Bobby Cox doing one of his best managing jobs ever
Bobby Cox's team has gone 29-10 since May 10, despite Kenshin Kawakami. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
Eric Hinske has played for eight managers in his nine major league seasons, and he has determined that Bobby Cox stands out from the others in at least one way.
“He’s kind of like a mob boss,” Hinske said on Sunday. “Everybody brings him stuff – chairs, coffee, water. Then he makes the decision. He’s like our own Tony Soprano.”
Nice analogy. Especially on Father’s Day. The Braves even provided the appropriate musical score before the game against Kansas City: The “Godfather” theme played over the public address system at Turner Field.
Hopefully, Kenshin Kawakami was listening, because he might be close to waking up with a horse’s head in his bed.
Cox can’t fix Kawakami. The Braves’ manager will have to focus on simpler tasks, like world peace and planting a vegetable garden on Neptune. But aside of being subjected to the disastrous $23 million import that is his 0-9 starting pitcher, is there anything Cox is not doing right this season?
This is his last season as manager. It also has to rank as one of his best. The Braves won again Sunday, 8-5. They swept the Royals and in fact haven’t lost a series since early May (10-0-3 since). They are 29-10 since May 10, a stretch that began a day after a 5-3 loss to Philadelphia (a Kawakami loss; who knew?).
The Braves (like Troy Glaus) have hit the dirt often. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
The Braves are doing all of this despite the fact that for most of the season their big boppers aren’t bopping. They have long been a team associated with great starting pitcher, solid defense and an offense that sits back and waits for the home run, but now they’re playing small ball. Cox is manufacturing runs. He is doing the things his misguided critics have long slammed him for not doing. Hit-and-runs. Sacrifices. Squeeze bunts? Check that: Two successful squeeze plays in the span of a week.
The Braves even stole three bases Sunday, including the fourth of the season by Chipper Jones, who also had two doubles, two walks, three RBIs, two runs scored and afterward committed to playing through 2017. (Kidding.)
They’re not among the leaders in stolen bases (now with 35). But they are No. 1 in walks (317) and No. 2 in sacrifice hits (38).
“This has been different from any team I’ve been on,” Brian McCann said.
Cox, Hinske said, “has been amazing. He does it all in stride, with a poker face. We were all jacked up in Minnesota [last Saturday]. He hit and run to get the guy to third and then he squeeze bunts. He’s just standing there with a straight face. I’m like, ‘Yeah! Good job! That was awesome.’ He just kind of smirked.”
Now, there are two theories about this:
♦ The popular theory: Cox is determined to go out with a bang. Therefore, he is managing like he hasn’t since the early 1990s.
♦ The logical theory: Cox is managing differently because he has the players to do so.
“We’ve got base runners,” he said. “That means a lot. We’ve been leading or tied in games, which also helps. It’s all situations. The situation you’re in, who the hitter is, who the pitcher is. You can’t just do things all the time. If it backfires then you could be out of the ballgame completely.”
So it’s nothing orchestrated in his last season?
“Nah.”
The Go-Go Braves. Sounds strange, doesn’t it?
As Tim Hudson noted the other day, the Braves have taken on “a different personality.” They’re now playing “dirtball games. … It seemed a little bit passive and not a real aggressive type of baseball [in recent years].”
Teams are a reflection of their manager. If the Braves are scrapping more now, it’s not merely the additions to the roster but the tone and direction set by the manager.
“This year is his best,” bullpen coach and former player Eddie Perez said. “He’s doing little things I’ve never seen before. Some of the guys who’ve been here the last few years are saying, ‘My God, we’ve already got two squeeze plays.’”
Hitting coach Terry Pendleton, another former player, said of Cox: “He’s doing what he always does – managing guys to the best of their abilities. If [people] feel like he’s pulling more strings, maybe it because he’s got more strings to pull on.”
After 29 years as a manager, it turns out he knows what he’s doing.
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157 comments Add your comment
stachemoney22
June 20th, 2010
6:25 pm
thanks, bobby!
Matt
June 20th, 2010
6:26 pm
Besbol is boring.
heartofdarkness
June 20th, 2010
6:27 pm
A lot of Frank Wren’s moves aren’t looking too bad, either.
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June 20th, 2010
6:27 pm
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bj fussell
June 20th, 2010
6:27 pm
first
Vino Fino
June 20th, 2010
6:40 pm
Nice article Jeff! This could certainly turn out to be Bobby’s finest season. His team is playing the most inspired baseball I’ve seen from an Atlanta club in years, and you just get the sense that every last player is going to do whatever it takes to send Bobby out on top. This is a lot of fun to watch!
Chop Chop
June 20th, 2010
6:41 pm
Jeff, the fact of the matter is that the Braves have to do something with this run. As you well know, the critics are harder on Bobby in the postseason than at any other time. This team is certainly good enough to be in the playoffs. All the kids in the bullpen are pitching well. The team is hitting. Aside from Kawakami, the team is getting dominant starting pitching. A nine-game losing streak is the only thing keeping this team from having the best record in baseball.
As amazing as all of this is, it won’t mean a damn thing unless the Braves do the job when it matters the most. This team has made the playoffs fifteen times in my life (I’m 30), so just getting there isn’t enough. I’m spoiled and know it, but that doesn’t mean the standards get lowered because the team missed the playoffs for a few seasons. It’s time to get back on top and bring a World Series title home to Atlanta.
cantondawg
June 20th, 2010
6:41 pm
This team is really fun to watch. They remind me so much of the 91 team. They are very aggressive and play like they have nothing to lose. Troy Glaus is the MVP of the team so far and i hope everyone apologizes for the comments made in the first couple of weeks in the season. Patience is one of BC best traits and we’re lucky that he stuck it out with TG. This team just has the “IT” factor that we haven’t seen with the Braves since 1999. I really think this team can go all the way
Paul
June 20th, 2010
6:47 pm
Let’s hope to God he doesn’t put McLouth back in as a starter when he comes back from the DL. One thing Cox tends to do is stick with his starters and and show tenacious loyalty to his veterans, sometimes to the detriment of the team. The chemistry is great now…McLouth is an automatic out and should not start.
Oil spill sux
June 20th, 2010
7:02 pm
This team is good. This team MAY be good enough to send Bobby out with one more WS Loss!
Oil spill sux
June 20th, 2010
7:03 pm
Just kidding- go braves- Win It All!!!
"Chef" Tim Dix
June 20th, 2010
7:04 pm
Sending Troy today showed a sense of urgency and that’s just one example since the 0-9 slump.
Players feed on it and come to expect it.
