ve had it with BC and his good ole boy theory. I missed 4 games in 8 years……but I have not been back in 2 years and will not return till Cox is gone. I’ve had it with him, same BS over and over. From the look at fans in stands, other have the same believe.

I still pull for players but Cox make me throw up. Please retire Bobby and spend time with the wife and kids.

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agree, Count …Robert has been right along time .

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Bobby has had a bad year and has not managed the bullpen well at all or the starting rotation. One 9 inning complete game this year? And that happen this weekend. Tommy Hanson not being allowed to finish that game in Houston pissed a lot of people off.

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I really hope Bobby comes back for another season. He’s a great guy and the players like playing for him. He respects his players and they respect him back. Plus, he reminds me of my grandpa. I met him once and he’s a great guy. PLEASE COME BACK FOR ANOTHER BOBBY!!!!

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ND Brave:

Just what we need. A manager that reminds us of your grandpa. That will surely bring us titles. You putz. Enough with the sentimental BS; let’s get a winner.

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You complaners have no clue about coaching what so ever. If Hanson comes down with a shoulder injury then you guys would whine and gripe all winter. Major league players always name Bobby as the manager they would most want to play for. Bobby will be a first ballot HOF for sure. All I hear is CHANGE. Who would have 1/100th the experience that Bobby has?

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Mazzone propped up Bobby when he was here? Have you lost your mind? Even YOU,VoiceOfReason would have made a pitching coach with the talent in Atlanta with Leo. Oh by the way the other major league teams are beating Leo’s door down today. You must be NUTS.

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Real Coach @ 12:26 –

“Even YOU,VoiceOfReason would have made a pitching coach with the talent in Atlanta with Leo.”

And even YOU could have had the success managing the team that Booby the Idiot had with that kind of talent, and I think you could have won more World Series. You are a putz. The man has no tactical skill whatsoever. The best he can come up with is the old lefty-righty thing. He has no clue how to handle a bullpen. His relievers year in and year out have far more appearances than any other relievers. He complains about balls and strikes far more than any other manager. He is a clown and a sideshow and needs to be jettisoned ASAP.

Oh, and by the way, you like men.

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There is no denying that Bobby overuses the bullpen. When the lead is 4 or 5 runs, we really shouldn’t use Soriano or Gonzalez (unless they haven’t pitched in 3-4 days). Then, we have that critical stretch earlier this month when we actually got in a winning streak (and consequently Soriano, Gonzales, Moylan, and then Kris Medlen working for 3+ straight days) where on the 4th and 5th day, the bullpen collapsed to cause us the momentum.

With all that said, Bobby Cox IS Braves baseball. It would be sad when he does decide to retire and leave the Braves. It’s just that Bobby Cox the Cheerleader is that much better than Bobby the Strategist.

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If you think Bobby Cox needs to be fired then I think you’re being a little greedy. That applies to thebpeople who this Georgia needs to fire Richt. Just stupidity.

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I’m disappointed that those that are here making the point that the game has passed Bobby by and he should step aside are arguing solely on the ‘09 season and his glaring shortcomings as the team’s mgr. (Curtis)
You all need to read Larry’s post. Finally. That’s the true nature of us “Bobby critics” and our point. 3 major reasons he’ll be a HOF’er, Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz.

His overuse of the BP is low on the list of where he’s off. Waiting for the 3 run homer that doesn’t exist (no small ball in the NL? c’mon), his obsession with match ups, sticking with a slumper way too long (there’s your ‘players manager’, of course they love him), managing to be seen, making moves for the sake of making moves, THE LINEUPS!!!!, and then you can put the overuse of the BP on the bottom of the list.

This overuse of Chipper and Mac is news to me. I don’t even agree with it. Your catcher should catch 140 games. Finally Chipper’s playing in bunches. However the dropping him in the order I agree 110%.

I just get frustrated when I see those of us who yearn for a new manager being labeled as new or young fans. The rest of you should really watch how the teams that are succeeding are led. Then come back and think about the past bunch of years.

Thanks for being here Bobby, but it’s time to go.

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FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!! FIRE BOOBY!!!

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http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/09/sports/on-baseball-reality-again-intrudes-on-men-and-games.html

“He was accused of punching his wife, Pamela, and pulling her hair.”

IS THIS WHAT WE WANT IN A MANAGER? A MAN WHO PUNCHES HIS WIFE AND PULLS HIS WIFE’S HAIR? WHAT KIND OF A REAL MAN PULLS A WOMAN’S HAIR? WHAT A PUSCATORE!

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G-man: Well said!

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I love Bobby Cox and have the greatest admiration for the way he treats his players.

