Live from the ballyard: For Bobby Cox, the end really is nigh
He announced his plans to retire more than a year ago, and he and I have talked about it a half-dozen times since. But it didn’t really hit me until after the third game in Philadelphia last week, when the Philly and national writers stopped to shake his hand as they were leaving. Bobby Cox really is going away.
Love him or lampoon him, he has become part of our lives. He has managed the Braves since June 22, 1990, and we pause here to note that Georgia’s football coach on that distant date was Ray Goff, that Georgia’s basketball coach was Hugh Durham and that Juan Antonio Samaranch had not yet announced that the 1996 Summer Olympics were coming to “the city of Atlanta.”
Twenty years in the same job. Fourteen first-place finishes. One World Series title. (And only one, as his critics constantly remind us.) That’s a Hall of Fame resume, but sometimes I wonder if anyone around here can cut through the blather to see it.
It has become locally convenient to credit Bobby Cox for none of the games the Braves win while debiting him for every single loss. Anyone could have managed Glavine and Maddux and Smoltz, goes the line of thinking, except that no team in the history of sports has ever managed itself. (The Cubs had Mark Prior and Kerry Wood a few years ago — how’d those prized young arms turn out?)
And now we hear that Cox is culpable for his final club’s September slide, which again makes me wonder if I’m seeing the same doings as everyone else. With Chipper Jones hurt and Troy Glaus used up and Jair Jurrjens and Kris Medlen hurt and essentially an empty chair playing center field, does this look like a first-place team?
It isn’t Cox who has dragged the Braves down, I submit, but Cox who propped them up — 99 days in first place — so long. A lesser manager wouldn’t have kept this team buoyant after a poor April, but this manager kept believing in guys and tinkering with his lineup until something finally worked, and suddenly it was Memorial Day and the Braves were in first place.
We can and will quibble over his in-game decisions. That’s part of baseball. (As the famous baseball man Rocky Bridges had it: “There are three things the average American male thinks he can do better than anyone else: Build a fire, run a hotel and manage a big-league baseball club.”) I wouldn’t suggest that Cox never errs when it comes to tactics. Every manager does.
But I would suggest a team of such modest means that has conjured up 24 victories in its final at-bat has overcome both credulity and its modest means. I would suggest that these Braves rose so high for so long — and could well make the playoffs even now — because they were managed by a true believer. Who else would have stuck with Glaus into May?
Maybe Cox shouldn’t have bunted with Martin Prado against the Nationals last month. (He got mad at me for asking.) Maybe he should have redone his rotation to match Philly’s Big Three last week. (Although a long post by Eric Seidman on the pay site Baseball Prospectus examined the decision after the fact and reached no conclusion.) Maybe he should have given up on Rick Ankiel sooner. (But didn’t Ankiel drive in both runs in Washington on Sunday?)
OK, enough. The point here isn’t to try to persuade any of the bashers. If the space that awaits Cox in Cooperstown isn’t evidence enough for those folks, nothing will be. Today’s intent is to say that we soon we will be taking our last look at the greatest manager we’ll ever see. And if you’re too busy griping to give him his due, you have my condolences.
With that, I’ll open the floor for questions, comments and the usual Cox counterarguments. It’s overcast at Turner Field at the moment, but I wouldn’t take that as an omen. I have a positive feeling about the Braves this week, and I’ll be obliged if you join me in keeping the good vibrations happenin’, as it were.
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September 27th, 2010
6:55 pm
Poor Mark, he wasn’t here when Bobby Cox made his first tour. He had so many years of ineptitude, and pretty much ended the careers of some big name relievers, because he thought they should pitch every game. Oh yeah, Joe Torre took those inept teams and finished 1st and 2nd before being fired by a mostly intoxicated Ted Turner. In Toronto he was the first manager in the 5 game playoff series to lose after winning the first two and losing the next 3 (also did that with Braves 2 then 4). After leaving Toronto they won two World Series, came back to Atlanta while a terrific bunch of youngsters were setting records in the minors, and did his best management job ever last to first, before making some serious errors in the first two world series, won one, lost two to New York and the team disappeared at the same exact time Glavine, Smoltz, Maddox ended their run in Atlanta. Nothing good since, but oh yeah Cox was a magnificent manager (to some that don’t know better).
