Bobby Cox on retirement: ‘Won’t hit me until the last game’
A pregame ceremony: Bobby Cox absolutely hates these. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Bobby Cox tries not to think about it. It’ll be tough, given that everybody will be asking from now until October. And the man who hates doing even an on-camera interview cringes — really, he cringes – at the thought of going into St. Louis, say, and being handed a parting gift in a pregame ceremony staged by the Cardinals.
“I didn’t want anything to do with that type of thing,” he said Tuesday. “My preference was always to just announce [his retirement] after the season, but then I figured, ‘If I don’t do it now [meaning make the announcement on Sept. 23, 2009 that 2010 was to be his final season], I’d probably keep managing — somewhere else if not here.”
As it stands, this is it. One more summer and then sit back and wait for the call from Cooperstown. And do lots of traveling, spend time with the many grandchildren, offer the Braves an opinion on baseball whenever they ask. “I’m still going to be connected,” he said. “That eases the pain of not being on the field and being involved in a game.”
Cox will turn 69 in May. He has worked other jobs — on the farms and at a raisin-dehydrating plant back in his native California, and one offseason he even sold cars. (Times were different then. Professional ballplayers, even big-leaguers, had to find work in the winter.) But the man’s primary occupation has been baseball since he was 18.
“I made $7,200 my first year [with the big-league Yankees], and I couldn’t break even. Then they raised the minimum salary to $9,000, and I could. And then along came Marvin Miller [the lawyer who filed the groundbreaking lawsuit on behalf of Curt Flood] the next year, and everything changed.”
On this January morning Cox was in his office at Turner Field, making the first preparations for his final trip to Lake Buena Vista as Braves manager. He has been traveling the past two weeks, first to Puerto Vallarta for the annual getaway, then to Wilmington, N.C., to help one of the many grandchildren situate herself in college. His next sojourn will be the drive to Florida on Feb. 13, six days before pitchers and catchers report. When it’s baseball, Cox is invariably the first to arrive.
Come October, however, he’ll be leaving. He’s not treating 2010 any differently than 1980 or 1995 or 2009. He’s going to Disney to stitch together a ballclub, and then he’ll fight for that aggregation the way he has fought every pitch of every game of every season. And will the final time around be soaked in melancholy?
“I honestly don’t think it will. It won’t hit me until the last game … the last pitch, really … Hopefully that will be in the World Series.”
How might it be next winter, with no roster to stitch together? “It’ll be different. But I’ll stay involved [with the Braves] in some tiny capacity. I’ll get to see the games, and I’ll help in any way I can, but mostly I’m going to stay out of the way.”
We’ll delve into Cox’s thoughts on the 2010 Braves tomorrow, but we’ll leave it today with the source of 151 early exits for this manager. Namely, umpires. Is Cox expecting a going-away present from the guys who’ve so often sent him away?
“Get out of here,” he said, amiably. Then this: “I’ve always that a player or a manager or a coach would do anything to help an umpire in distress. That’s a rough job.”
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131 comments Add your comment
Benjamin
January 26th, 2010
12:54 pm
First!
Benjamin
January 26th, 2010
12:55 pm
I’ve been waiting weeks for that, MB. WEEKS!
(I’ll be at Bobby’s last game. Always loved the guy… despite his flaws, he’s as big a part of Atlanta sports history as anyone, in my opinion.)
jimmy
January 26th, 2010
12:55 pm
bobby will be missed
mmgtfan
January 26th, 2010
12:59 pm
Mark you have posted blogs at one in the morning for two nights in a row. Livin la Vida loca I see
Clay
January 26th, 2010
1:02 pm
Can’t wait for his book, “How To Manage the Most Talented MLB Team for 14 Years and Win Just One World Series!”
Memphis Mike
January 26th, 2010
1:03 pm
The following sentence makes me wonder if there was pressure on him to retire.
“I’d probably keep managing — somewhere else if not here.”
ASHEVILLE DAWG
January 26th, 2010
1:05 pm
Enter your comments here
Brian Asselstine
January 26th, 2010
1:05 pm
I’ll miss watching him pick his nose in the dugout.
Neutral fan
January 26th, 2010
1:07 pm
Who is Curt Floor?
ASHEVILLE DAWG
January 26th, 2010
1:09 pm
6th is as close as i can get. Good luck Bobby in your final season, and may the speculation start on who will replace him. Terry Pendleton’s my guess.
ASHEVILLE DAWG
January 26th, 2010
1:11 pm
Curt Flood of the Cardinals.
Bob Yarbrough
January 26th, 2010
1:11 pm
Class people are hard to find in this day & time, if there is a claas person, Bobby Cox is that man. He has meant so much to the Atlanta Braves. I am proud to have watched him for all these many years.
Who cares...
January 26th, 2010
1:13 pm
…you’re talking about baseball during football and basketball seasons!!!!
BravesFanLostInOhio
January 26th, 2010
1:20 pm
Dear “Who Cares”
It’s always baseball season. But, yes, the part with the games is better.
