Braves manager Cox still going strong

The Braves’ Bobby Cox finished first by a wide margin in a new Sports Illustrated survey that asked major-league players which manager they would most like to play for.

If he sticks around long enough, they might all have a chance to play for him someday.

Cox, 68, was asked Wednesday how long he plans to continue managing. He either doesn’t know or won’t say.

“I feel great,” said Cox, who smiled before adding, “I don’t look great, but I feel great.”

Cox is in the second year of a two-year contract extension he signed at the beginning of the 2008 season, and apparently there have been no discussions about a new deal. He indicated that wasn’t unusual at this stage of his career.

“We never even talk about it till the end of the season,” said Cox, in his 28th season as a manager and 24th with the Braves. He ranks fourth in career wins with 2,361 before Wednesday.

Cox told the Journal-Constitution during spring training in 2007 that he might retire after that season or 2008. One year later, he signed a two-year extension. These days, the word “retirement” never seems to cross his lips anymore, at least not publicly.

He managed the Braves to 14 consecutive division titles through 2005, but they haven’t been to the postseason since. They were fourth in the National League East standings before Wednesday, albeit only four games behind division leader Philadelphia.

General manager Frank Wren was quoted in a Yahoo.com article this week as saying of Cox’s managerial post, “We go year-to-year, as long as he wants it.”

Wren said Wednesday, “As Bobby has said, we’ll talk at the end of the year.”

In the survey in the June 29 issue of Sports Illustrated, Cox got 25 percent of votes from 380 major-league players. They weren’t allowed to vote for the manager of their team. The Dodgers’ Joe Torre was second with 16 percent of the vote, and the Angels’ Mike Scioscia was third with eight percent.

“I’m flattered,” Cox said.

Leaving them stranded

The Braves’ resurgent bullpen ranked second in the majors in fewest inherited runners allowed to score at 20 percent before Wednesday, a major improvement since the beginning of the season.

In April, they had the seventh-worst percentage (42.9) in the majors. It was 28.6 percent in May.

Lefty Eric O’Flaherty has allowed only three of 19 inherited runners to score all season, and side-armer Peter Moylan has stranded 11 of his past 12 inherited runners.

Moylan has improved steadily as he has regained arm strength 13-1/2 months after ligament-transplant elbow surgery. He has combined with co-closers Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez to give the Braves one of the majors’ formidable bullpen trios.

Soriano leads major-league relievers with an .059 opponents’ average (3-for-51) with runners on base.

“It’s definitely a good feeling” to be part of this bullpen, said Gonzalez, back on his game after spending the early part of the 2008 season recovering from elbow surgery and much of the rest of that season regaining consistency.

“The three-headed monster at the back [of the bullpen] is getting it done,” Gonzalez said. “And I’ve really been impressed with Eric. … Plus, you’ve got to remember, Moylan’s still not 100 percent. And I’m still getting a better feel for pitches, for breaking balls.”

Of the Braves’ Big Three relievers, Soriano had a 1.19 ERA and .190 opponents’ average in his past 21 appearances (19 scoreless) before Wednesday. Gonzalez had a 0.00 ERA and .189 opponents’ average in his past 14 appearances, and Moylan had a 1.35 ERA and .136 opponents’ average in his past eight appearances.