AMERICA'S TEAM and STILL IS
September 27th, 2010
6:56 pm
blank the phillies, go Braves
Wren Hater
September 27th, 2010
6:57 pm
I wish this were the end of the America-hating, Christian-bashing, Obama-sucking AJC instead of Bobby Cox’s managerial career.
Oh, by the way: Burn in H E L L, Wren !!!!
jerry
September 27th, 2010
6:58 pm
One would think that the team would, if they love Bobby as much as has been reported, that they would bust ass to try and make the playoffs. I think they gave it all they had to try and win the division, they just were not good enough, the same reason they have failed in the playoffs.
rupert
September 27th, 2010
7:00 pm
Mr. Bradley,
What about his decision to not change the lineup these past few games? It is madening to read DOB’s blog and see that same dang lineup posted when Prado is obviously done and Infante looks tried as well. If he want take them out, why not move them out of such key lineup positions. You neglect to mention that he was so stubborn with McLouth and hitting him leadoff, and finally he takes him out, puts Prado in there, and boom, the offense lights it up for most of the summer. Just saying why not change it up now. You don’t always have to dance with the girl that brought you if that girl has one foot in the grave and is pulling you in with her.
Bob Horner
September 27th, 2010
7:03 pm
Rupert…can I steal that last sentence..?? never heard that…good stuff
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2010
7:05 pm
Didn’t Freddie Freeman play Sunday, rupert? Wasn’t that a change?
jerry
September 27th, 2010
7:05 pm
Rupert….Prado has been in there lately. I haven’t seen them lighting up much of anything.
AMERICA'S TEAM and STILL IS
September 27th, 2010
7:06 pm
and the Yankees too
AMERICA'S TEAM and STILL IS
September 27th, 2010
7:08 pm
Blank the Phillies and the Yankees, that about covers it
Mike Moron
September 27th, 2010
7:10 pm
Trying to secure your next talk with Bobby I see. Well played Mark. Now wipe your nose off.
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
September 27th, 2010
7:11 pm
This one won’t start for at least an hour, could even be two. Would not bother me. I’m ready for an all-nighter! Just told my wife that, and her mouth flew open and she said, “WHAT!” Scared her to death!
nnnick
September 27th, 2010
7:12 pm
anyone seen when 1st pitch will be?
Bravesfan54
September 27th, 2010
7:14 pm
Bobby, do go “gently into the quiet night” with all of this man’s appreciation. You took a very mediocre team and made into something. The post-season, sad to say, will just be a stat, as this team doesn’t have the horses to carry us too far. But thanks for all you’ve done over the years.
Sonny Clusters
September 27th, 2010
7:16 pm
Chasing the wild card is a lot like doing the hokey-pokey:
You put your right thumb in,
You put your right thumb out;
You put your right thumb in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!
What if doing the hokey-pokey really is what it’s all about? We’d have more pennants.
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
September 27th, 2010
7:17 pm
The PC police are alive and well. Strange how some of my harmless, clean posts never show up, while some of the most vile, profane, vitriolic, insulting posts always make it. Guess it all depends on who you are, and whose blog it’s on.
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2010
7:18 pm
TTTT, it’s the automatic spam filter. It has a mind of its own.
Jeff
September 27th, 2010
7:19 pm
Great column today, Mark… you detailed very well how Bobby Cox has meant so much to the Braves franchise, both this year and in past years.
For all the critics who love to bash Bobby for the postseason failures in the 90s, I respectfully ask this: wouldn’t you at least like to cheer for a team that HAD some postseasons to fail in? Isn’t it better to have won a World Series title, five National League pennants and 14 division titles instead of winning NOTHING??? I mean, without those accolades I listed above, the Braves are the freakin’ Astros or the Mariners or the Royals or the A’s or the Mets or the Indians or the Rays or the Rangers or the Pirates or the Reds. None of those teams have done what the Braves have since 1991.
Thank you, Mark, for your astute observations about Bobby Cox, and thank YOU Bobby for all you’ve meant to the Braves and its fans. We appreciate you and we will miss you… good luck this week, and go win five of six and get into the playoffs! Go Braves!
