It’s a familiar Bobby Cox stance: left foot on the dugout step, waist slightly bent as he peers out onto the field, right arm resting on his hip. What might have been turning in his mind could be any number of things. If the Braves were at bat, should he send the runners? If one of his dominant “big three” pitchers of the ’90s had fallen behind in the count, what was the batter thinking? Maybe it was time to shift the infield.
These game dilemmas were as constant as baseball itself. Predicting a Cox‘s managerial move was not.
Despite managing a dominant baseball team from 1991 to 2005 and especially in the 90s, Cox often seemed like the sub‑headline to a roster defined by its big arms — Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. (And yes, 1994 was a strike year.) Still, 14 consecutive division championships set a standard that remains Major League Baseball’s longest division streak. And just as important, which fans really care about, a 1995 World Series Title.
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