May 9 (UPI) — Hall of Fame inductee and Atlanta Braves managing great Bobby Cox has died, Major League Baseball announced Saturday. He was 84.
Cox, who led the Braves to 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants and a World Series victory in 1995, was inaugurated into Cooperstown four years after the completion of a career in which he racked up the fourth-most managerial victories of all time at 2,504.
“Bobby Cox led one of the greatest eras of sustained excellence in baseball history,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “As manager of the Braves, his clubs became an October fixture, representing consistency, professionalism, and championship-caliber baseball for an entire generation of fans.
“Through his leadership, eye for talent, and commitment to player development, Bobby helped shape the careers of numerous Hall of Famers and guided the Braves to Atlanta’s first major professional sports championship in 1995.”
The Braves, meanwhile, called him their “treasured skipper,” adding, “his Braves managerial legacy will never be matched.”
Cox’s influence spread beyond Atlanta — he also played roles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, for all of whom he brought success through his knowledge of player development and the details needed to produce sustained winning records.
Born Robert Joe Cox in Tulsa, Okla., on May 21, 1941, he grew up near Fresno, Calif., and was signed out of high school as an infielder by the Dodgers. After nearly a decade toiling in the minor leagues, he made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 1968.
Two years later with his short playing career over, Yankees general manager Lee MacPhail offered him his first managerial job with New York’s Class A team in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
In 1977, he was promoted to be the Yanks’ first-base coach, which launched his prodigious big league career in coaching and managing.
Cox is survived by his wife, Pam, children and grandchildren.
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