Herschel Talker
September 27th, 2010
7:19 pm
To you idiots:
So hypothetically if a team wins 70 straight games to open the season and then loses 50 in a row and still has the best record, you would still say that is the best team in baseball at that point? You are morons.
HT
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2010
7:19 pm
Still raining, by the way.
Randy
September 27th, 2010
7:19 pm
How many other managers with one world series title are in the hall of fame?
Sure was easier for him to win the NL east when you had the awful expos-nats, new team marlins, phillies and mets. Put the braves in any other division and it doesn’t happen.
Jesse Stone
September 27th, 2010
7:20 pm
Mark, do you know if Lenny and Squiggy (Loria and Samson) were ever asked by the press about a lack of a tribute for Bobby Cox in South Florida?
Randy
September 27th, 2010
7:21 pm
Will rain for another 10-15 minutes.
Jesse Stone
September 27th, 2010
7:22 pm
Randy- The Marlins won the WS twice while in the Braves division.
Henry Halloran
September 27th, 2010
7:22 pm
Mark – any word on a start time. Waiting to head down to the stadium.
Jeff
September 27th, 2010
7:23 pm
BravesFan54 – you are right. This year’s team didn’t have NEARLY the horses to go six months in first place and win a tough division. I quite frankly was AMAZED when the Braves got to first place in May and STAYED there for so long. They really overachieved.
As Mark pointed out, this team has little talent… aside from Heyward, Prado, McCann and Hudson (before about a month ago), this team has some very average pieces. Rick Ankiel? Matt Diaz? Melky? Lowe? Glaus? It’s not a superstar, full-of-All-Stars team… and injuries and exhaustion wore down our best players from May (Chipper, Glaus, Huddy, Jurrjens, Prado, etc.)
I feel lucky, quite honestly, that we’re IN a pennant race this late in the year… ask any Braves fan in late April if they’d take an 89 or 90 win season and a shot at the playoffs with a week to go… we would have all said YES! We can’t diminish what this team did based on a couple of rough weeks.
Steven
September 27th, 2010
7:24 pm
rupert
that is why booby only won 1 world series. and bradley please. one friggin game? and how about changing some spots where they bat in the dang lineup. it’s fitting this team won’t make the playoffs this year for the same reason they lost when they made it before. stupid clueless manager.
go padres and giants
Randy
September 27th, 2010
7:25 pm
Jesse
And how many divisions did they win? 0
Jesse Stone
September 27th, 2010
7:26 pm
because the Braves won them
Randy
September 27th, 2010
7:26 pm
BTW, that is an even bigger indictment on Bobby that the marlins never won their division yet have two world series to the braves one. Amazing.
Randy
September 27th, 2010
7:28 pm
Yes Clueless Jesse
Two years the marlins put up some $, snuck into the wild card and won the whole thing while we sat there winning our precious divisions and got one! Sorry but ask 9/10 baseball pros and they would rather win the 2.
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
September 27th, 2010
7:28 pm
Me thinks MB just “insulted” me by calling my posts “spam”. By the way, why not switch the ASF to manual, works better that way. Trust me. The switch is located just below the fragimentator and just to the left of the actuonomentator. Be careful, it could be hot!
Pete
September 27th, 2010
7:28 pm
Mark, when can a manager who has retired from game be elected to Baseball Hall of Fame? In addition to Bobby Cox; there is at least two other managers who should be elected to HOF who may not manage again after this season, (Joe Torre & Lou Piniella). I’ve also read rumors occassionally that Tony LaRussa is not certain he will return next year.
Waiting
September 27th, 2010
7:30 pm
Ok, so let see him get us into the playoff’s ONE MORE TIME!
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2010
7:30 pm
Raining very hard.
Jesse Stone
September 27th, 2010
7:31 pm
Randy= No, most ballplayers would want to be competitive and have their hat in the ring 14 straight years and win a title, rather than playing absolutely meaningless baseball for 12 of those 14 years and winning 2 WS, and having the team dismantled immediately following each.
John
September 27th, 2010
7:31 pm
Best of luck to Bobby Cox. Thanks for the memories. And I guess somebody needs to get busy on his HOF plaque.
But I’m just dumb enough to take your bait, Bradley.