AndyC
January 26th, 2010
1:22 pm
I agree with Bobby. It would have been better not to say he was retiring so he wouldn’t have to deal with all that pregame ceremony crap at each ballpark. They only do it because they feel like they have to. I hate that kind of stuff too.
Howdybob
January 26th, 2010
1:22 pm
Hey, WHO CARES.. IF you not, why are you posting comment in here. use your times wisely!
whiskey bottle
January 26th, 2010
1:24 pm
I got a stick here that all the bobby cox haters can sit on……..if you don’t love bobby cox…..you might as well burn your braves gear because you are not a true fan of the braves
Brian Asselstine
January 26th, 2010
1:24 pm
I wonder if Bobby will shave his eyebrows for his final season. That would be cool and probably rally the troops.
messin with sasquatch
January 26th, 2010
1:25 pm
so in honor of this, will he set a new single season record for managers getting tossed?
Mark Biles
January 26th, 2010
1:29 pm
Certainly will miss Bobby Cox. You can say what you want to about him, but he certaily is a winner and he obviously was well respected by his players. For this Braves fan since the late 60s, I can say for certain that no Braves manager has ever been as successful and I doubt any future Braves manager will ever be as successful as Bobby was.
Gerry
January 26th, 2010
1:34 pm
God bless Bobby Cox we love you Bobby
wheelz007
January 26th, 2010
1:35 pm
Bobby’s a real class act.
collegeballfan
January 26th, 2010
1:38 pm
“Can’t wait for his book, “How To Manage the Most Talented MLB Team for 14 Years and Win Just One World Series!”
Sir, I cannot wait until I read your book, “How to Be Totally Ignorant of Baseball, And Not Know It”.
Brian Asselstine
January 26th, 2010
1:38 pm
Bobby gave me a pinch of copenhagen at QT one time.
Blackberry Cobbler
January 26th, 2010
1:38 pm
Cox retirement– can’t come soon enough!!!!!!!!!
Marty
January 26th, 2010
1:38 pm
I’ve been a Braves fan since 1980. I remember the great days of Dale Murphy, Jerry Royster, Bob Horner, Biff Pocoroba, etc. Those were great memories. But the greatest time started with a Sid Bream slide into home plate. My memories include the Lemmer, Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Avery, Gant, Justice, etc…and BOBBY COX. You cannot be a true Braves without being a Bobby Cox fan. If you do hate him, please go root for the Redskins because you don’t know baseball. Period.
Jason Timberlane
January 26th, 2010
1:48 pm
Hey Bob Yarbrough,
If Bobby Cox is your definition of class, you must live in the most rat-infested trailer park in Georgia.
Roger McDowell = Mike Vick of Pitching Coaches
January 26th, 2010
1:49 pm
Bring Back Leo Mazzone.
Bruce Mac
January 26th, 2010
2:06 pm
College Ball Fan, Clay’s book will be: “How to prepare at Big Mac correctly and anonymously criticize those successful people around me”.
Clay
January 26th, 2010
2:06 pm
Yeah, Bob Yarbrough, slapping your wife is very, very classy.
Space Monkey
January 26th, 2010
2:06 pm
Why on Earth did he come back to manage this load of crap?
Clay
January 26th, 2010
2:08 pm
So, Bruce Mac, did you not just do the same thing?
bvillebaron
January 26th, 2010
2:09 pm
Stop with the comments about how you allegedly can’t be a Braves’ fan without being a Bobby Cox fan. I was a Braves fan BEFORE Cox was the manager and will remain one after he retires. Bobby has good attributes which primarily are his ability to keep everyone on the team involved during the regular season. However, he has only been a fair, at best, strategic manager during the post season. Slice it any way you want to, but the fact remains that the man had some tremendously talented teams, headed by a rotation that featured 3 Hall of Famers, and won exactly ONE World Series in 14 straight tries. Given that reality, there are ample grounds, Collegeballfan and others, to know a little bit about baseball and not feel that Bobby Cox is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Clay
January 26th, 2010
2:13 pm
Collegeballfan, please enlighten me as to how I am totally ignorant of baseball, by stating a fact? Or did I miss the other World Series championships?
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2010
2:14 pm
I think you can be a Braves fan without being a Bobby Cox fan. But it must be hard.
Herschel Talker
January 26th, 2010
2:14 pm
Fire Booby the Donkey. The team has no chance next year with this moron as manager. Bring back Fredi Gonzalez.
Herschel Talker
January 26th, 2010
2:15 pm
Yes, Mark it is hard to be a Braves fan and to realize the horrible manager that we have. Very frustrating.
darrel cheney
January 26th, 2010
2:19 pm
Wish I could have played for bobby. Then maybe I wouldn’t have booted so many balls.
