Written by Alexandra McClain
At the end of this season, a baseball legend is retiring. I’m speaking of Bobby Cox, one of the winningest managers of all time.Cox started his career in Major League Baseball in the minors with the Dodgers and Braves, and finally made his debut with the New York Yankees as a third baseman in 1968. His career lasted only two seasons due to bad knees. With a career like that, most men would have hung up the spikes for good and faded into oblivion.Not Bobby Cox.Cox began his managerial career in Atlanta in the 1978 season and turned the team from finishing last in the division to first. After breaking from the Braves, Cox returned as their manager in 1990, and he’s been there ever since.Over the course of his 30-plus year career, Cox climbed to fourth on the all-time wins list, won Manager of the Year four times, is one of the only managers to win the award in both the National and American leagues and is the only manager to win Manager of the Year in two consecutive years.Cox also holds the record for most career ejections: 158.Normally, this would indicate a man with a temper problem, but not for Cox. When Cox is tossed from a game, it’s generally because he is going to the mat for his players. Keeping them in the game is more important than keeping himself in the game.This attitude garnered Cox and his team 14 consecutive National League East titles and the respect of his players and opponents.I believe we can all learn something from Cox’s willingness to stand up for his players and always have their backs.The Braves end their regular season on Sunday, Oct. 3, and are currently battling for the National League Wild Card and the opportunity to take Bobby through one last postseason run.When Cox retires, the face of baseball will change. Fans of both leagues will notice his absence. He has been a consistent presence in Major League Baseball for nearly four decades and the game will not look the same without Cox in his Braves uniform.Thank you, Bobby Cox. You’ll be missed.