Challenging the oft-repeated claim of Bobby’s greatness as a manager is not to say he’s not a good manager or to denigrate his accomplishments. It is to say that a designation of greatness should be reserved for those who accomplish great things.
In Cox’s case, I’ll claim that his regular season win/loss record can’t be the only measure of his managerial acumen. You have to consider the number of World Championships attained against the number of World Championships attempted.
Everybody knows the story there – one out of five – and even more damning, one out of four in a span of five years. If your team is good enough to get to four World Series in five years, then your team ought to be good enough to win it more than once.
Cox accumulated an impressive regular season record for sure. But if that’s evidence of greatness, then why isn’t his mediocre post-season resume – and disgraceful World Series record – evidence of mediocrity?
I credit Bobby for his contributions to fifteen post seasons in a row; and I blame him for whatever culpability is his for the team’s futility once the post season was achieved.
Bobby Cox’s fingerprints are all over the Braves teams he managed during his distinguished tenure. And when it came to the post season, they’re evidence of defeat more often then triumph.
Sabre
September 27th, 2010
7:31 pm
What time is 1st pitch?
Sarge
September 27th, 2010
7:32 pm
To “Master of the Obvious”,
Sir, I am 87 years old and I marched to Bataan.
You should be ashamed to liken the Braves unfortunate circumstances to that hellish memory.
There, That’s all I have to say.
Sarge
Mark Bradley
September 27th, 2010
7:32 pm
There’s no time for first pitch. It has to stop raining first.
Jeff
September 27th, 2010
7:32 pm
Randy and Steven — Yes, you two are SUCH baseball genuises that I’m sure MANY MLB clubs have contacted you with the secret formula for winning.
Sheesh. Morons.
The fact is, as a braves fan in the 80s, i would have LOVED to win multiple division titles and go to the World Series and win a world championship!!!!!!!!!! We can’t sit back now, years later, and say “well, we should have won more.” That is revisionist thinking! you think fans of the Cowboys in the 70s say “gee, too bad we ONLY won two super bowls”. You think the St. Louis Cardinals baseball fans of the 80s are disappointed they only won 1 or 2? You think the Orioles fans of the 80s are mad because they only won one title?
Winning a title by throwing cash around is easy (see the 90s Marlins, 90s Yankees, 80s 49ers, early 90s Cowboys before free agency, etc.) Winning CONSISTENTLY by BUILDING A FRANCHISE is MUCH harder and much more respected by KNOWLEDGABLE people.
You two go root for another team… I’ll take my Braves AND Bobby Cox, win or lose.
Touche
September 27th, 2010
7:33 pm
Hey Jesse –history will go show the world champions those two years as the marlins, not the braves.
Sabre
September 27th, 2010
7:34 pm
I am down in Gainesville, FL. We lost power for about an hour. Traffic was a mess. I assume the same up North?
Jeff
September 27th, 2010
7:34 pm
And by the way, to those who say “Well, any team good enough to get to a championship should win a few of ‘em”…. ask the Buffalo Bills of the early 90s or the Cleveland Indians of the mid 90s or the Utah Jazz of the late 90s how “easy” it is to win even one title.
Jesse Stone
September 27th, 2010
7:35 pm
Yes, but those who know baseball will know that the Marlins were a joke for most of the 90’s while the Braves were always a winning ballclub.
Randy
September 27th, 2010
7:36 pm
And on top of the constant bobby choking, baseball has the easiest path to a championship with you only needing to win 3 series instead of 4 like basketball and hockey.
kevin
September 27th, 2010
7:37 pm
i will miss him sorely…so will his critics
Jesse Stone
September 27th, 2010
7:37 pm
apples to oranges Randy
Mike
September 27th, 2010
7:38 pm
The Braves top 25 moments rain delay feature is far more entertaining then the Francoeur piece that ran for far too long.
Did you know he could have gone to Clemson?
That being said, I hope we make the playoffs and make a run but I’m still sad to see Bobby go in any fashion.
Mark, are the Braves doing anything special for these possible final games or are they staying neutral with the playoffs possibly looming?
Touche
September 27th, 2010
7:38 pm
Actually the braves were the joke/choke. Like I said, two is better than 1. Any fan would rather have two. That is obvious. No one was scared of them after the yankee collapse.