Stadium Cleaning Service
January 26th, 2010
2:21 pm
We won’t miss sweeping up all of those buggers …
Hillbilly Deluxe
January 26th, 2010
2:23 pm
“I’ve always that a player or a manager or a coach would do anything to help an umpire in distress. That’s a rough job.”
Isn’t there a word missing there or something?
Bruce Mac
January 26th, 2010
2:25 pm
Clay, I doubt you are going into the Hall of Fame but if you are I apologize.
pryguy
January 26th, 2010
2:25 pm
Bradley,
I always give you a hard time about your pieces. I cannot even come to mention any negativity toward this. Bobby Cox has been such an integral part to this organization and I have nothing but the utmost respect for him as a person and a manager. I just hope in his final year the Braves can send him out on top. I am still a little skeptical of the offense, but if Glaus and Chipper return to form it should be an effective collection of hitters.
Benjamin
January 26th, 2010
2:26 pm
In my opinion, the “one World Series ring” thing is way, wa-a-a-ay overplayed. That fourteen run of baseball dominance was something that had never been done before, and will likely never be done again. Bobby should be credited for that more than denied credit because he only won one ring.
Had it not been for Cox, Schuerholz, and some of the guys who guided the ball club to that level, the Chuck Tanners and Russ Nixons of the world would’ve had us go through the nineties as the Pittsburgh Pirates/Kansas City Royals of today. We would’ve been talking about one of the colossal losers in the history of sport rather than a franchise that set a standard for excellence, even if they fell short in short serieses. As a fan, I’m incredibly proud of what the Braves accomplished; it may never happen again.
gcs
January 26th, 2010
2:27 pm
How do we know he’s not going to pull a “Favre”?
.
Benjamin
January 26th, 2010
2:27 pm
…and it was actually longer than 14 — lol — 1991-2006, minus the strike season…
We were incredibly fortunate to get to see those guys in the mix every October. And Bobby played a very large part in all of that.
Benjamin
January 26th, 2010
2:28 pm
Favre isn’t 69, GCS.
Old Dawg
January 26th, 2010
2:31 pm
I’m real tired of reading and hearing these fans who sit back and criticize Bobby for only winning one
World Series with much a more talented team. You all forget that the other playoff teams were also
very talented teams. It’s funny how “our” players are perceived to always be better, whether it be
the Braves or UGA. The one thing I noticed in the playoff games during those glory years was that
Glavine & Maddux didn’t get the borderline pitches like they did in the regular season (probably)
because the umpiring was subjected to the microscope a little more. At any rate, Bobby is revered
by his peers who know a lot more about baseball than all the second-guessers out there who
obviously who could manage a major league team if they chose to.
lanier
January 26th, 2010
2:32 pm
Thank god no more Leibrant to Puckett. hope Leo didnt have anything to do with that
gcs
January 26th, 2010
2:32 pm
He’s pretty close!
.
DZ
January 26th, 2010
2:33 pm
Bobby Cox on retirement: ‘Won’t hit me until the last game’:
I guess that will be October 3, 2010.
Hillbilly Deluxe
January 26th, 2010
2:38 pm
Chuck Tanner has been a World Series winning manager, too.
todd grantham
January 26th, 2010
2:44 pm
if i had had the talent to be a major leaguer, without a doubt Bobby Cox would be the manager i would have wanted to play for. even to his occasional detriment, he is the epitome of loyalty.
TNT
January 26th, 2010
2:50 pm
Free Heyward
Skeezix
January 26th, 2010
3:08 pm
A since future hall of famer. Bobby’s one of the best when it comes to game management, game strategy and player motivation. I will miss him. He has had meager talent the last few years , but has gotten the best he could out of them.
Starring Kam Fong as Chin Ho
January 26th, 2010
3:11 pm
The Massengill douche company has just announced its new scent “clay”. It’s named after an AJC blogger who has repeatedly cleansed this board of intellect.
Jay
January 26th, 2010
3:12 pm
Why do so many people forget the fact that in the World Series both teams are pretty good? I remember alot of tight post season games the Braves lost because the other team got the big hit or thier pitcher got the big out. How is that a knock against Bobby?
BravesCox
January 26th, 2010
3:16 pm
I will just state that it will be very different looking into the Braves dugout without Bobby Cox. He is the face of this franchise and I pitty the Manager that has to take over for him.