That said, the game has clearly passed right on by Bobby Cox. It has changed, Cox has not. Baseball is faster, more cerebral, requiring much closer attention to detail and a sense of urgency right from day one of spring training. Cox is still in the “it’s only May, we have plenty of time mode” that he has been in his entire career.

It’s September and our Braves are on fire, and we have run out of games to play because Cox would not sit Frenchy or KJ. Nor would he sit Chipper when Larry Wayne Jr. was clearly gassed. The situation with Norton is beyond the grasp of human understanding. O’Flaherty, Gonzalez and Moylan rank among the top five in appearances among all ML pitchers. Cox has went to the well far to often when he should have left his starters in the game. Clearly, Cox’s judgment is clouded and he has no idea that the average fan is so well aware of this fact.

Bobby’s career long post season trend of disaster is what it is…..abysmal. His regular season achievements are thus tarnished.

Cox belongs in Cooperstown, not in the dugout. Hopefully upper management has the integrity and guts to give Cox his walking papers, but I’m not gonna hold my breath on it.

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You know, I just don’t get it. We came into the year with an offense that featured Jeff Francoeur, Casey Kotchman, and Jordan Schafer (skipping AAA altogether) on a nightly basis. Everyone and his brother was capable of seeing, before the first game was ever played, that this team was not going to be capable of scoring runs. Everyone, that is, except the Braves front office.

We also came into the year with a painfully thin bullpen. This is something to which we are well accustomed, as the Braves have had a painfully thin bullpen in all but two of the seventeen years that John Schuerholz has been associated with the club.

And it is these two things that have cost us: We can’t score runs, and our pen can’t hold leads. This is not on-field decisions, this is a weak, one-dimensional roster. So why does all the anger point at the on-the-field personnel, instead of at John Schuerholz and Frank Wren, where it belongs? They built this team, and they were incapable of seeing what everyone else on the planet could see: that we needed offense from the corners and some relief pitching.

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Bobby belongs in the HOF; no doubt. But it’s time to hang ‘em up, skipper.

Schultzie, mock the bullpen over-use discussion i fyou want, but this is the SAME Bobby Cox who left a clearly-struggling Pete Moylan in too long when the Braves had the 3rd game of the season (and a pending sweep IN Philadelphia to start the season) in the bag; this is the SAME Bobby Cox who sat and watched as Rafael Soriano struggled, got into trouble with a 1-0 lead to preserve in Houston last week before blowing it; the SAME Bobby Cox who brought Medlen out to pitch a night after he’d given up 5 runs in one inning (blowing a lead and a 3 of 4 series in Miami), only to watch him give up SIX runs in that outing to blow open a close game.

The Braves are a slightly above-average baseball team, and that should have us, in my estimation, 3-4 games closer to a wild card or the division. We’ve had many a game in the bag, and blown by inept bullpen management this year.

I don’t question the manager when the offense goes south; not much Bobby can do to “make” Chipper be the Chipper of old; not much he could do when kelly and Francoeur struggled (there were no healthy bodies to replace them WITH, really), but this is the guy that keeps maddeningly trotting out Greg Norton in key pinch-hit situations, when we’d sent Brooks Conrad back to Gwinnett because there was little use for him (aside from – I don’t know, clutch pinch-hitting?).

Tremendous run, Bobby; I say go enjoy your retirement. Be ALIVE when the Hall comes-a-calling, skipper.

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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. Players know who is a good manager. However, the Norton thing is more of a hopeful decision than a bad one…hoping he will improve. I guess eventually it has crossed over into a bad one. But that is the thing with Bobby…he did leave Kelly in there too long when Prado was sizzling. Anyway, overall I’d say he’s a good manager. But I think if a veteran manager is available and can be hired, then we may improve. Sometimes a change is good….

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I hope he returns, but more importantly, for me anyway, I hope he announces his retirement before his last home game. I will pay as much as I can possibly afford to be there for Bobby’s last game as the skipper. I know he hates pomp and circumstance, but I doubt I’m alone in my feelings. I watched the ninth inning of the 1992 NLCS again when someone asked me who Sid Bream was. If Bobby is blamed for Greg Norton being up in critical spots, then those critics have to give Bobby credit for sending Francisco Cabrera to the plate in that ‘92 series. Bobby’s fingerprints were all over the 14 divisional title runs, the five NL pennants and world series title. Mr. Cox hasn’t changed since 2005, he hasn’t changed since 1991. He’s a little slower jogging to the mound, but he’s there every day. He runs a professional clubhouse. There’s no music, its mostly quiet, very business like. Bobby has never won or lost a game for Atlanta, however, more often than not, he has put his players in the best position to win, and they have. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, positive or otherwise, regarding the manager of the Braves, however whenever he does retire, I for one will be saddened, maybe because he’s the last part of the worst to first ‘91 team. Maybe because he’s been the manager since I was eight years old. Maybe, just maybe, because he’ll have been the best that my team will ever have.

