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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > July > 27
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Cox key to Braves’ success
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Take it from Braves chairman Terry McGuirk, the hidden reason behind the franchise’s record sprint to 14 consecutive division titles through 2005. No, his wobbly team isn’t surrendering this week with a fire sale before Thursday’s trade deadline, and, no, his manager, Bobby Cox, isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
Good.
To both things.
“[Braves owner] Liberty Media will do whatever is best for this team, and they’ve already entrusted all of that authority in existing management,” said McGuirk, suggesting that Liberty Media will allow McGuirk to join president John Schuerholz and general manager Frank Wren in becoming buyers more than sellers during the next few days. That is, if that trio wishes to deal at all. Added McGuirk, “My attitude is that we’re always a buyer, especially in this flawed National League East, where every team has big holes and flaws. Until proven that we don’t have a chance in that division, we’re a buyer.
“Being a seller is sort of your last resort, and we’re looking at buying situations every day toward improving this team. We’ve got a long-term plan with all of these young guys, and we’ll just see how all of these other plans work into it.”
Each of those plans includes the Braves’ 67-year-old manager. So here’s some advice for all of those Cox bashers coming faster than Braves losses during many weeks this season: Get over it. Not only that, just get real. You can run through the whole list in your spare time. Earl Weaver. Sparky Anderson. Leo Durocher. Joe McCarthy. Connie Mack. That’s for starters. And how about Dick Williams and Billy Southworth, the latest managers to become bronzed forever with their Hall of Fame inductions on Sunday in Cooperstown?
If those guys were in their prime, none would do better than Cox at handling a Braves team full of aches, pains and inconsistency. He didn’t take a Louisville Slugger to John Smoltz’s shoulder or Tom Glavine’s elbow. He had nothing to do with the eternal throbbing of Mike Hampton and Chipper Jones. Just so you know, Mark Kotsay already had a creaky back when he came to Atlanta. We won’t even mention the injury that took reliever Peter Moylan away for the season with Smoltz and Jeff Francoeur’s ailing bat. “Bobby gets done more with less than almost anybody else in baseball,” said McGuirk of a manager who has spoiled the choppers and the chanters with his little miracles.
Two seasons come to mind. There was 1999, when the Braves lost slugger Andres Galarraga (cancer) and closer Kerry Ligtenberg (elbow) before the season and catcher Javy Lopez along with two other pitchers during it. The Braves still won 103 games, their division and the National League pennant. There also was three years ago, when the Braves took the N.L. East despite missing three-fifths of their starting pitching rotation and using 18 different rookies on their roster.
Even so, with the Braves threatening to miss the playoffs for a third straight year courtesy of aging veterans and struggling youth, a bull’s-eye has replaced the tomahawk on Cox’s uniform.
“Well, I hear it occasionally that people disagree with Bobby’s theory of managing,” McGuirk said. “He does things on intuition and hunches that prove right most of the time. It’s wondrous even to baseball people as to how he comes up with the theories that he does — to make the changes or to make the calls. But I have total confidence in Bobby. We’re so lucky to have him in this franchise. It just isn’t his fault.”
It really isn’t.
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