Bobby Cox, the Hall of Fame manager who led the Atlanta Braves to one of the most dominant runs in professional baseball history, died Saturday at his home in Marietta. He was 84.
The Atlanta Braves confirmed his death in a statement released Saturday afternoon. An official cause of death was not immediately released. Cox had been in declining health since suffering a major stroke in April 2019, which left him with partial paralysis on his right side and significant difficulty speaking.
A dynasty built in Atlanta
Cox managed in the major leagues for 29 seasons, including two separate stints with the Braves, from 1978 to 1981 and again from 1990 to 2010. He also managed the Toronto Blue Jays for four seasons, from 1982 to 1985.
His second run in Atlanta produced one of the most remarkable stretches of sustained success in baseball history. Cox led the Braves to 14 consecutive division titles from 1991 to 2005, a run that excluded only the strike-shortened 1994 season. During that span, the Braves won five National League pennants and the 1995 World Series championship.
When Cox retired after the 2010 season, he had accumulated 2,504 regular-season wins, ranking fourth all-time behind Connie Mack, John McGraw, and Tony La Russa. Major League Baseball described him as the fourth-winningest manager in the history of the sport.
The man behind the dynasty
Cox’s influence on the Braves extended well beyond the dugout. Between his two managerial stints in Atlanta, he served as the team’s general manager from 1986 to 1990. In that role, he was instrumental in developing the core of the 1990s dynasty, including third baseman Chipper Jones and the pitching trio of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz.
He won four Manager of the Year awards during his career, one with Toronto in 1985 and three more with Atlanta in 1991, 2004, and 2005.
Cox also holds the major league record for career ejections by a manager, having been thrown out of 162 games, a number widely seen as a reflection of his fierce loyalty to his players.
Before managing, Cox played two seasons as a third baseman for the New York Yankees in 1968 and 1969 before knee injuries ended his playing career.
Tributes and legacy
The Braves called Cox their “treasured skipper” in their statement Saturday, adding, “Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform. His Braves managerial legacy will never be matched.”
The organization retired his No. 6 jersey in 2011. Three years later, in 2014, Cox was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
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