{"id":660613,"date":"2026-05-09T21:57:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T21:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/660613\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T21:57:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T21:57:40","slug":"is-bobby-cox-the-most-beloved-mlb-manager-ever-atlanta-lost-its-heart-and-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/660613\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Bobby Cox the most beloved MLB manager ever? Atlanta lost its ‘heart and soul’"},"content":{"rendered":"

I loved Bobby Cox<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So did every soul who ever met the man.<\/p>\n

Those close to Cox knew this day was coming<\/a>, and really were preparing since he suffered a massive stroke in 2019.<\/p>\n

Still, when the news hit Saturday that he passed away at the age of 84, it still hit hard, bringing tears and memories<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe\u2019s in a better place,” said former Atlanta manager Brian Snitker, who visited Cox at least once a homestand when he managed, and told USA TODAY Sports he was the greatest influence in his baseball career. \u201cI loved the man. Bobby had a way of making everybody feel as if they\u2019re the most important person in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a sentiment shared among anyone that knew Cox, the Hall of Fame manager, who led Atlanta to 14 consecutive division titles, five pennants and a World Series championship during his 21-year career with Atlanta.<\/p>\n

In the words of Hall of Fame GM John Schuerholz, who worked alongside Cox as the architect of their dynasty: \u201cHe\u2019s the heart and soul of the Braves.”<\/p>\n

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\"Bobby<\/p>\n

Bobby Cox in 2016.<\/p>\n

There may not have been more of a beloved manager in the history of the game than Cox. When his team struggled, or a player would struggle, they would feel awful, not for themselves, but knowing they let Cox down.<\/p>\n

\u201cBobby is one of the best human beings any of us have ever met,” former Atlanta catcher Brian McCann said. \u201cHe\u2019s touched so many lives in here. \u2026 He\u2019s an icon. He is the Atlanta Braves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hall of Fame center fielder Andruw Jones, who once was yanked from a game after failing to hustle in his rookie season, said he owes his career to Cox where he became a 10-time Gold Glove outfielder who hit 434 home runs.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTo be honest with you, Bobby\u2019s always been a second dad to me from the beginning of my career,” Jones told USA TODAY Sports last summer. \u201cHe wanted you to do the right things and grow up the way he\u2019d want. Obviously, we\u2019re not perfect, but we wanted to carry ourselves the way he\u2019d want on and off the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t have been the player I became without Bobby Cox.”<\/p>\n

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Really, Cox had an impact on virtually every single person who walked through the doors of the organization, with Bryan Duffy, who once worked as a team bat boy, recalling Saturday that Cox, \u201cMade me feel as valued as any player.”<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe was the best, the absolute best,” Hall of Fame first baseman Fred McGriff told USA TODAY Sports. \u201cEvery player who played for Bobby, to this day, has never said a bad word about Bobby Cox.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wasn\u2019t like these other managers in today\u2019s game when everyone is trying to be nicey-nicey, and take care of players. There was no need for us to have a team captain to tell someone in the clubhouse to do something right. Bobby would do it himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven when I played on all of those great\u00a0Braves teams, there were times Bobby would close the door, and just wear us out. But no one would know about it. You knew exactly how he felt without reading about it or hearing about it somewhere else.”<\/p>\n

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If you played for Cox, you looked and acted like a professional, on and off the field. You didn\u2019t wear shorts or have your shirt untucked during batting practice. You didn\u2019t wear sunglasses that covered the \u201cA” on your ballcap. When traveling, sports jackets, collared shirts and dress pants were required. There was no music in the clubhouse. If you wanted to listen to your own music, put on headsets. If you wanted to see your kids, they had to wait outside. The way Cox figured it, not everyone liked the same genre of music, so why irritate even one person? Not everyone had the best-behaved children, so why let someone\u2019s kids run around annoying players or staff members?<\/p>\n