Whopper Dawg
June 20th, 2010
7:12 pm
I always thought that Cox got a bad rap from his dis-tractors, and I can complain with the best of them.
Here’s hoping the Braves can do something special for Cox in his final season.
kevin Mckillop
June 20th, 2010
7:14 pm
I see you think Bobbys doing great managing over the team.I say he is the worst manager in the big leagues in the way he destroys a bullpen.He sits guys brought up tp help and runs Moylen,Oflarity and venters until they fail.The pen gets rusty and fails because of no use.
Jeff Schultz
June 20th, 2010
7:23 pm
Vino — Thanks for the comments and, yes, it’s fun to watch this team play.
Jeff Schultz
June 20th, 2010
7:24 pm
Chop Chop — I understand final judgments always are made after postseasons but I’m talking about right now.
Jeff Schultz
June 20th, 2010
7:25 pm
Field of Dreams — This is not a preacher blog. Try that again and you’re banned.
Kevin S
June 20th, 2010
7:33 pm
KK gets no run support while he is pitching. It is just bad luck but Cox sticks with the people that play hard, remember Sosa didnt last too long. Also KK has had a good june til this game so lets wait and see with him.
A little patience during a 162 game seasons would be nice. You shouldnt praise or bash until atleast half of a season is played. What happens if Glaus blows out his shoulder? Wagner? What if they both make the all star team? Too much can change with how much time is left.
Patience. Wait and see.
the TRUTH
June 20th, 2010
7:44 pm
LOL. The bald idiots on 790 the Zone wanted Bobby run out of town. I remember FAT HEAD Steak going on a rant. He should be more concerned about his 2nd wife leaving him.
Bob Horner could pull anybodys fast ball
June 20th, 2010
7:47 pm
Outstanding blog Jeff….loved the horse’s head comment….How come I didn’t of that..?? good stuff man….
rekingball
June 20th, 2010
7:52 pm
I like seeing the team play hard and never giving up, even to the last out.
I think they will make it to the playoffs, but even if they don’t, as long as they keep trying and playing hard, I’ll still be happy.
cattle dawg
June 20th, 2010
7:53 pm
This team is hungry and so are the fans. Its a real refreshing change.
Ken Stallings
June 20th, 2010
7:54 pm
This may be the best overall pitching staff the Braves have had. The starters are not Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux. But, the bullpen is vastly superior to previous pens. And as far as starters go today, no one has a better collection that Hanson, Hudson, Lowe, Jurrgens, and Medlen.
The biggest challenge for Cox is who to keep in the bullpen when Saito comes back! The Braves have pitchers at AAA that many other teams would covet on their rosters.
The offense is wearing pitchers out by having excellent eyes at the plate. None of our hitters are free swingers. They stay controlled and are very willing to take what the pitchers give them. By working counts they inflate the pitchers’ pitch counts and by working the ball based on what is given, they are staying alive. To me, it seems these hitters now have faith that no one is an easy out, and because of this, each individual is staying within himself and the situation.
Jason Heyward provided this team a huge spark early on. Eric Hinske is showing us why he’s been a good luck charm in postseason.
With Prado and Infante both morphing into excellent hitters and the resurgence of Troy Glaus, the Braves suddenly have a lineup that is strong 1-8. Unlike in previous seasons, there is no place any opposing pitcher can go to find outs.
MLB
June 20th, 2010
7:54 pm
This year, the Braves have played a bunch of lame NL teams and this weekend they played the next to last place AL Royals and swept them–so what–that was nothing. Anyone could have beaten the Royals with one hand tied behind their back. Not much to brag about at this point.
http://www.baseballsavvy.com/ob_BobbyCox.html
CJDawg
June 20th, 2010
7:54 pm
Schultzie…ANY idea who may be at the helm next year? Personally, I am saying little prayers BC chenges his mind and signs for two more years.
cattle dawg
June 20th, 2010
7:54 pm
What did fod say? i missed it.
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June 20th, 2010
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jesse james
June 20th, 2010
8:03 pm
Bobby Cox is doing what he has always done, manage well. He surrounds himself with good people. Coaches, players, support staff and he has had GM’s that aren’t power people. They work as a team and Cox deserves alot of credit because of his leadership. I once heard that Otis Nixon questioned the lineup and Bobby told him he wasn’t there to manage, he was there to play, so play. That story was told by Nixon himself. Bobby Cox – A Hall of Famer
TS
June 20th, 2010
8:03 pm
Great game today.. W?O Prado it would be a completely different story.. So far he is by our most valuable player.. its his hustle and heart which is setting the tone.. How bout this Prado for MVP consideration?
jesse james
June 20th, 2010
8:08 pm
TS- I agree Prado is making a big difference and so is Glaus. Last night many pro players would have taken themselves out of the lineup after he had his ankle rolled on and been day to day. He has that Jeter/Ripken mentality. He plays the game the way it should be played.
Guido
June 20th, 2010
8:08 pm
What we’re seeing is the result of Chipper’s diminishing influence on the team. Remember, he’s the last of the “briefcase Braves” .These guys aren’t buying the uninspired, bland and outdated flavor of baseball that Chipper comes from.
rekingball
June 20th, 2010
8:11 pm
Cox is not going to retire this year.
General Sherman
June 20th, 2010
8:17 pm
People just shut up and enjoy the show. you would complain because they did not hang you wih a new rope!
jesse james
June 20th, 2010
8:20 pm
General Sherman – We are enjoying it. And we know the truth, you couldn’t carry General Lee’s jock strap.
BEND OVER, Here Comes the Change.
June 20th, 2010
8:37 pm
Your hero didn’t look so smart allowing the SUCKY Royals to tie the game so quickly at 4-4. Can you admit Kowakami doesn’t have it this year(0-8) and keeping him in the starting rotation is a mistake.
You might try some of the LA Oil Kool-aide instead of the Bobby Cox version.
jesse james
June 20th, 2010
8:39 pm
Bend Over – Your name fits you perfect! You must be one of them know it all, travel ball, daddy coaches.
BEND OVER, Here Comes the Change.
June 20th, 2010
8:42 pm
jesse james – dugout seson ticket holder since 1982. Put YOUR money where your mouth is, dimwit.
GT3O
June 20th, 2010
8:45 pm
^ Philli fan crying on his cheesestaeak sandwich…
MitchC
June 20th, 2010
8:48 pm
Jeff, I agree with many of the points you make in your article. Bobby is doing all this in spite of Chipper having a pathetic season until this week, and Mccann being subpar. The only power guy who is really producing is Glaus.
