An Ode to Bobby Cox
This past weekend was very tough for me….
I traveled back home to my hometown of Atlanta, Ga in hopes of getting tickets to see the Bobby Cox Tribute at Turner Stadium. Well, unfortunately that didn’t happen for me. The game vs the Phillies was sold out with standing room only for the tribute.
I didn’t see the need to pay 20 bucks to stand. It was probably best we didn’t go. The Braves got waxed 7-0.Though the Braves lost the game, they were able to rebound the next game and clinch the NL Wild Card slot.When you think about the game’s greatest managers, a few names come to mind- Tony LaRussa, Joe Torre, Jim Leyland, Lou Piniella and of course, Bobby Cox. He’s had the longest tenure of any of these managers with one team. On four separate occasions, Bobby won Manager of the Year, and this year he just very well may be a candidate for that award as well.
Bobby Cox is just as much apart of the city of Atlanta as “The Varsity”. Ever since I was a kid growing up in Atlanta, Bobby Cox has been manager of the Braves. From Fulton County Stadium to Turner Field, from Fred “The Crime Dog” McGriff, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Kevin Millwood, to David Justice and Deion Sanders, to John Rocker, to Brian McCann and the current Braves on the field today. He is a staple of the city of Atlanta and it won’t be the same without him trotting out of the dugout making calls to the bullpen. You cannot utter the word “Braves” without saying Bobby Cox and his profound impact on the organization.
More importantly when all the other sports teams were struggling in Atlanta, Bobby Cox had the Braves playing well, and often times deep into the month of October. Bobby Cox is the model of consistency. I remember every year going to a Braves game was an incentive in elementary school and later became one of the best dates for us as high schoolers. Going to Turner to see the Braves has always been a pleasant experience and Bobby Cox has been a big part of that. In a ever changing game of salary caps and new players being called up from the minors, Bobby Cox has done an excellent job managing the players he had on the roster. This year is no different. It sucks that the majority of the Braves players on the roster don’t have an appreciation for what Bobby Cox has done for the Braves or truly realize his impact on the city of Atlanta due to either youth or growing up/playing in different cities/surroundings.
This year was Bobby Cox’s Farewell Tour and the Braves look to be very competitive going into the playoffs. The only thing that really hurt about this season was losing Chipper Jones to injury who has seemed to be the only other constant outside of Cox. I just hope the Braves play strong for Bobby’s legacy as he will be walking away from the game at the end of this season.
We love you Bobby..
You will be missed by the BRAVES nation…
All Bobby, All Braves, All the way to the Series.
(Source: cedtvinhd)
