ATLANTA (AP) — Bobby Cox, the folksy supervisor of the Atlanta Braves whose groups dominated the Nationwide League through the Nineties and gave the town its first main title in addition to World Sequence journeys that fell quick, died Saturday. He was 84.
Cox died in Marietta, Georgia, in keeping with the Atlanta Braves. He had a stroke in 2019 and coronary heart points that sophisticated his restoration.
“Bobby was the most effective supervisor to ever put on a Braves uniform. He led our group to 14 straight division titles, 5 Nationwide League pennants, and the unforgettable World Sequence title in 1995. His Braves managerial legacy won’t ever be matched,” the Braves mentioned in an announcement.
Cox took over a last-place group in June 1990 and led the Braves to a worst-to-first end in 1991, dropping the World Sequence to the Minnesota Twins in seven video games. That was the beginning of what was to turn out to be a document 14 consecutive division titles, a feat no skilled group in any sport had completed.
He managed the Braves for 25 years and led Atlanta to its first World Sequence title in 1995, retired after the 2010 season and was inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 2014.
Cox ranks fourth all-time with 2,504 wins, fifth with 4,508 video games, first with 15 division titles together with a document 14 in a row, first with 16 playoff appearances and fourth with 67 playoff victories. Solely Connie Mack, John McGraw and Tony La Russa had extra regular-season wins than Cox.
“He was the primary one to the park on daily basis,” Atlanta supervisor Walt Weiss mentioned of Cox. “He’d have his spikes on at 12 o’clock. I by no means noticed a supervisor put on spikes, however that was one in all Bobby’s logos. He simply liked the sport. He liked the sport, and he liked main a gaggle of males attempting to win a championship.”
Cox additionally was first in being ejected from 158 regular-season video games. Weiss, who referred to as Cox instrumental in bringing him again to the Braves as a bench coach, was requested if he would possibly get tossed in Cox’s honor.
“It’s a special sport now, you realize, a really totally different period,” Weiss mentioned. “No one can do it like Bobby, imagine me.”
Cox’s loss of life got here 4 days after that of fellow Atlanta icon Ted Turner, who as proprietor of Braves lured Cox again to the group in 1990.
The Braves retired Cox’s No. 6 jersey in 2011, when he joined the group’s Corridor of Fame.
“RIP my second father,” Andruw Jones wrote on social media. The ten-time Gold Glove winner with Atlanta in July will turn out to be the sixth who performed for Cox with the Braves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Cox spent 29 seasons as a significant league supervisor, together with 4 with Toronto. He managed 16 postseason groups. He introduced an old-school method to the dugout. He at all times wore spikes and stirrups, and his fatherly demeanor impressed loyalty from his gamers.
Corridor of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux mentioned gamers across the league at all times needed to know what it was like taking part in for Bobby Cox: “The primary phrase that involves thoughts is respect. He had that from gamers. When Bobby talked, we listened. We needed to play for him.”
Cox was the primary NL supervisor to win not less than 100 video games in a season 5 instances. He was Supervisor of the Yr 4 instances and the one one to win in consecutive years (2004, 2005). He additionally had shut ties together with his successors, Fredi González and Brian Snitker.
He frequently attended video games and spring coaching earlier than a stroke in 2019 that affected his speech and motion. Cox recovered sufficient to go to the Braves later that season, watching a sport from the press field stage. His spouse, Pam, mentioned in 2020 that coronary heart bother slowed his restoration from the stroke.
His lengthy marriage survived a 1995 confrontation wherein he was accused of hitting his spouse within the face. He was charged with easy battery and in custody for an hour. The next day, Bobby and Pam appeared at a information convention and every denied he hit her within the face.
Cox mentioned the couple would search counseling. The cost was ultimately dropped.
Regardless of all his regular-season success, Cox gained solely the one World Sequence title in 5 tries. He led the Braves to Atlanta’s first main skilled sports activities championship in 1995, beating the Cleveland Indians in six video games to win the World Sequence. Cox mentioned critics normally targeted on the World Sequence losses as a substitute.
The Braves misplaced in 1992 to Toronto in six video games and in 1996 in six to the New York Yankees earlier than being swept by the Yankees in 1999.
“It’s a sport of breaks while you get right down to a four-game, must-win collection,” Cox mentioned. “We’ve performed effectively. We’re pleased with what we’ve achieved. They at all times ask that, although. It’s irritating, to be trustworthy with you.”
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Could 21, 1941, Cox graduated from Selma Excessive Faculty in California in 1959 and attended close by Reedley Junior Faculty earlier than signing with the Dodgers for a $40,000 bonus.
He spent seven years within the Dodgers’ farm system earlier than being traded to the Braves’ group, taking part in one yr at Richmond (1967). He was traded to the Yankees for Bob Tillman and Dale Roberts and performed third base for his solely two seasons within the majors (1968-69) earlier than unhealthy knees compelled him to retire at age 30.
Cox started the primary of six years as a minor league supervisor in 1971. He returned to the majors in 1977 as a primary base coach for the Yankees, who went on to win the World Sequence.
His first main league managerial job got here with the Braves in 1978. One of the best season of his first stint in Atlanta was an 81-80 end in 1980, and he went 266-323 in 4 seasons.
The Toronto Blue Jays employed Cox in 1982, and the next season led the group to its first successful document in franchise historical past. In 1985, he managed the group to its first American League East title, solely to lose the Championship Sequence to Kansas Metropolis in seven video games after being up 3-1. He was lured again to the Braves as normal supervisor by Turner, their outrageous owner and visionary media mogul, in 1986.
Bobby Cox’s time with the Blue Jays was a relative footnote in his HOF profession however he had an enormous affect on the franchise, guiding the group to its first AL East title in 1985.
Again in 2013, he instructed me, Toronto was “one of many best experiences I ever had in baseball,… https://t.co/sbvv2ZpNUR
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) May 9, 2026
As GM, his Atlanta groups by no means had a successful season. Cox did develop gamers key to the Braves’ success within the ’90s: Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Jeff Blauser, Mark Lemke, Dave Justice, Javy Lopez and Ron Gant. He additionally had two No. 1 draft picks who excelled, Steve Avery and Chipper Jones.
Cox returned as area supervisor on June 22, 1990, after Russ Nixon was fired.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman performed the primary 12 seasons of his profession with the Braves. He recalled Cox giving him 80 plate appearances in spring coaching when he was 19. Freeman has a jersey signed from Cox saying, “To Freddie, carry on hitting.”
“He lived an incredible life,” Freeman mentioned. “Everybody liked him in baseball. Braves nation liked him.”
Cox normally shied away from the limelight and was uncomfortable when speaking about himself.
“Truthfully, I’m simply doing my job. I let every little thing else fall the place it might,” he mentioned.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Charles Odum, The Related Press
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