In the glory years of the division title streak, this team far too often sat back and waited for the three run homer. Think of it, except for in the early 90s when we had Nixon and Deion, and when Grissom was with the team, the Braves were never a team that manufactured many runs. We bashed balls over the wall, period. We had Mcgriff, and Andres, and Klesko, and Chipper, et al.
This team has been playing amazing, especially when we have a starting pitcher who is 0-9.
That having been said, while I’m happy we’re in first place, I also have to get back to reality that it’s only June 20, and our lead is only 2 1-2 games. Philly has been playing terribly, but that team is so talented, that at some point, you know they will wake up. The Mets, basically have been a surprise. I’m waiting to see if they can sustain this over a 162 game season.
With another long homestand coming up after the brief trip to Chicago, hopefully the Braves can keep winning, and pad the lead in the NL East.
TS
June 20th, 2010
8:48 pm
I agree with you Jesse… Both him and Glaus r having such a great year. You r so correct.. he has the ripken toughness.. watch him guide the braves to the post season.. not bad for a dude who struggled getting out of the minors!!
Michael Bryan
June 20th, 2010
8:56 pm
Kawakami needs some support is all… You gotta love Bobby’s comments on him after the game. Thank God the team hasn’t given up on him, because that’s what teammates do, which, BTW has a lot to do with them winning. Jeff, give it a rest about him. He’s a much better pitcher than you are a writer. Bashing a teammate is for LOSERS!!!
Joel
June 20th, 2010
9:00 pm
Bend over, as a season ticket holder you should know Kawakami is 0-9
jesse james
June 20th, 2010
9:01 pm
Bend Over – I could care less about you having season tickets. I’m impressed. You have money, so what. That doesn’t mean crap to me. You better wish you knew a 1/8 of baseball that Bobby Cox know.
BEND OVER, Here Comes the Change.
June 20th, 2010
9:01 pm
Michael Bryan – ZERO and 8. They gave him a 4 run lead and he choked it up. He was awful today, take off the blinders.
BEND OVER, Here Comes the Change.
June 20th, 2010
9:02 pm
jesse james – I guess that means you have NO money to put up – so shut the hell up.
jesse james
June 20th, 2010
9:03 pm
Today was a pretty good sign of a good team. They overcame bad starting pitching and beat a team they were suppose to beat. That is taking care of business.
jesse james
June 20th, 2010
9:05 pm
Bend Over- You need to raise your head up. You are getting touchy. Take deep breathe and everything will be okay. I have no hard feelings. Just don’t come on here a bash managers and players when you haven’t been in their shoes. Everything is going to be okay.
Urban Meyer
June 20th, 2010
9:07 pm
Bobby has done a great job with so many lousy players but I am the best !
BEND OVER, Here Comes the Change.
June 20th, 2010
9:07 pm
jesse james – Guess what? The section is for coments. If you can’t take the truth, maybe you should stick to the sports section.
B
June 20th, 2010
9:12 pm
For nearly 20 years we braves fans have had interest in our team. On October. That stretch of divisional titles is one of the great achievements in sports history. My grandmother died years ago, but she watched every night, even after she was too deaf to hear the play-by-play. Now my mom watches every night. No team in the country can claim the continued success of the braves. And those of you who keep complaining: honestly, I don’t have any thing to say to you. Become an orioles fan. Then you’ll have legit crap to complain about.
jesse james
June 20th, 2010
9:12 pm
Bend Over – You are right. This section is for comments. I responded to your comments and defended the people at question. You are entitled to you opinion (even though it isn’t much). Say what you want to say. Go Braves and I hope Prado is on the AllStar team and the Braves win it all and send Bobby out like he deserves to go out. I am sorry Bend Over if I offended you. With all your money I am sure you can get over it.
Mitchell
June 20th, 2010
9:13 pm
Whatever it is that’s given them this edge and the confidence to go out and win games like these that they’ve let slip away in years past and put them where they are, I just don’t see it as having a lot to do with Bobby Cox.
It’s the same old Bobby. Other than the occasional sucide squeeze call, of which we’ve seen two recently, he’s not doing anything differently. It’s like he was in the playoffs. It’s not like he ever said, “gee, things didn’t go so well for us last time, maybe we’ll try something different.” No. That’s not Bobby Cox.
There’s always great coaches out there that project that quiet calm and stoicism of a field general who’s always plotting and planning. Maybe that’s a bunch of BS but if you win championships like Lombardi and Bear Bryant or John Wooden or whoever, well, it applies. Bobby is an easy target for criticism because that never seems to be the case, that he’s ahead of the game, and it plays out in the results he’s gotten when it’s mattered most. He looks like he’s just sitting there with nothing going on and for a lot of years they Braves have played pretty uninspired baseball.
But hey, tip your cap to him. You’d have to think he’d be the front runner for manager of the year but something tells me it has a little more to do with Jason Heyward, Martin Prado, Troy Glaus, Hinske, Infante, Conrad, Tommy, Huddy and the bullpen.
But don’t forget those squeeze plays.
BartBuzz
June 20th, 2010
9:13 pm
Jeff,
Nice article. Bobby showed me something today by removing KK early. Do you see KK in the bull[en when JJ returns. Bobby has to leave Kris Medlen in the rotation.
jesse james
June 20th, 2010
9:15 pm
Over the years it seems that Bobby and the players are like family members. My father-in-law was bed ridden until he died and that is one thing that he looked to each day, the Braves broadcast. The Braves will always be like family. For all the complainers, you will never be pleased.
bearcatjacket
June 20th, 2010
9:17 pm
I was at the Saturday night game. What a blast. But I wonder about Escobar…he almost single-handedly gave it away. If it hadn’t been for Heyward’s base running, it’d be a loss. But maybe that’s a ‘team’ at work? Picking each other up? Still, when you have one player giving the other team 3 extra outs in a game, it makes it a lot more challenging.
jesse james
June 20th, 2010
9:20 pm
bearcatjacket – I agree. I just don’t know about Escobar sometimes. He just looks like he is not having fun. I do know one thing, he has a cannon for an arm and he is a special talent. I can’t believe he doesn’t have a homerun by now.
eric the elder
June 20th, 2010
9:25 pm
Jeff, I’m afraid you have me a little confused. You say that this season ranks among Bobby’s best, and Eddie Perez agrees. To support your view, you say, “He is doing the things his misguided critics have long slammed him for not doing.”
Uh, wait. If the things he is doing are good, then how are his critics “misguided” for wishing he had been doing them before?
Ubaldo Jimenez
June 20th, 2010
9:26 pm
Anyone who gets legitimately mad from a blog probably shouldn’t be allowed to use a computer
Fred
June 20th, 2010
9:28 pm
Any manager who continues to start the worst pitcher in baseball in Kawakami is not a hall of fame manager. The media here allows this to happen. The braves paid all this money for this guy from Japan who continues to use an interpreter after 2 years and not learn the English language. Send him back to Japan and bring up a minor leaguer that gives us a chance to win.
