Cox, Bobby

Cox, Bobby

(Robert Joseph Cox), 1941–, American baseball player and manager, b. Tulsa, Okla. A third baseman who had a lackluster major-league career in two seasons (1968–69) with the New York Yankees, Cox began managing in the Yankees farm system in 1971. Moving to the majors, he skippered the Atlanta Braves from 1978 to 1981, the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982 to 1985, and the Braves a second time beginning in 1985, as general manager (1985–90) and manager (1990–2010). Cox was named American League Manager of the Year in 1985 by the Baseball Writers' Association and National League Manager of the Year in 1991, 2004, and 2005. One of the game's most successful managers, he led the Braves to five pennants and one World Series championship (1995). He notched his 2,000th win with the Braves in 2009 and ultimately racked up 2,149 regular season wins with the team. He also won 355 games with Toronto. Less of a favorite with umpires than with fans, he holds the major-league record for ejections from games (158).