\u201cBobby had very few rules,” Hall of Fame third baseman Chipper Jones said. \u201cJust basically show up on time, wear the uniform correctly, and play your ass off.”<\/p>\n

Said Atlanta World Series hero David Justice: \u201cHe\u2019s one of those guys that you just love and you respect. He was one of those lovable guys, man, that allowed you to go out there and play the game, and if you play hard, you\u2019re going to be in his good graces. That\u2019s why everybody wanted to play for Bobby Cox.”<\/p>\n

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There were plenty of times in recent years that family and friends thought Cox wouldn\u2019t make it through the night. There was congestive heart failure. There were bouts with pneumonia. There was COVID. There were blood clots.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the toughest, strongest guy I\u2019ve ever been around,\u2019\u2019 Snitker said. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Cox, who had eight children and 23 grandchildren, made a surprise visit in 2024 to players and the staff, with the entire team surrounding him for a picture. He was in a wheelchair, and had trouble communicating, but acknowledged each player, while they fought back tears. He was last at Truist Park on Aug. 22, 2025, for the 30th\u00a0anniversary celebration of the 1995 World Series team.<\/p>\n

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Snitker, former manager Fredi Gonzalez and former pitching coach Leo Mazzone were regular visitors to see Cox over the years, but it became more difficult. Cox\u2019s right side was paralyzed, and he had more trouble communicating. He could understand everyone, and religiously watched their games, but his condition just slowly kept deteriorating.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just so tough,” Hall of Fame third baseman Chipper Jones told USA TODAY Sports last summer. \u201cI went over to his house a couple of years ago, and he couldn\u2019t talk. It was just awkward being there. I haven\u2019t gone back since that day.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just that I want to remember Bobby the way he was, not the way he is now.”<\/p>\n

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Cox may be gone now, but never, ever will be forgotten by those blessed to know him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBobby is the most important person in franchise history, right there with Hank Aaron,” Mazzone said.\u00a0 \u201cThe Braves aren\u2019t who they are without Bobby Cox. He has meant everything to them.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

And always will.<\/p>\n

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Jackie Robinson: A look at the life and career of MLB trailblazer<\/p>\n

American baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919 – 1972) during his time with the Brooklyn Dodgers, on August 28, 1949.<\/p>\n

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American baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919 – 1972) during his time with the Brooklyn Dodgers, on August 28, 1949.<\/p>\n

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Oval shaped portrait of a American baseball player Jackie Robinson as a young boy sitting on a chair, circa 1925.<\/p>\n

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American baseball player Jackie Robinson tends to his daughter Sharon in her baby carriage as wife Rachel looks on in the backyard of their home in Stamford, Connecticut, circa 1951.<\/p>\n

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A team portrait of the Brooklyn Dodgers, autographed by players including Jackie Robinson and Gil Hodges, New York City, the 1950s.<\/p>\n

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Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson waits to bat during the 1952 World Series.<\/p>\n

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This undated file photo shows US baseball star Jackie Robinson signing a then-record contract to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers in New York.<\/p>\n

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This 1945 handout photo shows baseball legend Jackie Robinson wearing the Kansas City Monarchs uniform. Robinson has been chosen to receive posthumously March 2, 2005, the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress can bestow on a US civilian, for his accomplishments on the baseball diamond, as well as “his lifetime of breaking down barriers and his unending fight for justice,” officials on Capitol Hill said in an earlier press release. US Senator John Kerry and US Representative Richard Neal, who co-sponsored legislation honoring Robinson, will be joined by the ballplayer’s widow, Rachel Robinson, US President George W. Bush, and congressional leaders at the ceremony. Robinson broke baseball’s “color line,” becoming the first African American to play in the Major Leagues when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Officials in Congress said, however, that he is also being honored for his contributions to the broader struggle for civil rights.<\/p>\n