Miller Huggins
June 20th, 2010
9:31 pm
I hope the Braves get to the World Series. So the Yankees can show Bobby who his daddy is, as they did twice. Anybody remember 1996 and 1999?
retired on the lake
June 20th, 2010
9:34 pm
Smoltz began the 1991 season with a 2–11 record. Get dr jack llwellyn or what ever his name is and get KK an appointment. KK stays in the lineup till after the All Star break.
retired on the lake
June 20th, 2010
9:36 pm
still sore about 1996 can’t even think about 1999 but revenge would be sweet!
Mitchell
June 20th, 2010
9:38 pm
Chop Chop
June 20th, 2010
6:41 pm
Jeff, the fact of the matter is that the Braves have to do something with this run. As you well know, the critics are harder on Bobby in the postseason than at any other time. This team is certainly good enough to be in the playoffs. All the kids in the bullpen are pitching well. The team is hitting. Aside from Kawakami, the team is getting dominant starting pitching. A nine-game losing streak is the only thing keeping this team from having the best record in baseball.
As amazing as all of this is, it won’t mean a damn thing unless the Braves do the job when it matters the most. This team has made the playoffs fifteen times in my life (I’m 30), so just getting there isn’t enough. I’m spoiled and know it, but that doesn’t mean the standards get lowered because the team missed the playoffs for a few seasons. It’s time to get back on top and bring a World Series title home to Atlanta.
Bravo Chop Chop. I’m right there with you but for once I am willing to lower my standards. I think the most we can hope for is to win the division. I honestly think even if we lose in the playoffs you could still consider this a very successful season just as long as we win the division.
I cannot say that’s the case with any season between 2000 and ‘05 in spite of how many games we won because if you’re that good you should have won more than one effing playoff series out of seven.
But if nothing else, I just want them to win the division to show what a bunch of f***ing frauds the Phillies are. You cannot call yourself one of the all time great teams when you win 93 games. The most they’ve won in their three year run as division champions was last year: 93. They averaged 91 from ‘07 to ‘09. Give me a f***ing break. All they are are bunch of homerun hitters who can be shut down with any kind of quality pitching.
I mean, stop me before I get ahead of myself but it would be pretty sweet to knock them off.
Jeff Schultz
June 20th, 2010
9:39 pm
Bob Horner — Thanks
Reid Adair
June 20th, 2010
9:40 pm
Bobby Cox is getting the most out of some serious question marks Frank Wren provided as part of the roster.
As soon as Cox can get Kenshin Kawakami out of the rotation, that will make things better.
Jeff Schultz
June 20th, 2010
9:41 pm
CJDawg — I think Fredi Gonzalez, with an outside chance of Pendleton if the team makes the playoffs and has a strong October.
Jeff Schultz
June 20th, 2010
9:43 pm
BartBuzz — Getting KK out of there early was noteworthy.
JSS
June 20th, 2010
9:44 pm
@ Jeff Schultz…
Somebody said I’m the Blogging “Five-0!” Ha ha, why I sure have come a long way from “Bennie the Beaver” and the “No Talent Hack” daily references… I love it when people don’t know our history! Happy Father’s Day!!!
Jeff Schultz
June 20th, 2010
9:44 pm
Eric the Elder — Because he didn’t have the players to do the things before. There was a misconception before he didn’t know how to manage this way, or maybe didn’t want to.
Ghost of Moose Granger
June 20th, 2010
9:45 pm
Uh, wait. If the things he is doing are good, then how are his critics “misguided” for wishing he had been doing them before?
Darn…you beat me to it Eric. So, yeah. What he said.
Jeff Schultz
June 20th, 2010
9:45 pm
Retired on the lake — I know John Smoltz. Kenshin Kawakami is not John Smoltz.
Ghost of Moose Granger
June 20th, 2010
9:46 pm
I’m one step behind everybody tonight. I agree with you Jeff, but you have to admit you didn’t really justify it well in the article.
Jeff Schultz
June 20th, 2010
9:48 pm
JSS — Thanks for the memories. (Not).
Happy Father’s Day.
Jeff Schultz
June 20th, 2010
9:49 pm
Ghost of Moose Granger — I think the Braves’ play justifies my point just fine.
Ghost of Moose Granger
June 20th, 2010
9:49 pm
or maybe you did and didn’t read it very well the first time. I’m going to bed now.
Kentavo
June 20th, 2010
10:03 pm
Also recently, Booby has had a short leash on many of the relievers, such as pulling Moylan the other night when he couldn’t get the third out right away; This is not something he has done in the last few years. Ordinarily he would have waited until Moylan allowed runs to score, but this time ol’ Boob went out there and got him, and the next guy didn’t allow any runs. He’s definitely being more aggressive, and I like it. Even today, although he sat McCann and Esco, he didn’t field the B team on a Sunday day game where the team had already locked up the series. That shows something too.
JSS
June 20th, 2010
10:11 pm
Like I said, “they don’t know our history” hope those flashbacks didn’t create any trauma! Hey, we’re in a better place, at least it ain’t the 54th Parallel of blogging like the “good old days!” Enjoy the Bobby Cox love-in… I’ll always have Bobby on the shores of Lake Ontario in 1992 to keep the fire in my belly!
Ph.D.
June 20th, 2010
10:12 pm
Jeff, it’s easy to stomp on someone when their down; cut it out. I could rip on your writing style but I refrain. The Braves are winning, and no need to fan the flames for the masses, or practice a holier than thou journalistic sensationalism.
eric the elder
June 20th, 2010
10:24 pm
Eric the Elder — Because he didn’t have the players to do the things before.
Jeff, I won’t beat a dead horse, but how are today’s players so different from players of the past that he couldn’t do things then that he is doing now? I understand what you are saying, but I’m skeptical.
jesse james
June 20th, 2010
10:32 pm
What is amazing is other than wins and losses look at Kawakami stats and see how they are so similar to Derek Lowes. Lowe has pitched 13 more innings and has allowed 7 more earned runs than Kawakami.
Cobby Box
June 20th, 2010
10:32 pm
Bobby Cox is Jesus in Baseball cleats
UGA owns you tasty bees..
