Page 21 - 2021 ATL Media Guide

bobby cox FRONT OFFICE

Special Assistant to the General Manager
Bobby Cox is in his 11th sea- World Series. The victory also marked the first time a fran-
son in a consulting role for the chise had won a World Series in three different cities.
Braves after retiring from his In 1993, the Braves won 104 games and became
legendary managerial career the first National League West team to win three straight
following the 2010 campaign. division titles. The Braves’ 400 Club honored Cox with its
Cox was awarded baseball’s highest honor in 2014, when “Mr. Baseball” award that season. MANAGER & STAFF
he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, The Braves’ performance in 1991, when they went
along with fellow managers Tony La Russa and Joe Torre from worst-to-first and participated in one of the most
and former players Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Frank dramatic World Series in history, earned Cox several post-
Thomas. season honors. Among others, the Associated Press named
On September 23, 2009, the Braves announced him Major League Manager of the Year. Cox became the
that Cox had agreed to a contract extension for the 2010 first manager to earn that honor in both leagues, having
season, and Cox himself announced that he would retire also won it while with the Blue Jays in 1985.
from managing at the conclusion of the 2010 campaign. As Cox managed the Braves from 1978 to 1981, com- PLAYER BIOS
part of his contract extension, Cox was given a consulting piling a 266-323 record and laying the groundwork for the
agreement. In his role, he advises and consults in all areas club’s National League West title in 1982. He began a four-
of baseball operations, including the Major League Club, year tenure as Toronto’s manager in 1982, lifting a habitual
spring training, minor league operations and scouting. In last-place team to within one game of attaining a World
addition, Cox works with the office of the president on Series berth in 1985.
special business projects. In 1982, Cox led the Blue Jays to a 78-84 mark, the
Cox spent 29 seasons as a Major League skipper, best record in their six-year existence. Toronto improved
including 25 seasons in two stints at the helm of the to 89-73 each of the next two seasons and then won the
Braves. His 2,504 wins rank fourth all-time and include American League East crown by finishing 99-62 in 1985. SEASON IN REVIEW
a franchise-best 2,149 victories with the Braves and 355 For his efforts that year, Cox was named Major League
with the Toronto Blue Jays. Cox posted an overall career Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of
record of 2,504-2,001-3 (.556). He won his 2,500th game America, the Associated Press and Sporting News.
on September 25, 2010, at Washington. Cox returned to the Braves as general manager in
In his final season in 2010, the Braves went 91-71 October 1985 and oversaw a farm system which set the
and claimed the first National League Wild Card in fran- foundation for great success. He added the field managing
chise history. The 2010 campaign was Cox’s 15th with responsibilities on June 22, 1990, then devoted all his time
90-or-more wins. That tied him for second all-time in to those duties when the Braves named John Schuerholz PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
90-win seasons with Hall of Fame skipper Joe McCarthy, as general manager in October of that year.
one behind John McGraw's record 16. Cox and McCarthy Cox spent five years in the Dodgers’ farm sys-
are the only managers in Major League history to compile tem before being selected by the Chicago Cubs in the
six 100-win seasons. November 1964 Minor League Draft. He was acquired by the
Cox won 15 division crowns in his career, including Braves in a 1966 trade that sent outfielder Billy Cowan to the
14 straight in Atlanta that led to five pennants (1991, 1992, Cubs. After playing for Triple-A Richmond in 1967, he was
1995, 1996 and 1999) and one World Championship (1995). traded to the New York Yankees and beat out Mike Ferraro,
He had a string of 15 consecutive winning seasons from the Yankees’ outstanding spring training rookie, for the third BRAVES HISTORY
1991 to 2005, tying him with Al Lopez and Earl Weaver for base job in 1968. Cox made the Topps Rookie All-Star team
third place all-time behind Joe McCarthy (20) and Sparky in 1968, but lost his job to roommate Bobby Murcer in ‘69.
Anderson (17) for the most consecutive winning campaigns. Bad knees forced Cox to retire as a player at the age of
Cox was voted the Manager of the Year by the 30. He was appointed manager of the Yankees’ Class-A Fort
Baseball Writers' Association of America four times (1985 Lauderdale club in 1971. He won the Eastern League pen-
with Toronto and 1991, 2004 and 2005 with Atlanta). The nant and championship with West Haven in 1972 and placed
Sporting News, in a poll of his peers, honored Cox as the second twice and third twice in four years at Syracuse, win-
league’s top skipper seven times with the Braves and eight ning the International League’s Governor’s Cup in 1976. He
times overall. No other manager has won the Sporting served as the Yankees’ first base coach in 1977. OPPONENTS
News award more than three times since the magazine Born May 21, 1941, in Tulsa, Okla., Cox graduated
started the balloting in 1936. In 1991, the Associated from Selma (Calif.) High School in 1959 and attended
Press named him Major League Manager of the Year, as Reedley Junior College.
he became the first manager to earn that honor in both He and his wife, Pam, reside in Marietta, Ga. They
leagues, having also won it while with the Blue Jays in 1985. have three daughters, Keisha, Kami and Skyla. He has
He brought the city of Atlanta its first major profes- five other children, Debbie, Bobby Jr., Connie, Shelly and
sional sports world championship in 1995, when the Braves Randy.
defeated the Cleveland Indians, four games to two, in the MISCELLANEOUS

2021 ATLANTA BRAVES MEDIA GUIDE 21