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Thanks for all the years Bobby but time for change.

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This is why I truly believe that Frank Wren is way in over his head right now.

1. Bobby Cox, keep him or dump a Hall of fame manager. It’s a lose, lose proposition everywhere except in the win/loss column.

2. Soriano and or Gonzo, we absolutely have to keep one. It’s imperative to winning. The middle relief has to be shored up too.

3. LaRoche, he’s admittedly the best 1st baseman on the free agent market. Losing the slick fielding lefty would be detrimental.

4. Other than Nate McLouth the outfield has been a complete disaster for the second season in a row. It has to be fixed. We need two or three more new outfielders who can play DEFENSE and hit for power.

5. Chipper Jones is sadly closing in on retirement. Unless 2010 turns into his first totally healthy season since 2004, it will be his swan song. He’s gonna need a capable back up as it is.

6. Jason Heyward. Will the Braves bite the financial bullet and let him play right out of spring training, or will they give the stud outfielder the same treatment afforded Tommy Hanson?

7. Who will be traded? Will Huddy exercise his option? How do we trade Vazquez when there are only roughly 4-6 teams who can absorb his contract, and fork over the needed players/prospects in return. Wren just signed Lowe and Kawakami, he certainly isn’t going to reverse course after just one season without looking like a total imbecile.

8. KJ and Prado are at best, in my opinion, a decent platoon. We need an everyday second baseman.

9. McCann, Escobar and McLouth are our three proven mainstays for right now and the near future. Will Heyward and Schafer join them next year? I don’t know, only time will tell.

10. Altogether told, it’s one big ugly ball of wax other than the starting pitching. What will stick, who gets signed, who leaves, who gets traded, will we have a new manager…..God, what a hell of a mess!

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You idiots….you dont “forget” how to manage….you can only play the cards you are delt

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Cox’s inability to make a decision without his emotions getting in the way is a big problem. He’s way too loyal and patient with his favorites. He’s done nothing to shake up the batting order to try to produce more runs. He and his pitching coach haven’t a clue as to how to manage a pitching staff. I say let him wander off into the sunset with the appropriate accolades. Suggestions: Hire the Detroit Tigers manager (one of the best in the business and not afraid to make a decision and challenge his players). Try to retain the Braves 1st base coach and the bull pen coach. Send Norton down, bring Heyward up. Trade Johnson, Hernandez and Soriano for a five tool outfielder. Drop Chipper to 7th in the order (he’ll retire before he agrees to that move).

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I take exception to Bobby having an off year. His guys play hard every day. Put a 2008 version of Chipper on this year’s team, and they are in the playoffs. Period. Still, the best game manager there is, over 162 games.

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Let’s have a contest. I will pick your team and my team. You can pick my manager and your manager. Let’s see who wins.

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Did anyone else see Chipper give the “finger” to the camera in a subtle way last night? (over the bill of his cap) Oh how things change when you are not doing well. He is done done donesky.

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Bobby, thanks. Congrats on a great HOF career. Now please, go enjoy your grandchildren. Relax. Let someone else take over…because quite frankly, the team has performed as if someone else has taken over…like Frank Wren and Liberty Media (and Liberty’s new found puppet John, Lets-call-a-division-win-a-”championship”, Schuerholz.)

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Bobby is a HOF lock as a manager – one of the best of all time. The Braves will win between 85 – 90 games in 2009 (check the last 18 games if you think I’m too optimistic). This will be an improvement of between 15 – 20 games. And Mr. Cox has done this with a very good pitching staff and a very average line up. Bobby hasn’t let the “wonderfully knowledgeable and extremely loyal” fans of Atlanta down, but most of his hitters have (especially Chipper). OK so Bobby is loyal to his players to a fault, but there’s a reason why players love playing for Bobby and his record is HOF material. And by the way, how many of you whiners are admitting you were wrong about Mr. Wren letting Glavine and Smoltz go?

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Cox lovers, please stop revising history. If you actually paid attention during the entire 2009 season, you would know:

1. Diaz and Prado rode the bench MOST of the time, while Schafer, Frenchy, Kotchman and Johnson were stinking it up in the first half. Prado was injured briefly. Infante was injured for a longer period, but he too rode the bench far too often when he was healthy, with his .340 batting average. After he was injured, Joe Simpson said, “The Braves are really hurting without their best leadoff man.” To which I replied, “That’s funny, Cox rarely used him there, opting for Kelly Johnson.” Cox’s poor choices of using the PLAYERS WHO WERE AVAILABLE cost the Braves 5-10 wins, at minimum.

