Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — There was plenty of buzz surrounding the Braves' first full-squad workout, but the rite of spring wasn't the same Wednesday with manager Bobby Cox away for his mother-in-law's funeral.

"Different," third baseman Chipper Jones said after the late-morning workout at Disney's Wide World of Sports. "We all want him to be here. We all miss him. Unfortunately, everyday life has to keep us apart from each other once in a while."

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Chipper Jones, fielding grounders at third base, says of manager Bobby Cox, 'Everybody wants to go out and represent him and the team the best they can.'

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Hitting coach Terry Pendleton said, "A lot different, not a little different. There's no one filling [Cox's] shoes, I can tell you that. ... Good thing we're not starting a war without him. Got to have your general, your commander-in-chief."

The three-hour workout was highlighted by a batting-practice power display from beefed-up right fielder Jeff Francoeur, who was surrounded by TV camera crews as soon as he stepped off the field.

Mark Teixeira faced another day of filling interview requests, declining to discuss his contract status (he's eligible for free agency after the season) but happy to comment on anything else, including being picked by many to finish third in the National League East, behind New York and Philadelphia.

"That's great," he said. "We'll just kind of lay in the weeds, do our job, win a bunch of ballgames. Because in the end, I think it's going to be a three-team race."

Instead of the motivational speech the Braves usually get from Cox before the first workout, they heard only a basic rundown of the practice schedule and procedures from bench coach Chino Cadahia.

But they won't forgo the speech, simply pushed back a day. Cox was scheduled to fly back Wednesday from the funeral in Adairsville and speak to the team before today's workout.

"It's what I looked forward to most in spring training," said relief pitcher Peter Moylan, who heard the speech last spring for the first time. He had the same reaction as so many other players and team officials who've heard it before him.

The speech is delivered in a closed-door meeting, and Cox doesn't raise his voice in its delivery. He reads off note cards, making sure not to forget anything. Since he rarely makes speeches in team meetings the rest of the year, Cox makes it count.

"He's the best," Francoeur said. "If he can't get you pumped up to play, you've got a problem. He doesn't raise his voice, but he [doesn't have to]."

Francoeur said Cox's calm, passionate speech is as stirring as anything a football coach might shout in the heat of the best locker-room pep talk, if not more so. Jones agreed.

"It's because everybody loves him so much," Jones said. "We know how passionate he is about the team, the organization and the game itself. Everybody wants to go out and represent him and the team the best they can.

"Nobody ever has anything bad to say about him. Well, umpires maybe, but that's understandable."

Moylan said Braves newcomers are sometimes intimidated before they meet Cox, knowing only of his accomplishments and famous arguments with umpires.

"You think, 'It's Bobby Cox,' " Moylan said. "But as soon as you hear him talk and he speaks to you, you know he's just a great, great guy.

"He's one of those guys who you love being around, because he makes you feel confident. Especially guys who haven't been around this before. It eases you, hearing him speak to you."

Cox, 66, said a year ago he was leaning toward retiring after the 2008 season. He soon backed away from that statement and said last week he's not going to "close the gates" on possibly continuing as manager. Braves officials have said Cox can manage the team as long as he desires.

"Just talking to him down here [in the past week], I don't see any way he's retiring," said Francoeur, who has sensed no change in Cox's passion for the job. "I say we give him a 10-year contract."