Cox to Retire

[TransMonk]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-braves-cox&prov=ap&type=lgns

NEW YORK (AP)�Bobby Cox will retire as manager of the Atlanta Braves after the 2010 season, ending a career in which he guided the team to 14 consecutive postseason appearances and the 1995 World Series title.

The 68-year-old, a four-time Manager of the Year, agreed to a one-year contract extension for 2010, the Braves announced before Wednesday night�s game against the New York Mets. He will start a five-year consulting agreement to advise the team in baseball operations after he steps down as manager.

�While I have decided that 2010 will be my last season in the dugout, I want to make it clear that we will all be working as hard as ever to win another world championship,� Cox said in a statement.

A cigar-smoking baseball lifer, Cox managed the Braves from 1978-81, switched to manage the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982-85, then returned to manage Atlanta in 1990.

He began Wednesday with 2,408 regular-season wins as a manager, fourth behind Connie Mack (3,731), John McGraw (2,763) and Tony La Russa (2,550). Cox and Joe McCarthy are the only managers with six 100-win regular seasons.

�Bobby and I have been talking about this for some time,� Braves general Manager Frank Wren said in a statement. �We are very excited that Bobby, who is one of the best and most respected managers in the history of baseball, will again be managing our club in 2010.�

[Guest Kong76]

I can't remember anyone ever saying anything bad about the guy ex-
cept perhaps umpires. Everyone loves playing for him and the success
they've had (ahem, without going all the way much) so the guy is just
someone to be admired and will be missed by real baseball fans.

That being said, don't let the door hit ya in the ass cox sucker!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Surefire Hall of Famer.

[smg58]

Always rooted against him, but always respected him too.

[MFS62]

I'd rather he stay and the rest of the team retire.

Later

[metirish]

The guy's an asshole , great manager but a complete bollox. I remember him throwing a conniption fit when Scott Strickland was traded to the Mets , he seemed to imply that Minaya gave the Mets a player for next to nothing...

[Met Hunter]

Remember the old saying:
Chipper loves Cox.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

When I lived in NYC I knew a baseball writer who was researching a book about Ejections; his impressions of Bobby Cox were that he was a very charming man who made you feel good despite always being very candid with you; something which I guess is very hard to do.

I really admire his baseball knowledge but other aspects of his personal life make it hard for me to respect him as a person.

Edited September 24, 2009 by Guest

[Guest Edgy DC]

I can't remember anyone ever saying anything bad about the guy ex-
cept perhaps umpires.[/quote:3kbevnr5]

His wife's testimony in court was a notable exception.

[Guest Kong76]

I don't know a grain of sand about his personal life. I meant in
terms of managing ball players and it seems everyone who plays
for him likes or liked him as a manager.

[Frayed Knot]

I can't remember anyone ever saying anything bad about the guy ex-
cept perhaps umpires.[/quote:2fhznfhq]

His wife's testimony in court was a notable exception.[/quote:2fhznfhq]

Was there any court testimony?

Not to diminish the seriousness of domestic violence but there are varying degrees and, IIRC about that situation, it was something along the lines of Cox and wife getting into a huge argument at which point she gets scared and calls 911 for fear things were about to get ugly. Cops came, things calmed down, she didn't press formal charges in lieu of him agreeing to anger counseling so that things wouldn't get out of hand in the future.
There wasn't, as far as I can remember, a trial or tales of that kind of behavior being a regular thing.

I suppose there are various umps who would question whether the anger counseling had any effect.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, they appeared in court, but it is certainly possible that they didn't testify, but rather the judge took their prior statements as evidence.

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/02/sports/sports-people-baseball-battery-charges-against-cox-dismissed.html

He and she held a news conference after his arrest stating that he didn't punch her in the face, as the police contended he had (they pressed the charges), so I imagine I stand somewhat corrected, and that, if she did she did testify, she didn't testify to battery.

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/09/sports/on-baseball-reality-again-intrudes-on-men-and-games.html