Bobby Cox, who managed the Atlanta Braves to the 1995 World Series and was a four-time manager of the year, died on Saturday, the team announced.
“We are overcome with emotion on the passing of Bobby Cox, our treasured skipper,” the team wrote in a statement. “Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform. 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.”
Before his run as a Hall of Fame manager, Cox had a short playing career that saw him spend two seasons with the New York Yankees. He would get his start on the bench after his playing career ended in the Venezuelan Winter League. From there, he took on coaching and managing roles in the Yankees' system.
Cox would work his way up and onto Billy Martin's staff for the 1977 season, which ended with the Yankees winning the World Series. That offseason, he was hired as Braves manager, but was later fired following the strike-affected 1981 MLB season. He would then join the Toronto Blue Jays and help the franchise to its first winning record after going 89-73 in 1983 and 1984.
In 1985, Cox's final year in Toronto, he helped guide the team to a 99-win season and an AL East title.
Following the season, Cox resigned and returned to the Braves to become the team's general manager. Over parts of his five seasons in the role, the franchise was responsible for adding talent that would help build its powerhouse roster of the 1990s. Players such as John Smoltz, Steve Avery, Tom Glavine, Ron Gant and David Justice were brought in and Chipper Jones was selected first overall in 1990 MLB draft.
Three months into the 1990 season, Cox was back on the bench after firing manager Russ Nixon. He would remain as GM through the end of the season before naming John Schuerholz as his replacement.
Beginning in 1991, the Braves won the first of five National League pennants under Cox. The team won a second straight pennant in 1992, but it fell in the World Series both times. The breakthrough would finally come in 1995 when the team won the World Series over the Cleveland Indians.
Bobby Cox gives his acceptance speech at the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on July 27, 2014 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) (Jim McIsaac via Getty Images)
The Braves would reach the World Series twice more under Cox in 1996 and 1999, but both times they lost to the Yankees. Cox would stay on as manager through the 2010 season, guiding the franchise to seven more playoff appearances.
Cox's managerial record ended with a 2,504-2,001 record with five pennants, one World Series championship and four Manager of the Year awards. He currently stands as the fourth-winningest manager in MLB history.
One unique record Cox holds is most times being ejected. Over his 4,508 games as a manager, he was thrown out 162 times, 41 more than John McGraw.
The Braves honored Cox in 2011 by inducting him into the team's Hall of Fame and retiring his No. 6 jersey. Three years later, Cooperstown came calling and he was elected by the Veterans Committee for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame's Class of 2014.
