Braves legendary manager Bobby Cox, 84, has died

Bobby Cox, the legendary Braves manager who guided the team to 14 straight division championships and a World Series victory, died Saturday at the age of 84.

“We are overcome with emotion on the passing of Bobby Cox, our treasured skipper. Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform,” read a statement released by the Braves’ organization. “He led our team to 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and the unforgettable World Series title in 1995. His Braves managerial legacy will never be matched.

“Bobby was a favorite among all in the baseball community, especially those who played for him. His wealth of knowledge on player development and the intricacies of managing the game were rewarded with the sport’s ultimate prize in 2014 — enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“And while Bobby’s passion for the game was unparalleled, his love of baseball was exceeded only by his love for his family. It is with the heaviest of hearts that we send our sincerest condolences to his beloved wife, Pam, and their loving children and grandchildren.”

Cox, who suffered a stroke in 2019, had his No. 6 retired by the Braves and was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019 to reach the pinnacle of a long and distinguished career in baseball.

Cox is among the greatest managers in baseball and is fourth on the all-time win list with 2,504 victories.

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Cox grew up in Selma, California, a town of 5,000 in the San Joaquin Valley. His father installed wells. His mom worked at a bakery.

Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of high school for a modest $40,000 bonus, Cox needed seven minor-league seasons and stints in three different organizations — the Dodgers, Braves and Yankees — to reach the majors. He made the Topps All-Rookie team as a Yankee in 1968, but by 1970, he was back in the minors after a knee injury that ended his playing career. The following season, he began a coaching career and he spent seven seasons in the Yankees organization.

Cox was hired to manage the Braves in 1977. He lasted until 1981 before being fired by Ted Turner. He spent the next four seasons managing the Toronto Blue Jays. He returned to the Braves organization when Turner rehired him as general manager in 1985.

In June 1990, the Braves asked Cox to move back to the dugout as manager. The Braves wound up in last place that season, and John Schuerholz arrived in October as the Braves’ new GM, rendering Cox a full-time manager again. Over the next 14 completed seasons, his teams wouldn’t finish anywhere other than first.

The Braves’ worst-to-first rise in 1991 stands as the most memorable team-sports saga in Atlanta history. Cox’s young team was below .500 at the All-Star break but nosed ahead of the Dodgers after the season’s 160th game and clinched the National League West division the next day. The Braves then beat Pittsburgh in seven games in the National League Championship Series and were part of perhaps the greatest World Series ever, finally losing to the Minnesota Twins in a 1-0 Game 7 that lasted 10 excruciating innings.

The Braves won the World Series in 1995.

Naysayers groused that the Braves should have won more than one World Series, but Cox never seemed to fixate on any missed opportunities.

“To be perfectly honest,” he said, “we played better in three of the ones we lost (in 1991, ’92 and ’96) than in the one (1995) we won.”

The Braves missed the playoffs for four straight seasons after the 14-year run of dominance. They returned in 2010 in Cox’s final season as manager.

Following his retirement, the Braves retired his number in 2011. A statue of Cox stands outside of Truist Park.