The Atlanta Braves confirmed on Saturday that legendary Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox has died at the age of 84.
Cox amassed 2,504 victories as a manager with the Braves and Toronto Blue Jays, placing him fourth on the all-time managerial wins list. His tenure was highlighted by an extraordinary run of success, including 15 division titles, five National League pennants, and a World Series championship in 1995.
“We are overwhelmed with grief over the loss of Bobby Cox, our beloved skipper. Bobby was the finest manager to ever lead a Braves team,” the organization released in a statement. “His legacy as a manager in Atlanta will never be surpassed.”
Born on May 21, 1941, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Cox moved to Central California at age three. He was signed out of Selma High School as an infielder in 1959 by legendary Los Angeles Dodgers scout Red Adams. After nearly a decade in the minor leagues for the Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Braves, Cox had a brief major league playing career. He debuted with the New York Yankees in 1968, overlapping with Mickey Mantle’s final season, and hit nine home runs with a .619 OPS over 220 games across two seasons in New York.
Yankees general manager Lee MacPhail then appointed Cox as the manager of the Yankees’ Class A affiliate in Fort Lauderdale. After six seasons there, Cox joined Billy Martin’s big league coaching staff as a first-base coach for the team that won the 1977 World Series.
The following year, Braves owner Ted Turner gave Cox his first major league managerial role. Cox compiled a 266-323-1 record during the team’s rebuilding phase before Turner famously fired him in 1981, remarking of his successor, “It would be Bobby Cox — if I hadn’t just fired him. We need someone like him around here.”
Cox quickly returned to managing, spending the next four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, guiding them to their first division title in 1985. At the time of his dismissal, Turner called Cox “a terrific manager and a terrific person,” which paved the way for his return to the Braves organization in 1986 — this time as general manager. Despite having no prior front-office experience, Cox spent four years developing, trading, and drafting key players including Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Steve Avery, and Chipper Jones, whom he selected with the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB Draft.
Cox moved back into the manager’s role midway through the 1990 season and became the full-time bench boss the following year, when the Braves began an unprecedented run of 14 consecutive division titles. His teams captured five National League pennants during the 1990s and delivered Atlanta its first professional sports championship with the 1995 World Series title.
After retiring as manager following the 2010 season — when the Braves qualified as the NL wild card — Cox served as a senior advisor within Atlanta’s front office.
Across 29 seasons as a manager, Cox posted a 2,504–2,001 record (a .566 winning percentage) and earned Manager of the Year honors four times.
“Bobby was beloved by everyone in baseball, especially those who played for him. His deep understanding of player development and the intricacies of managing were rewarded with the sport’s ultimate honor in 2014 — induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame,” the Braves added.
Despite his widespread respect, Cox also holds the record for most ejections in league history: 158 in the regular season and three more in the postseason, many of them lengthy and colorful.
“And while Bobby’s passion for the game was unmatched, his love of baseball was only surpassed by his love for his family,” the Braves concluded. 