Craig
January 26th, 2010
3:31 pm
THANKS BOBBY FOR BEING THE GREATEST MANAGER OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!FROM WORST TO FIRST LOOK AT THIS CROWD!!!!!!!LETS PUT ONE MORE RING ON HIS FINGER COME ON BRAVES!!!!!DAYOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!GO BRAVES!!!!
paw paw
January 26th, 2010
3:33 pm
All you Bobby Cox haters can kiss my _ _ _!!! He will go down as the Braves best managers.His players are as much at fault as you blame him. Sure all managers have made mistakes but i assure you he is one of the best.Just ask his palyers over the years. A hardass approach just doesnt work.If we had the yankees money we would be there to. My hat is off to him and I will surely miss him. All you so called fans dont remember the 70s and 80s. If you got that much to bitch about get another team to root for. Just dont let T.P. replace Bobby. Thanks for all you have done B.C
john
January 26th, 2010
3:44 pm
Bobby Cox will go down as one of the top managers of all time. Being a Braves fan since 1958 I have shared the up’s and way down’s. I’ll guarantee you any World Series champ will trade one ring for 14 championship years. That one ring could have easily been two or three. Bobby can’t go out there and run for Lonnie Smith or pitch for Charlie Liebrant, or Mark Wholers. All he can do is put them in the best position to win and he’s done that year after year, even with less that quality talent. Give the man his due, he has been a fantastic manager who will be missed. Good luck to you and God Speed, bobby.
san diego dawg
January 26th, 2010
3:51 pm
For all of you Cox haters that claim to be Braves fans, just remember:
There will never be another Hank Aaron
There will never be another Skip Caray
There will never be another Dale Murphy
There will never be another Bobby Cox
Enjoy greatness while you can witness it. This will make fonder memories.
Clay
January 26th, 2010
4:05 pm
I, for one don’t hate Bobby Cox. I just don’t think he is one of the greats of the game. I believe there are scores of other managers who could have replicated what Bobby did with the Braves, and at least a half-dozen current managers who could have done better. Not a hater. Just don’t think he was or is a great manager. My opinion.
GSU Eagle 91
January 26th, 2010
4:12 pm
Bobby is a great guy…But the Braves have been nothing if not MEDIOCRE for 10 years now…I feel it is time for a firey skipper who works the players as hard as he does the umpires…My vote will be for Terry Pendleton…
And the Braves had the MOST talent in the 1990’s…Earl Weaver and Bobby Cox are joined at the hip with 1 WS ring…..
hal
January 26th, 2010
4:16 pm
to the guy suggesting pendelton as a replacement yea that makes sence seeing he cant even teach hitting im sure hes very familiar with all the other important nuances of baseball makes exacly as much sence as sighning loaf last season and i suspect for the same lame reason lol if we want to speculate i think the marlins mgr has ties to the braves im not sure think hes only sighned down there through next season but that would make too much sence i guess
Herschel Talker
January 26th, 2010
4:27 pm
FIRE BOOBY! HE SUX! DON’T LET HIM STAY FOR ANOTHER YEAR TO TRAIN WRECK THIS TEAM. SEND HIS SORRY BUTT OUT TO PASTURE. I BET FREDI GONZALEZ GETS US A WORLD SERIES WITHIN A FEW YEARS OF BOOBY’S DEPARTURE. BOOBY SUX!!!
FIRE BOOBY!!!
FIRE BOOBY!!!
FIRE BOOBY!!!
FIRE BOOBY!!!
FIRE BOOBY!!!
FIRE BOOBY!!!
FIRE BOOBY!!!
FIRE BOOBY!!!
Atlanta Stadium
January 26th, 2010
4:40 pm
And your manager…Bobby Cox
WinSomething
January 26th, 2010
4:42 pm
If there are managers that could have done the same thing Booby did for 14 years, why has no one ever done it before? The Yankees have had more talent over the past 14 years, not to mention the 20s-30s and the 50s, why didnt those team do it? Its not like winning 14 division titles is a small feat. Tony Larussa has something like 12 division titles in his whole career. Bobby has 10 seasons with 95 wins or more, 6 with 100 wins. 99.5% of all managers would trade career success with the man. How is he not great? Dont be a fool about it, we would all like more world championships, but the playoffs are a gamble for everyone. 1 of 14 isnt that great, but he put his teams in a position to win 14 times in a row, thats more than impressive.
Larry
January 26th, 2010
4:44 pm
1-14
This is the won/loss record of a Bobby Cox managed team in the last game (and, of course, series) the postseason (including one season with Toronto). That’s a .067 winning percentage in a do or die game with his only victory courtesy on a one hit shutout by Tom Glavine to win Bobby his only championship.
This is convincing, overwhelming and indisputable evidence of the absolute worst big, must win game manager in the history of the major leagues and the reason is simple even for the simplest of minds–Bobby Cox is the worst in-game, strategic decision making manager whose only managerial ability is to fill out a lineup card, hope for a three run homer coupled with shut out pitching, and hope that if he gets neither he isn’t forced to make any decisions during the game that a 1-14 record will manifest certain failure.
For all of you men who care anything about your wives and children, this spring, Summer and certainly early fall will be the perfect opportunity to take a year away from baseball. spend it with your family, and hope the Braves President and General Manager can find a person to reinvigorate this city and put people back into the seats again at Turner Field. They had their chance two years ago when Joe Girardi was available from the Marlins and blew it!
Hillbilly Deluxe
January 26th, 2010
4:46 pm
Those Yankee teams of the 50’s and the 20-30’s didn’t have divisions. They had to be the best in their league to go to post season.