2. Many Cox lovers want to forget Jeff Bennett, but Cox’s infatuation with Popeye was like a death blow mid-season. For those who have forgotten, Cox REPEATEDLY turned to Bennett in crucial situations, despite Bennett REPEATEDLY blowing leads and fire-starting rallies. Incredibly, Bennett was still Cox’s go-to in the pen, when Bennett finally TOOK HIMSELF off the roster by punching a door. And I won’t even talk about Manny Acosta. Were there other options in the pen, or in Gwinnett? Yes there were. And the Medlen fiasco is still recent enough for Cox lovers to remember. Again, the HOF manager pissed away at least 5 wins with his mismanagement of the bullpen.

3. And in brief, Norton over Conrad. Derek “The Ace” Lowe’s 8-run meltdown while Cox slept. Yanking a dominant Tommy Hanson who was getting stronger by the inning. Constant harrassment of Yunel Escobar, while Garret Anderson impersonated a statue in LF. Keeping Chipper and McCann whiffing in the 3-4 spots while the 7-8 hitters were raking. Again, the HOF manager and his poor choices cost another 5-10 wins.

Conservatively, Cox cost the Braves 15 wins this year with his poor decisions. The personnel WAS there, he chose not to use the ones that gave the Braves the best chance of winning.

The Braves have, arguably, the best starting rotation in baseball, but they won’t get to play in the post season. Add in decent-to-good offensive production from McLouth, Prado, McCann, Anderson, Diaz, LaRoche and Escobar. Still not enough to make the playoffs. And despite overuse, the Braves 3 top relievers have posted decent-to-good numbers. But this team will be watching the playoffs and the Fall Classic from the comfort of their living rooms.

And to top it off, the schedule-makers were kind enough to bring the Mets to town for “a key NL East series” in the middle of September, right smack in the middle of the pennant race. And there are empty blue seats everywhere. ATL has long moved on to football, relegating Cox’s team to the back pages.

And you’re trying to tell me Cox deserves another year? Do you Cox lovers really enjoy 3rd place this much?

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Coach(2010 or Bust),
Thanks for that link to Fox Sports, all the Cox lovers need to take a minute and read that.

Everybody wants to blame Liberty Media. Look at the Florida Marlins, always near the bottom in payroll. Yet that won 2 WS titles. Our payroll is not up there with the Yankees but it’s certainly not down there with the Marlins either.

14 straight division titles. That’s what determimes greatness?? 14 titles in a 4 team division with crappy teams like the Expos? When Cox got into postseason against good managers, he got his butt kicked. They made him look like a fool. Cox has lost MORE postseason games than any manager in baseball history. This is your argument for Cox’s greatness??

Oh yea, Cox doesn’t hit or pitch. Hanson can pitch! But Cox pulls him after 8 shutout innings and brings in Soriano to lose the game. Hanson was our best chance at winning that game! Even the Houston players admitted as much!

Looking at the standings today, we are 7 games back of Philadelphia. Cox has personally lost more games than that this year with his boneheaded moves. We would be in first place today if not for Cox.

Somebody brought up Joe Paterno. Watch their games and you will see that Paterno is not doing any coaching, it’s his assistants that do all the coaching and call all of the plays. Same for Bowden.

If Cox would let the assistant coaches make the calls, then let him stay in the dugout and pick his nose and get credit for the win. Much like Bowden is propped up on the sidelines and standing in the background as the assistants huddle up with the players.

Just get Cox out of the decision making process any way you can. He has lost us too many games and titles with his idiotic moves over the last 20 years.

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It looks like Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has been reading this blog, because he’s stating almost verbatim what we’ve been writing. Good for you, Ken! Thanks for seeing what some of the AJC writers choose to ignore.

I see a couple more Cox lovers have emerged. Woo hoo! We like meaningless September games, empty seats at the Ted, and 3rd place. Yay Bobby!