June 20th, 2010
10:34 pm
I for one have to admit to bashing Glaus a little bit during the first few weeks, but as his performance has recently (and consistently) shown, I stand corrected. Now, maybe the same will be for the other two Braves that I don’t believe should start, no matter how much money we have thrown at them for their potential/previous achievements, Kawakami, and McLouth. KK hangs the curve and the change to the WRONG hitters (consistently) and McLouth couldn’t hit the ball off the tee at this point. Nate is a good fielder, who has looked obviously skittish since all the assorted injuries, but if you can’t hit MLB pitching , someone who can should be playing in your place. It wasn’t his fault with the possible concussion, ill give him that, as anyone who watched that game could tell that Jason was determined to play CF that night, the collision being the 3rd time he’d been playing over there. When Jurjjens is healthy, demote 23 million dollar KK to the bullpen, Play ANYONE ELSE in CF (i’d agree with Conrad) and for the respect of the game of baseball, send Moylan to AAA before he loads the bases again. Venters has the potential to compliment a healthy Saito at set-up man, and lets send Wagner off with a career high saves, and a mother-lovin World Series ring. Go Braves
Austin
June 20th, 2010
10:38 pm
Why are people not impressed with the Braves?! Why do they still doubt us? Someone earlier said that we shouldn’t be all happy because we swept the Royals, and that means nothing. I don’t know if they saw the earlier two series where we won 2 of 3 from both the Twins and the Rays. We have the best record in the NL!
anotherbrave
June 20th, 2010
10:45 pm
Jeff, Thanks for a very funny and informative column. Cudos to Frank Wren for bringing in some key additions, and to Bobby for doing a great job managing. This has been a fun year so far!
Sid
June 20th, 2010
10:46 pm
“He is doing the things his misguided critics have long slammed him for not doing.”……..?? Is this kind of like a double entendre, maybe an attempt to intersect your ego with the learned managerial talent that Cox perpetuates. Bobby Cox has been doing the same thing for years, he isn’t managing any differently…!! Going out with a bang………….c’mon Jeff, cheap shot………!!! Squeeze play, 2 in one week………?? You make it sound like it’s his first…….!! Popular theory……….?? PLEASE, don’t even try to speak for all of us. Bobby Cox is a players manager……….I miss him already.
Taylor Hanson
June 20th, 2010
11:29 pm
Long posts suck.
wawel78
June 20th, 2010
11:33 pm
I’ll admit – I’m a huge Cox basher, ever since the horrible Leibrandt insertion. However, he is doing his best managing that I can remember. I don’t like it but he will probably put McLouth back in the lineup.
I am tired of the KK bashing. He has been a solid 4 or 5 starter, he’s just not getting the wins. I am amazed at how many bash him and leave Lowe alone. Maybe he wasn’t worth 24 mill, but I’ll tell you this – I would take 2 of him for a total of $16 mill over what Lowe.
PlusSizeModel
June 20th, 2010
11:45 pm
“He is doing the things his misguided critics have long slammed him for not doing.”
Right, and they’re winning. If this is the case, how were his critics “misguided”?
Matt the Brave
June 20th, 2010
11:47 pm
I think that you’re absolutely right on a couple of points. First of all, this is by far the best bench that the Braves have had in years. We have major versatility in players. This was best shown when we had Brandon Hicks come in to play SS, then move over to 2nd with Prado moved to 1B. This is also apparent with Infante.
Second point is that pulling Kawakami in the 3rd isn’t a good sign for him. I don’t think they’ll just drop him, but I’m not exactly sure if he’ll not be traded in the next week or so.
Schultzie, do you think that the Braves will make any trades by the deadline? I’m not sure if we really should…
Bill
June 20th, 2010
11:59 pm
Its about time ! I will agree Bobby has been a different Mgr this year and the Players have played with more desire than before. As for TP “@*@” I have nothing good to say. Hire Fredi when Bobby is gone.
Boatdoc
June 21st, 2010
12:00 am
Wawel – The Leibrandt “relief” was probably the first time I remember consciously thinking “oh no…. Bobby that is NOT the move to make”.
Interesting that Leibrandt’s salary ($1.8 mil) was more than Glavine, Smoltz and Steve Avery combined that year ($1.16 mil).
I no longer suffer delusions that my baseball insight is superior to the Hall of Fame Manager.
PMC
June 21st, 2010
12:19 am
Well done Jeff, Anyone in that position is going to have some calls they’d like back.
That said, Bobby Cox has proven that he can win with virtually any kind of team if they can get enough quality pitching.
Give this man halfway decent players and good pitching he will find a way to put them in positions to succede.
PMC
June 21st, 2010
12:21 am
The things they are doing and trying this year is what makes National League baseball freaking awesome.
Honestly this is refreshing.
PMC
June 21st, 2010
12:23 am
They’ve always had baserunners the last 3 years, they just couldn’t get them in. Seeing these squeeze bunts just marvelous.
rekingball
June 21st, 2010
12:33 am
What does Leibrandt’s salary have to do with Cox putting him in against Puckett, in 91?
rekingball
June 21st, 2010
12:39 am
ChopChop and Mitchell……you both concur that you are spoiled when it comes to the Braves winning.
I have to agree with you.
You should have been around from 1966 to 1990. They finish over .500 only seven times during that period.
Ed Norton
June 21st, 2010
12:43 am
DIDN’T HAVE THE PLAYERS TO DO WHAT HE WANTED TO BEFORE?! Are you including the several years he had a Hall of Fame pitching staff and won ONE World Series? When presented with a team of comparable talent, your hero always finds a way to lose. But I can see how that constant stream of “C’mon Kid” and “Take ball four” makes him a brilliant strategist in your eyes.
Baldemar Huerta
June 21st, 2010
1:02 am
Good riddance won’t come fast enough. Booby should have been gone 4 years ago.
Ron
June 21st, 2010
1:04 am
“Bobby Cox is Jesus in Baseball cleats” Now if we could just nail him to a cross, have him rise from the dead and not return, that would be wonderful.
hoho
June 21st, 2010
1:47 am
well that should get some folks riled up RON- zing!
NO MORE BOBBY
June 21st, 2010
1:50 am
Take away starting KK and sticking with automatic out Nate in center and I would have to agree.
Coach (2011 or Bust)
June 21st, 2010
2:49 am
I would concur that Cox is doing an amazing job this season but not for any of the reasons already listed. My theory is…..
Cox knows he’s about to walk away from the game he loves and has been involved in for the better part of fifty years. So to say that the man knows whats what is a no-brainer. I think Bobby is just having fun and letting it all hang out, and the man has nothing to prove or lose. He’s headed to Cooperstown on the first ballot with a couple of WS rings and a sterling reputation as one of the top five managers of all time.
