Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Today might be the last time Bobby Cox welcomes pitchers and catchers to spring training as a major league manager. Then again, it might not be.

"I don't really look at it that way," the Braves manager said Wednesday about possibly entering his last spring training. "I'm going to leave everything open. No reason to shut the gates."

RICH ADDICKS / AJC (ENLARGE)

Bobby Cox (right) has won 2,255 games overall as a manager and 1,900 games as manager of the Braves.

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This will be his 27th season as a big-league manager, all but four with the Braves. He'll be 67 in May, and he said a year ago during spring training that he was leaning toward retiring after the 2008 season.

Cox quickly hedged on that statement and hasn't repeated it. He says he'll manage as long as he enjoys and has the energy to do it and the Braves want him.

Braves chairman Terry McGuirk recently told the Journal-Constitution he hasn't started thinking about replacing Cox, and general manager Frank Wren told a group at FanFest that Cox could manage the team as long as he wants.

Nevertheless, everyone in the organization is aware this could be Cox's final season. He ranks fourth in career wins with 2,255, including 1,900 with Atlanta. The Braves won 14 division titles in a row before falling to third in the National League East the past two seasons.

If there's a criticism of Cox, it's postseason disappointments: The Braves won one World Series title in 14 consecutive trips to the playoffs.

One day before they were due to report, early arrivals in Braves camp included catcher Brian McCann and pitchers Peter Moylan, Tyler Yates, Mike Gonzalez, Jeff Bennett, Blaine Boyer, Phil Stockman, Buddy Carlyle, Ryan Drese and Jeff Ridgway.

Outfielder Matt Diaz was the first non-catcher position player in camp, nearly a week before position players were due to report. Diaz lives in Lakeland, Fla.

The first workout for pitchers and catchers is Friday. The first full-squad workout is Feb. 20.

The Braves were impressed enough by left-hander Damian Moss at pitching camp last week to sign him to a minor league contract. He'll be in minor league spring training.

Watching Clemens

Cox and a few visitors watched the long, often-dramatic congressional grilling of Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee on a television in the manager's office at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

Asked if he'd be glad when this latest chapter in the steroids saga ends, Cox said, "Yes. Fact is, I think there's a great testing [program] in place now, except for one test for HGH [there's still no reliable test for human growth hormone]."

Cox believes baseball people now understand the importance of maintaining a comprehensive drug-testing program. "I honestly believe the owners and players realize what the consequences [could be] if they don't get it all together," he said.