Bobby Cox had already spent one stint as the Atlanta Braves Manager, managing the club from 1978 through 1981, never finishing better than fourth in any of those four years. His second stint as manager was much more successful.
When the Atlanta Braves brought Bobby Cox out of the General Manager position on this day in 1990, it would be understandable if the fanbase was not exactly enthused. After all, Cox had already managed the Braves for four years, and had not finished better than fourth in any of those seasons. He had one year with a record better than .500, when the Braves were 81-80 in 1980, just barely giving Cox a winning record.
Hired by the Blue Jays for the 1982 season, Cox saw his fortunes change. He quickly turned Toronto around, bringing the Blue Jays to the postseason in 1985, where they would eventually lose to the eventual World Champion Royals. He went back to the Braves following that season, before heading back to the field on this day in 1990.
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As it would turn out, that run of success that Cox had in Canada followed him to the Deep South. Even though the Braves were 40-57 during his tenure in 1990, he quickly turned around their onfield fortunes. Atlanta rattled off `14 consecutive division titles, making the World Series five times, and capturing the crown in 1995 when they defeated the Cleveland Indians.
Joined at the hip by pitching coach Leo Mazzone, and with teams headlined by Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, Cox cemented his place amongst the greatest managers in baseball history. While one can quibble about the lack of championships, Cox put the Braves in the position where they had the chance for more postseason success. It also does not help that the Braves ran into the Yankees juggernaut of the late 1990’s either.
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Bobby Cox went from being a moderately successful manager in Toronto to the Hall of Fame in his second stint with the Atlanta Braves. That journey to Cooperstown began on this day in 1990, when he came down from the front office to take over on the field once more.