Yes, the one WS in 1995 gets me ticked off too because of all the others that the Braves should have won. The man contributed to a one hit wonder in 1995, and we all know that the Braves of the nineties should have been the greatest baseball dynasty since the Yankees of the sixties.
That said, Cox is just relaxed in the dugout and the on field, and winning dirt ball the Braves are playing is a reflection of their manager. He’s pulling out all the stops and managing likes his hair is on fire. But in reality, Bobby is just having the time of his life. The team and coaches have noticed, and the fans are just now picking up on it.
I just wish that Cox had managed like this during the previous nineteen seasons. So in my personal opinion, Cox is one of the greatest managers the game has ever seen. He’s also incredibly overrated because winning fifteen divisions with all that talent is expected. Coming up short in fourteen out of fifteen post season appearances is a trend.
The only thing that will change my opinion of Bobby as a one hit wonder in the post season would be winning it all again in 2010. Then I’ll stop calling Cox a one trick pony. By the way, I love the guy because Bobby Cox is a genuinely warm human being who is humble to a fault. Which makes the man truly wonderful regardless of his regular season or post season records.
TheAntiMe
June 21st, 2010
3:59 am
That dumb ole Bobby Cox. ANYBODY can win games with Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz in the starting rotation. Wait, you mean they’re not playing for the Braves this season? Nevermind!!!!!
Southside
June 21st, 2010
4:30 am
I watched KK’s 3rd inning and he was just grooving his pitches like it was bp. Wren needs to just cut the guy loose and give one of the kids at Gwinnett a shot. It damn sure would not be any worse than 0-9 and and ERA almost as big as his hat size.
Paddy
June 21st, 2010
6:34 am
BC is managing now like he did for the Syracuse Chiefs, only with alot more experience. He was always a guy who had IT. Everybody could see it after just a short time. We in ATL are very fortunate.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
June 21st, 2010
7:07 am
it was good to see Bobby pull KK early- KC could’ve opened up that game and put many runners on the board. kudos to the bullpen for holding it down.
turkeycaller
June 21st, 2010
7:37 am
Hope Cox goes out in style . Obvious that most players like playing for him but I also think he spawned an atmosphere of complacency and lack of spirit and drive after the Turner money was no longer there. Never have thought he was a great manager in game mgt. or having that feel for doing something that would positively affect the outcome of a game for his team. One must admit he has been successful but with some of the teams the Turner money helped procure and farm raise he should have been. Just will be glad to see him go.
John
June 21st, 2010
8:11 am
Schultz,
If 39 games a season made, then hell yes, Bobby Cox has redeemed himself in the eyes of of the misguided wretches like me who bray about his .500 post season record (overall) and the fact that his teams are 2-8 in their last 10 World Series games. All that in spite of a talent assemblage second to none (OK, OK – second to few).
As a certified Cox-basher, I’m tickled as hell to see the see the Braves over-achieving for a change. For sure, he’s contributing to the success with his new-found love of small ball. I’m also one superstitious bastard, so I don’t want to jinx things.
But if/when the Braves make the playoffs and if/when they acquit themselves respectably (for a change) then my blasphemous words uttered in vain all these years against BC will be my first meal.
But in the meantime, if anybody wants to join the Cox bashers, don’t be intimidated by the certification test. It ain’t that hard. Even though you gotta score a 100, there’s only one question:
1. Does Bobby Cox suck as a manager?
a. Yes
b. Yes
c. Yes
d. All of the above
Walker, Texas Ranger
June 21st, 2010
8:12 am
In the news, In a freak accident, a man named Ron was struck by lightning while lying in his bed.
Shug
June 21st, 2010
8:17 am
Mr. Cox has been a manager for nearly 30 years and for the majority of those years has coached his team to regular season success. However, in those 30 years he’s managed just one championship. So don’t start lauding him again. Please talk to me at the end of October.
I’ve got to go now, Gene Mauch is on the line.
Walker, Texas Ranger
June 21st, 2010
8:17 am
Great article, I think BC is doing his best job but a lot has to do with having dirt players and a lot more speed. I remeber in the early 90’s we did a lot more running but we had Otis. I think that is where baseball is heading, back to the speed game because pitching may be at its altime best.
Andy G
June 21st, 2010
8:20 am
It has certainly been a fun and exciting season thus far. Bobby is making the right decisions, but, just as importantly, the players are buying in and executing. You can’t coach Prado getting 2 hits every game or Glaus with all those clutch hits and RBIs. If Lowe misses the squeeze bunt, Bobby doesn’t look so smart. Let’s hope the good play continues…
Eric Dye in Brazil
June 21st, 2010
8:30 am
Vino Fino says it BEST…..”Nice article Jeff! This could certainly turn out to be Bobby’s finest season. His team is playing the most inspired baseball I’ve seen from an Atlanta club in years, and you just get the sense that every last player is going to do whatever it takes to send Bobby out on top. This is a lot of fun to watch!”
Pi$$onaDawg
June 21st, 2010
8:52 am
Bobby is coaching like the College coaches! Forcing the players to make plays and react to what the Braves are doing.
j
June 21st, 2010
8:54 am
Don’t send Kawakami to the pen, don’t send him to the minors either…Send his @$$ back to Japan. I am sick of this a-hole giving up runs the minute they get him a lead. I hope he takes his defenders with him.
DaveinNEPA
June 21st, 2010
9:05 am
Ok JS, I’ll agree with you that Bobby has been doing a better job this season.
That said, I still can’t support him like some can. All through the 90’s and early 00’s, this team underachieved big time and Cox was the common denominator. Too many times I watched this team lose postseason series to clearly inferior teams simply because the “sainted” manager couldn’t figure out a way to raise the intensity level.
His intense loyalty to players is also his biggest weakness in that sometimes the loyalty is to the detriment of the overall team. It took him 3 1/2 seasons to figure out just how good Martin Prado is because he was overly loyal to Kelly Johnson. That’s just 1 example out of many.
So we’re manufacturing runs a little this season. What I want to know is what took him so long. We might have had a postseason appearance last year if he had done things this way.
Tmac
June 21st, 2010
9:15 am
Nice fluff piece.
Just wait for a losing streak and the sentiment will change.
When things are going good, everything is good.
When things good bad, everyone sucks.
That’s how sports works and everyone in the media and on the field knows it.
rekingball
June 21st, 2010
9:16 am
Yeah it kind of looks like KK can’t pitch with a lead, he’s not use to it.
Navigator
June 21st, 2010
9:16 am
Here we go again, Cox is a freaking genius, rather than a hard headed old man. He didn’t manage this way early in the season when they went on a long losing streak. He adapted to a new strategy, because he was in fear his last season would be remembered as lost year run by a manager that should have retired years ago. Instead, he stops being that and is letting his team use all of their talent and confidence started to build. Don’t through out he always did this, because that is a lie!!
cattle dawg
June 21st, 2010
9:22 am
Whats boobby going to do when Mclouth comes off the dl?
