Hall of Fame honors Bobby Cox during induction ceremony
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — The National Baseball Hall of Fame honored the life and legacy of former Braves manager Bobby Cox during its induction ceremony Sunday. Cox died in May at age 84.
The Hall acknowledged three Hall of Famers who’ve died in the last year in Ryne Sandberg, Bill Mazeroski and Cox. Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the board of directors of the Hall, said the following about Cox:
“The longtime Atlanta Braves manager ranks fourth all time with 2,504 victories, including six 100-win seasons. After serving as a player and a general manager, Bobby guided Atlanta to an unprecedented 14 consecutive division championships from 1991 to 2005 and led the franchise to the 1995 World Series title.
“Known as the ultimate players’ manager, his calm but very fiery demeanor led him to a major-league record of 162 ejections (the audience laughed and applauded). A member of the Class of 2014, he became one of the game’s most revered managers.”
There was a moment of silence held for the three individuals.
Cox is among the most influential and important figures in Braves history. Five of his players — Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Fred McGriff — were on the stage Sunday as another of his players, Andruw Jones, joined them in the Hall of Fame.
Cox’s close friend and mentee Brian Snitker was in the audience, as was friend and former player Jeff Francoeur and Braves executives.