Braves fan
January 26th, 2010
4:48 pm
Dawg, three out of four were greats, Caray was no hero……………………..
BravesFan86
January 26th, 2010
4:52 pm
In recent seasons I have had more reasons to boo bobby for his managing of the game. But nevertheless I still realize what all he has meant to the Braves Organization and will never forget him for it. Even tho hes had his ups and downs he still brought us our 1 and ONLY world championship in Atlanta! Thanks Bobby for all you have done and you better believe I will be at his last game!! Go Braves hope we prove the naysayers wrong this year!! Hope we can send bobby off on the right note…
Dominique Wilkins
January 26th, 2010
4:56 pm
The Braves is really a better team when they run and up the tempo.
F-105 Thunderchief
January 26th, 2010
4:56 pm
Sure, bash away. I’ll miss ol’ Bobby when he’s gone.
Bob Rathburn
January 26th, 2010
4:56 pm
I don’t think they’ve made the playoffs since 2005, ‘Nique.
Dominique Wilkins
January 26th, 2010
4:57 pm
That was a heat check, Bob.
Marc in FL
January 26th, 2010
4:57 pm
I’d by lying if I said I’ll miss Bobby more than Skip, but in the grand scheme of things, I’d miss either one more than my immediate family, so they’re both still pretty darn high on the list.
Bob Rathburn
January 26th, 2010
4:58 pm
Let’s go courtside with James Verrett.
Barnacle Bill Bavasi
January 26th, 2010
4:58 pm
I don’t have any World Series rings, so I’ll defer to Bobby Cox in decisions regarding my favorite team, the Braves.
James Verrett
January 26th, 2010
4:59 pm
Guys, Bobby Cox told me that Jeff Teague would play more minutes once Dominique learned to use proper English. Back to you, Bob.
Dominique Wilkins
January 26th, 2010
5:00 pm
Mark, was this article a heat check? It sure looked like one to me. I think the Hawks is playing great, but it could just be a heat check. What do you think, Mark?
Dominique Wilkins
January 26th, 2010
5:02 pm
The site just told me I needed a heat check.
Barnacle Bill Bavasi
January 26th, 2010
5:03 pm
What’s a heat check and does it have anything to do with nimbers?
Bob Horner had a sweet compact swing
January 26th, 2010
5:05 pm
san diego dawg What about me????? I hit 4 homeruns in 1 game…and I had great range at 3rd base on defense….
Dominique Wilkins
January 26th, 2010
5:05 pm
Well, Triple B, I don’t think….I’ve EVER seen a group of Hawks as athletically as these. But..but…don’t forget about Kevin Willis.
Dominique Wilkins
January 26th, 2010
5:06 pm
Bob, your fifth at bat was a heat heck.
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2010
5:13 pm
I actually used the phrase “heat check” during my daughter’s Upward League game last Saturday.
Clay
January 26th, 2010
5:14 pm
UPDATE FOR “WIN SOMETHING” …………… The Yankees did “do it” – 27 times.
Dominique Wilkins
January 26th, 2010
5:16 pm
And why didn’t you check with me on permission? That, sir, is copyright infringement. When you take on a shot blocker, you just into his chest…you’re right, Bob.
MitchC
January 26th, 2010
5:24 pm
Mark, I’ve been a Braves fan for 27 years, and I’ve always been a Bobby Cox fan. If I were a player, the two managers in baseball I would want to play for are Bobby Cox, and Joe Torre. Those guys have success, enjoy winning, and their players love them.
It will be very different, watching Braves baseball next year without Bobby in the dugout. Losing Smoltz after 20 years, Glavine after 16 years, Maddux after 11 years, all of those were major changes, but it won’t be as odd as watching Braves baseball without Bobby in the dugout. I’m 40 years old, and Bobby has been managing the Braves during this stint for half my life.
I obviously hope we win it all, but I’m not sure how realistic that is, given how good the Phillies and Yankees should be. My hope is that we can at least snare a wild card berth, and give Bobby a good showing in his last season, to send him away with at least another playoff appearance.
bravesfanbob
January 26th, 2010
6:04 pm
While Bobby Cox wasn’t the best on field manager, the games he lost on the field were far less than the games he won by his management off the field. He is by far, the best off the field manager in the history of baseball. A poll of major leaguers last year were asked, “Excluding your own manager, what manager would you want to play for?” Bobby Cox got 73% of the vote. Torre got 14% in second. All you people who hate him have your opinions, but I think I’ll take the word of people involved in the game. Thank you Bobby for a fantastic 2 decades, and by the way, you won more World Series rings than all of the other Atlanta managers combined. The intelligent Braves fans will sorely miss you!
stew
January 26th, 2010
6:34 pm
Bobby just couldn’t manage in the post season. During the regular season, we always had better 4th and fifth starters than the other teams. All his dumb moves were due to falling in love with an experienced player that was past his prime. He had his favorites. Among his dumb moves Jeff Reardon pitching to Ed Sprague in 92 and Wohlers going for a 2 inning save in 96 in game 4 when Bielecki closed out the Yanks in the seventh inning and should have pitched the eighth.