TommyJack
June 21st, 2010
9:27 am
Those with medium, to little, baseball knowledge should stay away from posting on baseball threads. Stick to zits, baggy pants, tatts, I-phones, etc. Things you’re more familiar with.
extremus
June 21st, 2010
9:35 am
For all of the negative comments aimed at Bobby Cox for the lone World Series title, and all of the questions of whether the Braves had the right amount of fire to go with the professional atmosphere they consistently carried over the past fifteen years since the ‘95 Series, I think I can safely say one thing. We’ve been blessed among not only baseball franchises but among pro sports franchises the past twenty years. Most teams would give anything to have enjoyed even a fraction of those divisional and league titles and general great memories. Sure, there’s been heartbreak along the way, but guess what, we still have this season, and let’s enjoy the ride as long as we can. This team has brought an excitement and passion back to Turner Field that’s been missing since before Fulton County Stadium was bulldozed. Let’s get behind them, folks; the past is history, and as we could say in ‘91, these aren’t the “old” Braves anymore!
GO BRAVES!!!!!
Bill
June 21st, 2010
9:47 am
It’s a long season! Give Bobby Cox time. He’ll screw it up somehow. Very over rated manager. Good material with only moderate results!
Phil
June 21st, 2010
9:54 am
Looks like the Cox of old to me. Win the division and get blown away in the playoffs. Nothing new here. Cox is the losingest manager in post season history, looks like he may get to add to that illustrious title this year. Good riddance.
CanHewitt
June 21st, 2010
9:55 am
Kawakami hasn’t been as bad as his record indicates. He’s clearly a below average pitcher but he should’ve gotten a couple of wins by now. He’s had some tough luck even when he pitched well. Maybe they should switch his order with someone else. Let Hudson or Hanson pitch against other team’s David Prices. He’s probably lost his confidence in his stuff. He just needs a win to get his head back in.
Does Josh Childress fit into Hawks' plans? | Jeff Schultz
June 21st, 2010
9:59 am
[...] ♦ Bobby Cox doing one of his best managing jobs ever [...]
yo
June 21st, 2010
10:09 am
sorry but one world series championship in the last 20 seasons, granted the year the players were on strike probably would have been 2 but the man should have retired years ago..nice enough guy but being the first loser by finishing 2nd all those years doesn’t impress me that much
yo
June 21st, 2010
10:10 am
actually to be more honest, the front office should have fired him years ago instead of hanging on to honor him
yo
June 21st, 2010
10:11 am
if the Braves didn’t want to fire him they should have told him to manage the Gwinnett Braves but that he has to step down ..that is what is fair and true
Bill in VA
June 21st, 2010
10:12 am
One of the most encouraging things I saw Sunday was Omar Infante back in there and hitting well. Didn’t watch all the game. Did he look as good as the highlights I saw??
papadawg
June 21st, 2010
10:24 am
I can’t believe it. The last year of his career and he finally learns how to use small ball instead of relying on the homerun.
Bob Horners Broken Wrist
June 21st, 2010
10:39 am
I have to agree with those who say that you make your opponents argument Jeff. We’re misguided for saying that Bobby should have been doing this all along….especially in the playoffs? Are you that dumb that you don’t realize what you are saying? The biggest difference between this team and his division winning teams is that it is deeper on the bench and in the bullpen. Prado and Glaus may be among the best players Cox has ever coached but as a whole the starters on this team are slightly above average and REQUIRE you to play for every run you get. To sit back and wait for the 3run homer as is his standard MO, means you’re scared to make a move because you don’t trust your players or your own judgement…not the stuff of HOF’ers. I like Bobby but I will ALWAYS say he squandered great talent and opportunity because of stats, superstition and being scared to make a mistake. I’m glad he’s changing but that doesn’t change my opinion of him, it only proves his detractors were right and he wasn’t.
GTSteve
June 21st, 2010
10:43 am
He did Bill, double on the first pitch he saw, and a couple of good defensive plays
Don
June 21st, 2010
10:43 am
Mr. Shultz, you must be kidding.
Are you saying that the Braves would not have won more games if Bobby Cox had not made or failed to make several quetionable if not downright absurd moves this year?
Remember that it took him over 1/4 of the season to decide to give Hinske any playing time in the outfield when two of his outfielders (at that time) were producing nothing. Granted there was no guarantee that Hinske would produce – but with two outfielders producing nothing – it was absurd to wait 1/4 of the season and through a nine game losing streak to give Hinske any playing time and find out.
Remember that it took him even longer than that (even to the present) to give Infante any playing time in the outfield with two of his outfielders producing nothing for over 1/4 of the season and through a nine game losing streak. Again this was absurd with them producing nothing.
Remember he has kept Chipper in the 3rd spot in the batting order for two seasons with him hitting in the low .200s much of the time and with very poor RBI production for a third place hitter. (And I am not saying that Chipper should not have been in the lineup – just not in the 3rd spot.)
And the list could go on.
Surely, you do not think that these things has not cost the Braves some games this year.
For improvements that are obvious, it takes Bobby Cox months to do them, if at all.
Remember that it took him two years to decide to play Prado as a regular when the other guy was not producing and it was obvious to everyone that Prado should be playing.
Remember a pinch hitter named Norton last season.
Monday thoughts « Rowland's Office
June 21st, 2010
10:58 am
[...] Jun Jeff Schultz gives Bobby well-deserved kudos on the local organ’s web site. His main point is that Bobby is managing to the strengths of [...]
Don
June 21st, 2010
11:54 am
Sorry Mr. Shultz, I misread your heading:
Bobby Cox Doing One Of “His” Best Managing Jobs Ever.
I read it:
Bobby Cox Doing One of “The” Best Managing Jobs Ever.
One of “His” best managing jobs ever – perhaps so – but one of “His” best managing jobs ever – isn’t saying very much.
Roy Hobbs
June 21st, 2010
12:30 pm
As a lifelong Braves fan, it means alot to see my Hero’s go out on top of the game. Nothing more pleasing than seeing Chipper turn things around, Bobby show off a little bit, and have them both ride off into the sunset together.
Our heros are supposed to be bullet proof.
Tami
June 21st, 2010
1:01 pm
I LOVE this article! I think it’s a combination of having the players (finally!) to pull the strings and strategic moves Bobby’s always wanted, and that poker face line. Too funny! Because one wouldn’t think of Bobby to be that strategically calculating. And, then he smirks after Hinske’s compliment. I saw the video on that several times. Hysterical, but on the money. This is such a fun season!! I don’t want it to ever end!!
