The Atlanta Braves have announced that longtime manager Bobby Cox will return for the 2010 season and then retire from managing. Cox will then move to a consulting job for the team for five years afterward. Cox will retire from the Braves as one of the most accomplished managers in baseball history.
Cox managed the Braves from 1978 to 1981, and then returned to the Braves bench in 1990. The Braves proceeded to win every division title from 1991 to 2005 (excluding 1994, of course). Cox is a three time National League Manager of the Year (1991, 2004, 2005) and also has an American League Manager of the Year award (1985, Toronto Blue Jays). Though Cox has a boatload of division titles and is the 4th all-time winning-est manager, he only has one World Championship to show for his five National League pennants. Oh, he is also the all-time leader in ejections, and is also the only manager to be ejected from games in two different World Series (1992,96).
The biggest complement to Cox may be that none of his players really have a bad word to say of him. Players and fans of other teams show their respect for him also. As big as the Mets-Braves rivalry once was, the only complain we have for him may be that we hated that the Braves were usually on the winning side.
