I don't know the man, but I wish I did. I've never met him before, but I wish I had. Bobby Cox, the legendary manager of the Atlanta Braves was ushered off into retirement Monday night as the Braves fell to the San Francisco Giants, losing the series 3-1.
Bobby Cox was the like the grandfather of a city. Turning on a Braves game and seeing Bobby sitting in the dugout or leaning against that rail yelling, "c'mon kid" at every one of his players became a rite of passage every Spring. It brought us a sense of comfort. The world was on it's axis. Bobby in that dugout was as much a part of the fabric of Atlanta as Lenox Mall and the Christmas Tree. Piedmont Park and the Dogwood Festival. The Varsity and hotdogs.
When Spring Training began for Braves fans there was always hope - hope that was generated from a sense of stability. That's what Bobby Cox did for this organization...he brought stability. Fitting that as Turner Field said it's goodbye to Bobby Monday night, they played a tribute video with the song, "Like A Rock" by Bob Seger. Sure, some players changed every year, trades were made in the middle of pennant runs, but the one constant was Bobby. Yeah, fans had their opinions on chess moves he made or didn't make in postseason games over the years, but Bobby survived the criticism and kept coming back year after year. It was all he knew. He was going to walk away on his own terms.
Which brings us to Monday Night. Bobby took the podium for one last time after the game and as expected he got a little emotional when talking about addressing his players after the loss. He had to bite his bottom lip to hold back the tears. Bobby was visibly embarrassed. As he put it, "a grown man shouldn't do this..." It's no surprise the one topic which struck an emotional chord with Bobby was having to talk about his guys. The ultimate "player's manager" 'til the end.
When Opening Day arrives next Spring, it will feel strange to players and fans alike to not see Bobby in that dugout. When the umpire shouts, "play ball" you can bet there will be a grandfather sitting in his house, probably with his grandkids, watching the game, biting his bottom lip...
Three things about Bobby that made him different,
ReplyDelete1) he never criticized a player publicly. When Dave Justice and John Rocker had scrapes with the media, he supported them publicly. When Kenny lofton, Rocker, Jason Marquis, John Thomson, Bob Wickman, and Yunel Escobar didn't jibe with the clubhouse or accept the coaching, he talked about them like he loved them, then saw they were shipped out as needed.
2) he argued calls and protected players from ejection better than anyone. Billy Martin and Earl Weaver argued to hear themselves yell and show off. Bobby argued to make the umps know he wouldnt put up with incompetence limiting his players success. The players loved him for it.
3) He played guys through their slumps, stood byu guys when they were obviously struggling, and never put a guy in a position to fail, ie, leave a pitcher in to give up 10 runs.
Bobby believed in his guys and in return they played hard for them.
I'll miss his passion for the game and his compassion for the players.