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Folks I don’t know what manager it was ( maybe Lou Piniella?) who lost his job after a losing season with sub par players after winning a division the year before and said “it is amazing how dumb I got in 1 year”. Give the man a break. He has proven what he can do with the right players and we aren’t very far from having a championship team. If all the hype about what we have on the farm is correct we will be back on top soon. Anybody with any baseball sense can see that with a clutch hit here or there this season we would be on top. I think Frank Wren and Bobby have done an outstanding job of utilizing what we have available. I for one would love to see Bobby get all the players he needs. When that happens nobody does it better. JR

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Phillip Wellman! He’s hilarious

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I feel like only people who want Coxy gone are from this blog. Walk around the stadium and people say how much they love him etc etc and wouldnt want to see him go. Cox is getting up there in age yes. Cox does make poor bullpen decisions yes. But, for you all to say when he needs to go is a joke. He has done things in sports that will never be done again. But, we are so spoiled since we had those great years so now if we dont get it we turn into Philly fans…ie Burn him and anyone who we want to at the stake!…but since you all are in the minority keep on crying…you make no difference. But, that being said I don’t want him to overstay his welcome and make things awkward..i would like him to leave the game with dignity. I would like for him to be at the HOF induction…I would love for him smoltz and chipper to retire at the same time..that would be wonderful!

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Enter your comments here
Cox has mismanaged the team for four years. This season alone his stubbornness at the beginning of the season by refusing to play the players who earned starting positions (Prado, Infante, Diaz) and playing non-producers (Johnson, Francoeur, Schaffer, G. Anderson) far too long cost the Braves 7-10 games, probably more. He leaves starters in too long (except for Hanson’s chance at a complete game) and this always puts the bullpen in a bind. During the 14 season run, Cox was blessed with a group of players who played and managed themselves. After that disappeared, Cox has not changed his approach to managing. Cox has not adapted in any way as the circumstances have changed. Time to move on & let some0one else have a shot.

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Ned Yost or Freddy Gonzalez. Proven managers who are team managers and not player managers. Being good to players is one thing but hurting the team while you are letting a player go through a 4 month slag hurts the team. Its contagious. Game after game I have watched at Cox has sat and let a struggling player take the team down. I thought thats why we had utility players. Chipper is always hurt but yet he plays like hes the king of the team. This year I blame two people for the teams disasterous season. One is Cox who doesnt know how to handle players anymore. The other is Chipper who wants to hang around after his time is up and use up the payroll. Chipper has done nothing but hurt this lineup. Its time for both to retire and lets start over with a manager whos not afraid to sit a player or play the best player out there regardless of his starting status.

A player who hits home runs and gets sent down for a utility bench setter who has a average of 085 is a joke. Its been that way for two years. A pitcher who is not fading should not be taken out in the 6th inning he should be allowed to pitch. So he put two on, your pen will let the runs score, you starter will work out of it.

Cox management days are over. Hes forgotten the plays and how to run a team. Move on, get someone who remembers what its like to be on a team and not make the players look and feel good.

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Sad thing is, you assume that this is his decision to make (which is probably correct) – that there is not chance that the Braves will terminate him even if he wants to come back. — SAD, SAD, SAD. Bobby Cox has never been a good manager. He is great as far as keeping a team on an even keel and making players like him – and was fortunate enough to be the manager of a team that had All Star Pitching so great and so far superior to all other teams that it made it overcame his weakness as a manager and made it almost impossible to lose during the long 162 game regular season- especially in a fairly weak division. But even with this tremendous advantage, he usually just barely won the Division and won only 1 WS in 14 opportunities. This season we have had very pitching talent; but he has made so many blunders – it has been an absolute joke. Aside from all his other weaknesses and blunders, his main problem has always been a failure to understand the absolue necssity for teaching/ emphisizing/ demanding working the count, being selective, making the opposing pitcher throw a lot of pitches – which guarantees that run production will not be consistant. This obviously has multiple advantages. In many respects, he is one of the worst managers in recent baseball history.

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When Bobby Cox makes his decision to retire he will leave much more than his on field successes. He will be remembered by the men who worked under him as a great leader and manager. Andrew Jones will always be thankful for Bobby pulling him from the field and setting his attitude straight. Escobar; while a work in progress; must appreciate the patience Bobby has shown him and the list goes on and on. For those Braves fans who feel that winning is the only thing…I feel sad for you. For those who believe the measure of a man is not only his success in business or on the field of play… “For when that one great scorer comes to mark againist your name he will write not that you won or lost but how you played the game”..Grantland Rice. So Bobby stay or go you will always be regarded as a great manager and a fine man by those who truly appreciate leadership and character.

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the hanson thing, you know if he had been sent back out for the 9th and gave up the lead and they lose, you people would be criticizing bobby for sending him back out there.

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Do you hire Yost or do you get a Guillen-like guy that’s going to fire everyone up a little bit? My bet is the front office wants to start fresh (if he is in fact retiring) and we’ll have someone unexpected….a non-Cox guy.