Bob Horner had a sweet compact swing
January 26th, 2010
7:24 pm
stew….Bobby plays for the 3 run homer….that doesn’t work in the WS….(just trying to shorten your synopsis) as far as pitching moves go…hindsight is 20-20
Hetch Hetchy
January 26th, 2010
9:15 pm
I’ll miss all the G-D’s and M-F’ers this and that he berates innocent umpires with. Wait… better than that…I’ll miss the, good christian, suckass radio retards like Buck Belue defending the anitchrist blatherings of good ole G-D M-Fing Bobby Cox.
NY Frenchy
January 26th, 2010
10:17 pm
Why didnt we sign Nady for 3 million, if hes healthy thats a steal, cheap azz owners hope theyre happy with another 3rd place finish, maybe 4th if the Marlins have a good year our outfield doesnt scare anyone except Braves fans!
Matt the Brave
January 26th, 2010
10:20 pm
You know, I don’t think that it’s any coincidence that the Braves were decent in the 80s with Bobby Cox in the driver’s seat and then when they moved him back into the dugout in 1990. Many of y’all don’t remember 100 loss seasons, going to games and being able to move to the 10th row, or teams where the best thing to look forward to was seeing teams that had big stars on them. I sincerely hope that the Braves scratch out the NL Championship this year. I know it’s probably a pipe dream with the hitting (although our pitching might be the best in the league).
Also, for his replacement, I would love to see the Braves at least interview Ryne Sandburg. He’s won at every level in the minors, but is stonewalled by Lou Piniella for the foreseeable future.
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2010
10:26 pm
I remember a 108-loss season, Matt. In 1988.
Javy Lopez/Vasquez
January 26th, 2010
10:27 pm
Let me wake up & realize, u guys traded me for freakin Melky C.??? OK my side hurts Im still laughing, I ll be going to the WS & u guys can watch me petch in the Series, Gracias Senor Wren u dumb azz Pendejo!
Tide Alum 91
January 26th, 2010
10:28 pm
I love the little whiners: “WAAAAH – HE HIT HIS WIFE, WAAAH HE ONLY WON ONE WORLD SERIES, WAAAAH, WAAAAH, WAAAAH……”
Ask anyone who knows anything about MLB and its a freakin’ LOCK – BOBBY COX IS ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREAT MANAGERS. Peter Gammons said he the best manager in the HISTORY of MLB.
You whiney knuckleheads crack me up……WAAAAAH, WAAAAAH, WAAAAAH.
I could really care less what a bunch of anonymous whiners post – the stuff I wrote above is just to shove your own crap back in your face.
Respond with a weak comeback – I will not read it/therefore not respond. Choke on it……
I am here all year long,
ROLL TIDE, BABY
Matt the Brave
January 26th, 2010
10:42 pm
Sadly, so do I.
I think Russ Nixon was manager. Never trust a Nixon. 
Savannah Skip
January 26th, 2010
10:46 pm
So, it’s game 162 of the 2010 season. There’s a really bad call in the first inning. Will Bobby go out there and get tossed in the final game of his career or will he hold back? Of course, is there an umpire out there with the stones to toss Bobby in the final game of his career?
Youngerthan Thatnow
January 26th, 2010
10:51 pm
I was taught to honor and respect those considerably older than myself and those in authority, and I think it is WRONG to show such disrespect, not to mention a total lack of class, to someone like Bobby Cox. He is not perfect and makes mistakes, and I would wager my home that he would agree, and I’m sure that he says things in the heat of the moment that he regrets saying… but don’t we all.
Disagree with him, don’t like him or wish the Braves had won more World Championships with him as manager, but to show this kind of disrespect is not only shameful to you, but to your family and upbringing as well. Instead of damning him for winning only one championship, why don’t you try being thankful for the good things that he has done for not only the Braves but for Atlanta as well… and really you can add the southeast to this since the Braves were the only team in the southeast for most of these years.
Personally, I’ll miss him in a lot of ways, but if the Braves have a chance to hire a manager that wins half of the division titles that Bobby has won over the next twenty years, everyone here would jump at the chance to hire that man. You can’t win National League pennants or World Series championships until you win your division or get in as a wild card team.
Everyone here would have liked to have won more than one title but the teams that the Braves have played were pretty good teams too, and baseball is a game where you don’t necessarily have to be the best team… you just have to be the best team on that particular day.
And look at how many different teams the Braves faced in all of those pennant and/or world title games. The one constant team was the Braves, and one manager managed all of those Braves team… and his name is Bobby Cox.
THANK YOU BOBBY COX AND I HOPE THE REST OF YOUR YEARS ARE WONDERFUL AND REWARDING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!