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During a Barnstorming game, Jackie Robinson signed a baseball for Larry Brown at Martin” ‘s Stadium in Memphis (early to mid-50s of African-American significant leaguers against the Memphis Red Sox). Brown was a catcher and manager for the Red Sox over several decades and is featured in the film.<\/p>\n

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The first African-Americans to appear in an All-Star game, from left to right, Roy Campanella of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians, Don Newcombe of the Dodgers, and Jackie Robinson of the Dodgers.<\/p>\n

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This 1947 handout photo shows US baseball legend Jackie Robinson wearing his Montreal uniform, stepping into the Brooklyn Dodgers’ clubhouse for the first time.<\/p>\n

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An undated headshot of Jackie Robinson wearing his Boston Dodgers uniform and holding a bat.<\/p>\n

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Jackie Robinson crouches by the base and prepares to catch a ball in 1951. Throughout the course of his baseball career, Robinson played several positions on the infield as well as serving as outfielder.<\/p>\n

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Brooklyn Dodgers first baseman Jackie Robinson got the call from umpire Babe Pinelli for tagging out Cincinnati Reds infielder Eddie Miller, one month after Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947.<\/p>\n

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This is a 1951 photo of Jackie Robinson, who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, and Sharon Robinson, his daughter.<\/p>\n

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Jackie Robinson: A look at the life and career of MLB trailblazer<\/p>\n

A historic photograph of Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson, taken during spring training in Cuba, 1947 (credited to The Jackie Robinson Center for Physical Culture), on display at the Baseball Museum inside Keyspan Field, home of the minor league baseball team The Brooklyn Cyclones in Brooklyn, New York on Sept. 14, 2007. The last game before the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles was at Ebbets Field 50 years ago, on Sept. 24, 1957.<\/p>\n

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From left, Johnny Jorgensen, Eddie Stnaky, Pee Wee Reese, and Jackie Robinson, all members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

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Jackie Robinson, second from left, and Rachel Robinson, second from right, sit with their children at a resort pool.<\/p>\n

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Brooklyn Dodgers President Branch Rickey talking to his second sacker Jackie Robinson at a team training camp in Vero Beach, Florida on March 17, 1949.<\/p>\n

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Jackie Robinson: A look at the life and career of MLB trailblazer<\/p>\n

American baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919 – 1972) grounds a ball in first place while warming up for an exhibition game against the New York Yankees, Ebbets Field, NYC, in the 1950s.<\/p>\n

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Jackie Robinson: A look at the life and career of MLB trailblazer<\/p>\n

American baseball player Jackie Robinson and his wife Rachel play with son Jackie Jr. (L) and daughter Sharon in the backyard of their home in Stamford, Connecticut, circa 1951.<\/p>\n

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Jackie Robinson: A look at the life and career of MLB trailblazer<\/p>\n

Portrait of Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team members poses in the dugout, 1954. From left, Americans Carl Furillo (1922 – 1989) (#6) and Gil Hodges (1924 – 1972) (#14), Cuban Sandy Amoros (1930 – 1992) (#15), and Americans Jackie Robinson (1919 – 1972) (#42), Duke Snider (#4), Pee Wee Reese (1918 – 1990) (#1), Jim Gilliam (1928 – 1978) (#19), Pete Wojey (1919 – 1991) (#35), and manager Walter Alston (1911 – 1984) (#24).<\/p>\n

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American baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919 – 1972) playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 28, 1949.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Did Bobby Cox die? Atlanta legend was MLB’s most beloved manager<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I loved Bobby Cox. So did every soul who ever met the man. Those close to Cox knew…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":660614,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[558],"tags":[173217,4131,4996,64,63,35200,65955,6775,7509,35485,591,85,69756],"class_list":["post-660613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-andruw-jones","tag-atlanta","tag-atlanta-braves","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-bobby","tag-brian-mccann","tag-brian-snitker","tag-hall-of-fame","tag-manager","tag-mlb","tag-sports","tag-usa-today-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=660613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660613\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/660614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=660613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=660613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=660613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}