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I THOUGHT COX WAS A 5 TH YEAR SENIOR .

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PLEASE don’t name TP as the manager! Hire Freddy Gonzalez!

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Greg Maddux for manager!

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greg, who cares if you never watch a braves game. bobby cox is the man, by the way how many game’s have you won?

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“Walk around the stadium and people say how much they love him….”

Yeah, but the empty blue seats don’t have much to say, during this crucial mid-September NL East pennant race series against the NY Mets.

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Bobby should of retired after he lose the 1996 World Series, I mean fired.

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JS

If you think FW sent Brooks Conrad down without consulting BC and getting his input, then I’m not sure what to think about you!

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Just keep Glenn Hubbard and I’ll be back in the seats. That guy could turn me into a quality 2nd baseman… (p.s. and I’m a female)

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Any one here that bashes Bobby Cox doesn’t remember how close we came to getting Phil Niekro (Silver Bullets legand-lol) instead. Nor do they remember what a farce the Atlanta Braves were 20 years ago (30 for that matter).

I for one will support him as long as he lives. He is a prince of a guy and coach and is heading to Cooperstown along with Smoltz, Glavine, Maddox and Chipper! He has forgotten more baseball than every poster on this board combined will ever come close to understanding!

He doesn’t deserve to get roasted in public by internet tough guys who post in private.

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Please go BC, you have cost the Braves lots of games with your decisions this year as in the past years. Of course Jeff and all the other AJC writers will defend Cox and all other Braves so as not to hinder their prospect of interviews etc. Bobby don’t play but he makes decisions of who does and you cant keep using (Norton) based on what he did years past!I have been a Brave fan since 1954 while Braves were in Milwaukee and I will continue to be a Brave fan but I would sure love to see another manager in dugout next year.

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Big Cox Fan, I hope you’re a woman.

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Jeff Schultz is wrong. The Braves aren’t good, aren’t great, but closer to average (in terms of talent/ability)??

The Braves are a different team than they were through the fist 2-3 months of the season. And Bobby Cox has a LOT to work with here.

In addition to the best rotation in baseball, the Braves, since the all-star break, are 4th in the NL in runs, 3rd in HR’s, and 3rd in team AVG.

And they’re only 2 runs behind the Rockies in 2nd half runs scored, despite the fact that the Rockies play at Coors Field, and have played 2 more second half games than Atlanta.

So the Braves have been one of the top 3 teams in the league offensively in the 2nd half. To go with all that pitching. Tell me again, Jeff, about the “average” team Bobby has to work with here.

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This is very bad news….didn’t you see the headling in yesterdays paper about this current recession being a “he-cession?”….I was really counting on that paycheck next year.

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I predict that Bobby will be given the chance to step down a take a position in team management possibly player selection and development. It seems he did a very good job of that when he was GM. That said, I sense that Wren will put Bobby out to pasture if he doesn’t go of his own accord and his coaches with him. A new manager , possibly Gonzales or Yost (both with Atlanta ties) will replace him, certainly not TP. The fan base will have him on a very short string, to much second guessing him.

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If you don’t like Bobby you have to be a loon, he’s the best thing that has ever happened to Atlanta. The rebuilding process is almost over i think we will win it all next year.

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I’m not a giant Bobby Cox fan, but he has managed to make quite a name for himself. As far as his return, he has to look at whether or not Liberty Media gives a damn about a winning team. Sure they do to a certain extent, but not like Ted Turner did. If I were him, I would retire. The Braves aren’t going to get any better than they are under current management, and only a matter of time until the GM trades away most of the good talent (or they leave for more money). The Braves are done as far as winning any more division titles. That could change if Arthur Blank or someone else buys the team.

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Make a big fuss over him and let him retire and go immediately (asap) to the hall of fame and then get on your knees and beg Greg Maddux to come home to the Braves as a Manager or pitching coach or demi-god – just get him back and make sure he is happy for a long time. Thinking of Maddux working with Hanson boggles the mind

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Bobby should have gone 10 years ago. He is paid to get his team up for the big game and has failed at that for now since the mid 90’s! I would bring in one of the many sucessful managers that has come up in the organization and clear the bases and start clean next year cleaning out the entire coaching staff. More incentive pay(based on performance)for new contracts and less salary. No more paying big money for old men and use the strong farm club for position players.

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“Yes Bobby has done some bone headed things this year. But that is baseball”

Translation: “3rd place is all we really want here in Atlanta. Long live the HOF manager!”