Blackberry Cobbler
June 21st, 2010
1:02 pm
The difference this year is not Cox, it’s the players.
It’s players like Prado, Heyward, Glaus, and Hinske that have a little fire and enthusiasm in their belly rather than the usual laid back and pick my nose attitude that Bobby Cox imparts.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s the players.
I’ve been watching Cox and the Braves for 25 years. Two squeeze plays in 25 years ain’t too much to ask.
If McLouth and Diaz get anywhere near the starting lineup again and if and KK remains in the rotation after JJ returns, then Cox will prove to us all once again that he’s really and old bafoon.
bfred
June 21st, 2010
1:08 pm
“Professional approach” = regular-season success, post-season death.
turkeycaller
June 21st, 2010
1:16 pm
BC, Accurate post.
The Mets, Marlins and Phils suck
June 21st, 2010
1:29 pm
Remember all that talk about Frank Wren not knowing what he was doing by bringing in certain players. Well the man is a freaking genius and maybe we shoudl have made that move sooner. He has given Bobby the pieces he needs to play aggressive. Bobby is doing a masterful job thanks to Wrenn pulling out all the stops.
JuniorBridgeman
June 21st, 2010
1:30 pm
Bobby Cox is having his finest managerial season to my recollection. Not that any of the others werent great, but the Braves started the year with their starting lineup retooled again (second time in two years), this time bringing in Troy Glaus, who some thought would be unproductive and a cant-miss rookie prospect with a ton of promise in(Jayson Heyward). Its one thing to have certain pieces to the puzzle, but the manager has to make the pieces fit in all the right places. Bobby has set this Braves lineup perfectly and they have come back to life continuously winning at a high percentage. The Braves now represent one of the best lineups in all of baseball and have one of the best records. Bobby Cox has played a HUGE role in that. I know that most fans of the Braves will remember Bobby for having a lot of talent and not maximizing that talent. The chapter is not closed on Bobby Cox. My closing script for Bobbys career is that I’m hoping that the Braves win the world series this year, Bobby decides to return for one more year and the Braves win the world series championship again next year so that Bobby can leave the game a winner having won back-to-back titles. Ive always considered Bobby Cox a BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIP manager, and he should have already accomplished that feat in 95-96, but the Braves/Yankees series in 96 didnt go as well as planned and Bobby never got that second consecutive championship in a row that I know he is capable of delivering. Maybe this time my theory will work. Good luck Bobby, you’re the best manager on the planet.
Tami
June 21st, 2010
1:32 pm
It’s beginning to feel like…..1995 again!
Tami
June 21st, 2010
1:35 pm
My closing script for Bobbys career is that I’m hoping that the Braves win the world series this year, Bobby decides to return for one more year and the Braves win the world series championship again next year so that Bobby can leave the game a winner having won back-to-back titles…
[ if what I tried to do doesn't work, I was trying to italicize in order to quote a blogger... ]
Amen, Junior! He can finally get that monkey off of his back.
Tami
June 21st, 2010
1:44 pm
@Bearcat & Jesse: I too have been wondering about Yunel, but as far back as last season. It appears to me that he gets himself into an “overconfident” zone while playing defense and tries to get fancy with his throws & leaps in the air. He’s likely watching too much MLB “Plays Of The Week” or something. All we want, Yunel, is CLEAN fielding. Nothing fancy….puh-leeze!!
Big Hitter
June 21st, 2010
2:00 pm
I think there needs to be a new tv channel where we follow all of these know-it-all types on their job and televise it. That way we could all blog about their mistakes and second guess them the following day. Like you idiot, you have to put the paper facing up for the fax to come out on the other side.
Baseballbuff
June 21st, 2010
2:10 pm
Bobby’s players are hitting in the clutch and otherwise executing when it counts. A clutch hit was all too rare for the post-season Braves of years past. Does this group really have that spark and passion that were seemingly missing before? So far so good.
AWJ
June 21st, 2010
2:12 pm
The Braves are on a roll and have had a very tough schedule in June. they have busted right through that tough June schedule. I think they have some of the confidence and swagger back that they have lost over the last couple of years. They have not lost a series since early May. If they continue to win 2 out of 3, they will make the World Series. I like their chances better in the playoffs when you shorten their rotation to Huddy, Hanson, and JJ. This could be a very fun summer!
JASon
June 21st, 2010
2:44 pm
Just because a team is playing good doesn’t mean the manager is doing a great job. Bobby Cox is old and detached, and his managerial style is nothing more than a routine. He doesn’t adapt to certain situations, he doesn’t look at each situation uniquely, and he relies on antiquated managing methods. So he called a squeeze play, and it worked. Ladidadida. This team’s success has nothing to do with that man.
Phil
June 21st, 2010
4:54 pm
“Ive always considered Bobby Cox a BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIP manager”
I don’t think the losingest manager in baseball post season history can be considered that at all.
chris
June 21st, 2010
8:52 pm
Bill, you took the words out of my mouth; While I feel TP is probably being groomed for it, Fredi would get more of the players’ respect and his demeanor fits well with the makeup of the younger players. Bobby has done a hell of a job every year he’s been here and all the nay sayers seem to have a short freaking memory of what the Braves were in the 1970s and 1980s. We can never enjoy success in Atlanta for some reason. Yea, we’ve have had 4 lean years in a row but thats after 14 division championships, four pennants and a world series. Some will never give Bobby credit but with this age of free agency and a gruop of owners who seem to be stingy with the checkbook he can only manage the players given- The one constant through all the ups and downs since run begain 1991 is Bobby C. He’ll be missed when he’s gone then we’ll have someone else to chop into pieces. This team has played their hearts out all year and most teams would hvae folded after a 9 game skid in April..the reason they did not is their manager didnt let them and guided them through the storm; now as the Mets and Phillies choke..go Braves
The Atlanta Braves: America’s Team Again | 7th Inning Stache, a Baseball Blog
June 22nd, 2010
10:40 am
[...] in the face of those who said that ‘the game had passed him by’. This is arguably the finest managerial job Bobby Cox has ever done. And if you wonder why I call Bobby a diaper undies coach (Charlie Manuel also has earned the [...]
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[...] ♦ Bobby Cox doing one of his best managing jobs ever [...]
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[...] ♦ Bobby Cox doing one of his best managing jobs ever [...]
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[...] ♦ Bobby Cox doing one of his best managing jobs ever [...]
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[...] ♦ Bobby Cox you do the single of his most appropriate handling jobs ever [...]