Edition 13 "Bobby Cox: A Coaching Legend"

Today is a sad day for baseball. One of its greatest icons will be leaving in a year. It was announced that the Atlanta Braves Manager has one more year left in his illustrious managerial career. He signed a one year contract extension and says that he will be retiring after the 2010 season. Cox will remain with the organization as an advisor in hopes to lead the Braves to another World Series Title.

Well hats off to Bobby Cox, possibly the best manager of our generation. In a day where managers get fired about as frequently as people watch Baseball Tonight, Cox has defied the odds and quietly gone about his business since the late 70's as a manager. His first stint with the Braves was only a few years, then he spent some time with the Blue Jays and was back to managing in Atlanta in 1990.

Cox is currently 4th on the all time list of victories as a manager. He also had a streak where he led the Braves to 14 consecutive playoff appearances and a world championship in 1995. But this isn't what necessarily makes Cox such a renowned manager. Over the years, he has gained respect from his great sportsmanship and just very simple manner of going about winning each and every day.

He has assembled arguably some of the greatest pitching staffs the MLB has ever seen and really made the term pitching wins championships a reality in this hitter friendly era. And though the game has changed dramatically during his coaching tenure, he has been able to keep up with the shifting style of play and produce consistent winners in a free agent era where consistency of making the playoffs is unheard of for teams other than the Yankees and Red Sox.

Cox is a people person. His players adore him, yet at the same time they understand his disciplined nature. Players love playing for Bobby Cox. Whether as a fan you like the Braves or not, you respect Bobby Cox and would only dislike the Braves because they are your team's rival or have been consistent winners for the majority of the past 20 years and you are tired of them.

Best of luck to Cox and the Braves and I am looking forward to when he is bestowed with a plaque to Cooperstown.

Stay tuned for Edition 14 coming soon.

-Kraze