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Bobby Cox is one of the great managers. However, he has lost touch with how to take a team to higher levels. There is enough talent on the present Braves team to make a challenge for the playoffs at least. Cox hasn’t shown this year, or last for that matter that he can trigger winning attitudes with players. While a manager can’t be blamed for loses or wins, his presence and ability to enable players to play at high levels is imperative. Bobby Cox doesn’t know how to do that anymore. And if he does, he is not showing any consistent evidence that he really wants to.

Bobby Cox should only stay if he willing to get in touch with returning to be a master motivator. I don’t see that has shown that willingness that past few seasons.

A team wins on purpose. The manager has to lead the way.

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John,
Paterno does not coach and you know it, his assistants do all the coaching. He’s just a figure head.

You say we need a new attitude. Exactly! This team has taken on the attitude of Cox. We need a new manager who will light a fire under these guys and won’t put up with non-performing slugs like Norton.

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The Braves need to give Bobby a VP title and move him upstairs. Get a New Manager with new life. Frank Wren needs to hire his own man!, They need to move on. Bobby’s time has past.

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Sometimes hitters struggle, or pitchers may have an off day. You can’t just leave them be in those situations. You’ve got to adjust, not just stubbornly stick to your deeply ingrained philosophy. Its called common sense.

Now management has to exercise their common sense.

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Ted Turner said “The only regret I had as owner of the Braves was when I fired Bobby Cox”.
In case anybody forgot, Cox was the GM in the mid 80’s that was responsible for getting the players that became the team of the 90’s, that Bobby has managed.
While he was in Toronto, they were winning divisions before Cox returned to Atlanta as manager.
Toronto then won 2 World Series Championships with Bobby’s fingerprints on them.
Bobby Cox, 4th winningest manager of all time and first ballot Hall of Famer, is an Atlanta treasure.
I hope he is the Braves manager for 10 more years…at least !
I have been a fan of the Braves since they moved from Milwaukee in 1966.
Anybody that doesn’t appreciate what Cox has done for Atlanta and the state of Georgia and, for that matter, the entire Southeast region of the USA, isn’t old enough to have gone through those horrible decades of the Braves losing in the 70’s and 80’s.
That said, thank you Bobby for all the great years…PLEASE don’t retire, you are loved and appreciated and respected by more Atlanta fans than you will ever know.
The Braves have a bright future and I am looking forward to many more successful years with Bobby at the helm.
GO BRAVES !!

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Scott- I agree with you 100%

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Bobby has been a fine manager. I get frustrated with some of his moves, but he can’t compensate for the serious talent deterioration we have experienced for the last five or six years. I think we have stabilized and have a good foundation to build on for next year. We’re not there yet, but we have stopped the bleeding and next year’s success will depend on some intelligent moves this off-season. I don’t feel the desperation any more. If Wren is as successful this winter as last, I think Bobby can manage us into the playoffs next year and retire with a nice round 25 years under his belt and look forward to the HOF. (Maybe he can take Chipper with him).

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Scott,
Toronto won 2 titles after that buffoon left, he couldn’t get it done himself, Cito Gaston had to do it.

4th winningest manager as you pointed out. Also 6th LOSINGEST manager all time. LOSINGEST manager in post season history.

You want him around for another 10 years? Lord have mercy.

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If you don’t know what you got till its gone= You got to be a dumb a@@…. not to know.

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Bobby = Complacency in the dugout

He makes it too easy for these guys. And with no head on the horse in the ownership box, it won’t change.

And don’t even get me started on TP’s or Frank Wren’s ineptitude.

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“Ahh……the FIRE COX now crowd is a great bunch. They mean well but just dont quite get it. ”

I get it and I know lots of others get it. If Bobby was running a Fortune 500 company, he wouldn’t be the CEO any more. It’s about performance and results.

Any fans who want to see the Braves become a factor again are going to have to stop thinking with their hearts and sentiment and start thinking with their heads! What? Bobby wins a World Series and so he has a home for life?

Yeah and GM ruled the world at one time but that’s not how it is today. I don’t notice any of their old management around because they did well in 1995!

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My word what a bunch of whining know-nothings we have in Atlanta. It makes me wonder if any of you(and you know who you are) ever even played in a game of baseball. Anything can happen. Does anybody remember the home run Leyritz hit in the ‘96 series? That was Bobbies’ fault? Point being anything can happen in a baseball game. Woulda,shoulda, coulda, is something for losers. Bobby Cox is a winner and bad decisions come with the game. I’d venture to say that BC has made infinitely more right decisions than bad ones. Let him decide when to leave. He’s earned that much as far as I’m concerned. JR

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As If,
Bobby Bowden was a heck of a coach in his prime. Now he’s just a senile old man propped up on the sidelines. Did you watch the Miami/Florida Sate game? He’s just standing there on the sidelines without a headset on, in the background as the assistants call the plays, huddle and talk with the players.

