Two franchises were left to mourn and reminisce after learning of the death of former manager Bobby Cox on Saturday. He was 84.
In Toronto, where Cox managed the Blue Jays (1982-85), and in Atlanta, where he skippered the Braves (1978-81, 1990-2010), he was recalled as the man who turned around the fortunes of both teams.
The Blue Jays, a 1977 expansion team, were a combined 270-482 in their first five seasons under Roy Hartsfield and Bobby Mattick. They never finished out of the cellar in the old seven-team American League East.
In 1982, the Blue Jays brought in Cox, who was coming off his first stint as manager of the Braves.
The Blue Jays celebrated his career on Saturday with a tribute video and honored him before their 14-1 win against the Los Angeles Angels with a moment of silence.
‘Bobby instilled winning’
In his first season in Toronto, the Blue Jays posted their most-ever wins with 78.
In his fourth season, the Blue Jays finished 99-62, drew almost 2.5 million fans to their old open-air stadium – it was 32 degrees there at the start of the franchise’s inaugural game – and lost in seven games in the American League Championship Series to the Kansas City Royals.
“Bobby instilled winning,” said Howard Starkman, the team’s longtime communications head who retired in 2014, according to Sportsnet in Canada. “We were only eight years into the business and all of a sudden we were one win from having the World Series at Exhibition Stadium, which would have been incredible.
“Bobby knew how to get the most out of players. He was pretty well a players' manager, he supported them, but behind closed doors, he could be confrontational, like they all can, when they need to be.”
He was known for being confrontational with the umpires, too. He was ejected a major league-record 162 times.
While not a favorite of umpires, his players loved him. Jesse Barfield, who played for Cox in Toronto, posted this to X Saturday night.
“I absolutely enjoyed playing for Bobby Cox!! He infused us with a great deal of confidence which all of us needed when he came on board!! the man taught us what it takes to be a winner!! Rest In Peace Skipper!”
Return to Atlanta
Then-Braves owner Ted Turner fired Cox as manager after the 1981 season, but five years later, he brought him back as general manager. Turner passed away earlier this week at 87.
The decision to leave Toronto was tough for Cox, but in the end, Atlanta won out because his family home remained in that area. He and his wife, Pat, had eight children.
And he turned the Braves into winners.
Under his direction as GM, the Braves drafted future National Baseball Hall of Fame member Chipper Jones, as well as starting pitchers Steve Avery and Kent Mercker. He traded for Double-A prospect John Smoltz, another Hall of Fame inductee.
Midway through the 1990 season, the general manager put himself back on the field as manager, replacing Russ Nixon, and the Braves finished 65-97.
The following two seasons, the Braves won more than 90 games and advanced to the World Series in 1991 and ‘92, losing both.
Back in the World Series in 1995, the Braves defeated Cleveland in six games. It was their only title in five World Series appearances in the 1990s.
Beginning in 1991, the Braves won 14 consecutive National League East titles.
Chipper Jones remembered Cox in a lengthy and emotional post on social media.
"He was the leader of men and a second father to so many Atlanta Braves thru the yrs.," he posted to X. "I’m so sad today…
"We are gonna miss him so much, but his legacy is forever cemented with the success of this franchise for the last 35+ yrs. He started it as GM, continued as manager, and passing the torch to others, the Atlanta Braves will continue to be force that Bobby Cox always wanted us to be. We love you Skipper. You were our rock. I love you more than words can express.
Post-baseball
Cox retired after the 2010 season, following five pennants, the World Series title and five Manager of the Year awards. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2014, selected unanimously by the Expansion Era Committee. He was enshrined on the same day, fittingly, as his dynamic pitching duo of the 1990s — Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.
His career record in 4,508 games was 2,504-2,001-3 for a winning percentage of .556. His win total is fourth all-time, following Connie Mack (3,731), Tony La Russa (2,884) and John McGraw (1,948) and just ahead of Joe Torre (2,326).
Cox was an infrequent visitor to Braves games since hs suffered a major stroke on April 2, 2019. The stroke occurred the day after he took part in Braves' Opening Day festivities. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Cox was respected throughout baseball. Saturday night, with the Braves playing at Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers held a moment of silence in honor of both Turner and Cox.
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