Stumpknocker
January 26th, 2010
11:00 pm
Tide Alum 91: I don’t give a crap what Peter Gammons says. I was a Braves fan long before You were born…..and contrary to the belief of many of U wet-ears, a manager can and often does effect the outcome of a game. I can go back and show you over the years that B. Cox cost the team an average of 10 wins a season because of bone-headed BS and a lack of game strategy. In all the WS but one, he was grossly out-managed by the likes of Joe Torre, Cito Gaston and Tom Kelly.
curtis jones
January 26th, 2010
11:05 pm
So…he fought hard with every pitch last season? Let’s see. This is the same manager who relied on fire-starter Jeff Bennett until the idiot reliever took himself off the roster…Cox was too clueless to do it.
Let’s face it, if relief pitchers had been dogs, Cox would have shared a room with Mike Vick. He abused that bullpen.
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2010
11:32 pm
Nixon took over for Chuck Tanner in May 1988.
Matt the Brave
January 26th, 2010
11:49 pm
Truly makes it amazing to realize that we went from 108 losses to nearly 100 wins in two years. Granted, that was a lot of good trades and great drafting. It’s like a NFL team going from 2-14 to 14-2 in two seasons.
Jacob Allen
January 27th, 2010
12:11 am
Good Luck Bobby! Once more, into the breach, once more. May this one bring home the trophy and rings of the World Series. May this be the one!!!!
Reid Adair
January 27th, 2010
12:15 am
For all of the haters, Bobby Cox has left his mark on the Atlanta Braves organization for history. And despite their claims, it is a positive mark.
Cox will be missed – and I am hoping (praying) that Frank Wren is not allowed to make the decision on who will replace Cox.
Matt C.
January 27th, 2010
12:35 am
Hey Herschel Talker, it’s time for you to shut up.
Tweets that mention Bobby Cox on retirement: 'Won't hit me until the last game' | Mark Bradley -- Topsy.com
January 27th, 2010
12:52 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mark Bradley, Mick Hunt. Mick Hunt said: Bobby Cox on retirement: 'Won't hit me until the last game' http://bit.ly/bRHs5a [...]
Requiem for The Brave « Rowland's Office
January 27th, 2010
1:03 am
[...] by atlmalcontent If you’re a true Braves fan this Mark Bradley column will make you a little sad. “It won’t hit me until the last game … the last pitch, really … [...]
BosnianBaller
January 27th, 2010
1:07 am
If Braves don’t make the Playoffs will Wren be fired so a new GM can pick a new coach?
Najeh Davenpoop
January 27th, 2010
1:36 am
The last time someone other than Bobby Cox managed the Braves, I was too young to remember it. It is going to be really, really weird to see someone else managing the Braves. Yeah, he had his flaws, but under his leadership the Braves became the class of the league and won the only pro sports championship this city has ever seen. I’m not about to hate on that.
You're Kidding Me
January 27th, 2010
2:26 am
Bet you Cox whinners will miss Bobby after next season. You won’t have him to bitch about…But, being the whinners you are you’ll transfer your great experise of opinion to the next manager. Enjoy your negative opinions to which you are entitled. Let’s go Braves and go Bobby Cox right on to the Hall of Fame. The whinners don’t have a vote. The fans have appreciation.
Coach (2011 or Bust)
January 27th, 2010
3:06 am
Bobby Cox, an excellent human being who has made baseball a much better game. Six is going into Cooperstown on the first ballot. The man who is a husband, father, grandfather, friend, leader, Brave, professional baseball player, manager and example to us all on how to live life. O yea, forgot to mention his and the wife’s work on behalf of animal lovers everywhere. Bobby even likes umpires although it’s not always mutual except when it comes to respect.
As for the one World Championship and fifteen playoff teams while fifth all time in wins as a manager, Braves fans have to take the bad with the good (1995) even if the sting of 91-92-96 and 99 will never quite go away. Best wishes for one more run at glory and a long overdue retirement.
Bham Braves fan
January 27th, 2010
6:01 am
The next manager will discover that the people who told you what was wrong with your predecessor will become your earliest and harshest critics. No manager is perfect, but Bobby Cox leaves a great record, and the right response is simple enough: “Good job.”
Bobby Cox on the 2010 Braves: 'We can do some damage' | Mark Bradley
January 27th, 2010
7:39 am
[...] with the big club on Opening Day 2010, he’ll have other years. For Cox, this is it. He’s retiring at season’s end, and he’s hoping the end arrives in the World Series. And here Cox is asked one of those [...]
38YrBravesFan
January 27th, 2010
8:09 am
Bobby is a class act and he will be missed. It’s hard to imagine watching the Braves without hearing his cheerleading for the batters, and his antics with the umpires. Though I think one of his minor league coaches set the mark on the wall a while back for that…
22 Days!
GO BRAVES!!