Cox is almost to this point, only he’s still allowed to make insane decisions night after night. You have to pull the plug on these guys at some point. 1995 was a long time ago like you pointed out. Cox’s best days are light years behind him.

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I am an American! Like Patton said, Americans like a winner and wont tolerate a loser!” Bobby has been a loser for some time. Just how much losing can you take. He won 2400 games in 24 yrs playing 165 games a year. One world series and blew several more. I guess as Americans you have lost your ruggedness if you want Bobby to hang around.

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Bobby Cox, LOSINGEST manager in post season history. Do we have to say anything else??

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Bobby’s management of the bullpen and his love for Greg Norton continue to baffle me. He has done a lot for the Braves over the years, but it is time for him to start fishing in Adairsville. There is clearly no fire in that dugout, and it all starts at the top.

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When you Cox lovers counter with arguments like, “He’s better than Russ Nixon, or Eddie Haas, Chuck Tanner, etc.” it has no relevance to where we are TODAY.

We are out of the playoff race because an overrated manager (who rode 3 great arms to limited postseason success many years ago,) has mis-managed a good team this year, costing them more than enough games to win a division.

Get your heads out of the past, and look to 2010. Let’s find someone with enough fire and brainpower to put the Braves back into postseason play. The talent is sufficient to win the NL East. We’re a leadoff hitter and clean-up hitter away from doing even better. Find those two missing parts, get Chipper healthy and bat him 6th or 7th, and get some brainpower in the manager’s chair, and the Braves can FINALLY return to the postseason.

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NEWSFLASH…..Freddy Gonzalez is under contract with the Marlins…He will not be the guy. Everyone screaming for Bobby to retire is going to be sorry when they name TP the new manager.

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Between this and the Falcons blogs, I have come to the conclusion that this really isn’t the worst sports town – just full of the worst sports fans.

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Given the talent he has had, only one World Series is a disgrace. He should have been fired years ago.

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Manny Acta please!!

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Well, if all you have throughout 2009 is pitching, you can’t mismanage it. Why did Bobby Cox and Roger McDowell not remove Derek Lowe from the 8 run Mets game fiasco? Why bring Medlen in after a heavy night of pitching the evening before and then Moylan who threw one pitch? Why when the entire viewing community believed Tommy Hanson should finish a game, would you go to any other pitcher, and potentially cost the team the win and Tommy the “Rookie of the Year”. Why do we never have an understanding of the on/off switch that is Manny Acosta-you-the-game. Manny is either awesome or awful. It is easy to recognize and apparently difficult to act upon. And, did we have to watch Peter Moylan go through the healing – cobweb removal process at the major league level at the beginning of the year? It cost us game after game. Hudson was gone forever and came up very sharp, and yes, too late. And, oh yeah, let’s drudge our way through Kenshin Kawakami as a starter losing game after game in the front half, and then, for kicks when he becomes effective as a starter, put him in the bullpen as an experiment when everything is on the line. Our closer is Gonzalez, no Soriano, no Gonzalez, no Soriano, no who is available, no Gonzalez, no… It is still a one dominating closer world out there.

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[...] be back in Atlanta. When asked if he plans on coaching the Braves next season, Cox said, “We’ll see.” Cox deserves to leave the game on his own time, but he needs to realize that Braves fans [...]

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Braves are primed to do great things next year…trade Lowe or Kawakami for a big hitter, re-sign Huddy and Vazquez to extensions, and they just solidified the best 5 man rotation in baseball for the next few years-Hudson, Vazquez, Jurrjens, Hanson, Lowe/Kawakami…add that hitter to a lineup and you get Mclouth-Prado-Chipper-HITTER-McCann-Yunel-LaRoche/Freeman/Heyward/Diaz/Infante-pitcher…pretty good lineup that Bobby should have no problems winning with…he’s earned the right to manager in ATL as long as he wants IMHO, go on with your bad self Bobby! True Braves fans love ya, and always will!

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[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution Categories: Sports Tags: Atlanta Braves, Bobby Cox, Braves, MLB Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) Leave a comment Trackback [...]

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Why isn’t this a news story–instead of buried in your column? This should be your lead sports story today with reaction from Wren,
Scherholtz and some of the players about Bobby not committing to next year. It probably is his last year.

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Always a fan, Bobby.

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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.”

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[...] When I spoke to Cox a week ago, he declined to publicly commit to next season. [...]

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[...] 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 [...]

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