Longtime Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, who won more than 2,500 games during his managerial career and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014, has died at the age of 84, the team announced on Saturday.
The Braves released a statement mourning the passing of their “treasured skipper,” calling Cox the greatest manager in franchise history.
“We are overcome with emotion on the passing of Bobby Cox, our treasured skipper. Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform,” the statement read.
The franchise credited Cox for leading the team to 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants and the 1995 World Series title, which remains one of the most celebrated moments in Braves history.
Cox spent 29 years as a Major League Baseball manager and ranks fourth all-time with 2,504 wins. He managed the Braves across two stints spanning 25 years and also spent four seasons managing the Toronto Blue Jays. He was named MLB Manager of the Year four times during his career.
Known for his fiery personality, Cox also holds the record for the most ejections by a manager in MLB history. Despite his confrontational style on the field, he remained one of the most respected figures in baseball and was admired by generations of players.
After initially managing the Braves from 1978 to 1981, Cox returned to the organization as general manager in 1986 after being brought back by then-owner Ted Turner. During his time as GM, he helped build the core of the Braves dynasty that dominated the National League throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
He returned as manager in 1990 alongside general manager John Schuerholz, forming one of the most successful partnerships in modern baseball history.
Among Cox’s most celebrated decisions as general manager was selecting Chipper Jones as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1990 MLB Draft. Jones spent his entire career with Atlanta and was later inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 alongside former Braves stars Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.
Former Braves catcher Brian McCann once described Cox as “one of the best human beings any of us have ever met,” adding: “He is the Atlanta Braves. He’s the best.”
The Braves retired Cox’s No. 6 jersey following his final season, and he entered the Hall of Fame in 2014 alongside Maddux and Glavine.
Cox suffered a stroke in 2019 but later regained speech and movement on his right side. He returned to the Braves’ home ballpark nearly five months later in an emotional appearance that was widely celebrated by fans and the baseball community.