Derek B
January 27th, 2010
9:30 am
Mark,
I thought the Braves worst season was 54-106 (’86 or ‘87)? At least from my memory
MacMarine
January 27th, 2010
9:44 am
Well I am one of the Bobby Cox haters and I have been a Brave fan since 1956 and I truly love the braves, BC is a good person and I dont hate him as a person but only as a manager. I will not burn any gear and I will continue to be a Brave Fan, but I am also glad to see him go. Most people have forgot more about baseball than Peter Gammons will ever know, so I wouldn’t take what he says as gospel. HePeter Gammons to me is the Dick Morris of baseball, always commenting but nebver getting anything right.
Rich Mckay
January 27th, 2010
10:57 am
people can knock bobby if they want, but the man has run a class organization for 20 years without an major incidents. With bobby at the helm it was always a baseball team not a circus. You haters are going to miss that. Besides he won one, so many great players and coaches never made it happen.
billy mccawley
January 27th, 2010
11:00 am
Good Luck Bobby and THE BRAVES!!!!!!!!!!!
Bravo1
January 27th, 2010
11:24 am
Bobby Cox is an icon in Atlanta. Five years after he retires he will be immortalized in Cooperstown. Thank you Bobby.
YOUR GOING TO HATE LIFE
January 27th, 2010
1:54 pm
Al you Cox haters are really going to whine when the Braves are without him and losing 100+ games again. Love you Bobby see you in the Hall
eltrompoBRAVESfan
January 27th, 2010
4:34 pm
Love ya Bobby! My fondest memories of the Braves and Atlanta will include BC. It’s going to be a depressing final game of the regular season for sure. I wonder how hard it’ll be to get a ticket for that game!
And I have to echo some of the comments earlier towards Cox haters…..any bids as to how long it’ll take for these same whiners to start commenting how they wish Bobby was back?
Tomy Fournier
January 27th, 2010
4:49 pm
I can”t wait for the 2011 baseball season…NO MORE “MORON” COX…WAO!!!!WILL BE “GREAT”!!!!
Just Pat
January 27th, 2010
8:53 pm
The Braves and Bobby Cox have done something that no other team…..basketball, football or baseball have ever done before. That alone says something about this organization whether it be for the players OR for Bobby Cox.
Don
January 28th, 2010
9:13 am
Granted Bobby Cox is a players manager (who basically does not try to control, instruct, teach or make any restrictions or demands on the way they do things) and thus is liked by the players and maintains good team spirit etc. Therefore, he was able to ride one of the best Pitching Staffs in baseball history that was far far superior to the other teams (along with other good talent) to Division wins over the long 162 game schedule in spite of his management procedures and lack thereof.
BUT DON’T YOU COX SUPPORTERS THINK:
(1) THAT It is a little strange that he was able to win only 1 WS out of 14 Post Season opportunities – even with that great pitching staff.
(2) THAT It is a tiny bit odd that season after season, he keeps some regular in the linup for months when it is obvious to everyone that he cannot perfor and that he has a better option on the bench.
(3) THAT It is just tad wierd that he does not seem to know that you can adjust your batting order up and down based on who is hot and who is not.
(4) THAT It is just a little unusual that a manager season after season would take some relief pitcher who cannot get anyone out and keep on using him out of the bullpen game after game after game.
(5) THAT It is just a bit unbelievable that a manager could manage for 20 plus years and not seem to know that if your 3rd place hitter (even though he is a former star) is in a prolonged slump – that you can move him down in the batting order.
(6) THAT it is just a little bit hard to believe that a manager with any amount of experience or at any level of basebaal (little league on up) does not understand that there are a variety of ways to produce runs rather than just be cheerleade and wait for a 3 run homer.
(7) THAT it is a tad unusual that a managr would continue to misuse his bullpen year after year after year.
(8) THAT he seems to have no understanding that a manager can adjust his lineup and his batting order based on who does great or terrible against certain opposing Pitchers.
(9) THAT it is just a bit unbelievable that a major league manager would base parts of his lineup – who he plays – on who he likes rather than on performance.
(10) AND MOST UNBELIEVABLE AND SIGNIFICANT OF ALL — THAT he seems have no understanding that the absolute essential to have maximum run production is for the manager to teach, emphasize, demand that hitters work the count, be selective, make the opposing pitcher throw some pitches.
AND THIS DOES NOT even get into his continuos blundering strategy moves.
Robert
January 28th, 2010
9:32 am
“One more summer and then sit back and wait for the call from Cooperstown”
Does Cooperstown need a donkey for their county fair?
Robert
January 28th, 2010
9:33 am
“How to Be Totally Ignorant of Baseball, And Not Know It”.
That’s another one Cox wrote
Don
January 28th, 2010
9:37 am
After being involved in baseball for over 60 years (player, coach, manager, fan); I have now changed my mind about the most amazing thing that I have ever seen.
It is truly amazing that there are so many Cox supporters when his incompetence has been so obvious in so many ways for so many years.
Don
January 28th, 2010
9:45 am
Mark:
As a supporter of Bobby Cox, why don’t you address the 10 things listed above in the post of 9;13 Am – that we find strange or difficult to understand relating to Cox???