When Bobby Cox made a rare visit to Truist Park on Saturday night, it was a moment filled with emotion and nostalgia for many Braves team officials, coaches, and fans. The legendary former manager, now 83 years old, stood and waved to a sellout crowd, receiving a long standing ovation during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies. This was only the second game Cox attended at Truist Park since suffering a stroke in April 2019. His previous visit was in 2020, when he watched from Braves chairman Terry McGuirk’s suite in an empty ballpark during the pandemic.
Saturday’s visit was a much happier occasion for everyone involved. Cox stopped by the clubhouse before the Braves’ 5-1 win, meeting players who had heard of him but never had the chance to meet him in person. Despite his right arm remaining paralyzed and his speech being limited, Cox was in good spirits and seemed as thrilled to see the players as they were to meet him.
“It was awesome,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker, a close friend of Cox, his mentor, and former boss. “I brought him in the clubhouse. You don’t realize, none of these guys had ever met him. Once he had his stroke, it’s all these new guys since then. Everybody went up and introduced themselves, we took a team picture. It was awesome. I think he had a great time. I know Pam (his wife) did. That was really special.”
Braves first baseman Matt Olson, an Atlanta-area native who grew up a Braves fan, smiled as he described meeting the man he watched guide the Braves during his childhood. “My first time meeting him, to be able to shake his hand — I told him he was a legend,” Olson said. “Just a cool moment. I always saw him running the show here growing up, so it was really cool for me.”
Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies, who had a home run and three RBIs in the game, was glad the Braves could win with Cox present. “He came into the clubhouse. We all said hi to him and took a cool picture. It was phenomenal. Happy to see him doing good. We talked, he told me, ‘Hey, good to see you, Ozzie,’ and ‘Keep playing hard.’”
Snitker, who shared details of Cox’s visit to the clubhouse, has seen Cox regularly since the stroke, first in the hospital, then in a rehab center, and eventually at his home in the northern Atlanta suburbs. “He had a few more words, really,” Snitker said of what Cox was able to say. “I could tell he knew who the players were. He had a really cool reaction when Chris Sale came up and introduced himself. He saw Austin (Riley) and said something about picking groundballs, and as soon as Ozzie walked in he said his name.”
Marcell Ozuna, one of the veteran players on the team, was familiar with Cox’s impact on the Braves. “It’s cool to meet that legend,” Ozuna said. “Lot of World Series and a lot of winning titles in this organization. He’s one of the special guys for the organization. I feel happy for him, that he’s still alive and that he can recognize everyone.”
Pam Cox stood next to her husband in the private suite where some family members, plus McGuirk and a few others, watched the game. When Cox was shown on the large video board in center field, dramatic music played and the stadium P.A. announcer asked the crowd to greet “the very best manager in the history of the game, our beloved No. 6, Bobby Cox.” Fans and media weren’t made aware that Cox would be at the game, and when he appeared on the video board, the ovation was immediate and grew louder. Pam Cox fought back tears, as did countless fans who could be seen wiping their eyes as Cox stood, smiling and waving. His No. 6, retired by the Braves, was shown on the board as the ovation continued.
“We were talking and I said, this place is gonna go nuts when they see him,” said Snitker, who stood in the dugout and clapped, doing his best to fight back emotions as well. “They did a great job with the presentation. I’m glad he experienced that because hopefully, he’ll come back. Everybody loved seeing him. Holy cow, that was pretty special.”
Before Saturday’s game, the Braves welcomed a surprise special guest into their clubhouse: Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox, who is one of the most accomplished skippers in Major League Baseball history. Cox had a cool reaction when Chris Sale went up and introduced himself. He saw Austin Riley and made a comment about picking the baseball. He spotted Ozzie Albies and said his name when he saw him. Then Cox and the Braves took a team picture.
“Everybody loved seeing him,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Holy cow. That was pretty special.”
After the third inning, public address announcer Kevin Kraus announced that the Braves had a special guest in attendance for this game against the Phillies. In introducing this person, Kraus mentioned that he was a World Series champion and four-time Manager of the Year. At that moment, some fans began realizing who was among them – even before the Braves showed him on the big screen. Bobby Cox. He’s here.
When the Braves put Cox on the big board, the sellout crowd of 41,006 roared. Cox saluted them. From the dugout, Snitker clapped. “I always watched him on TV when I was a little kid, and then playing spring training, watching him,” said Albies, who’d previously met Cox. “It’s always great and he means a lot to this organization.”
This was one of Cox’s first trips to Truist Park for a game since he suffered a stroke in 2019. In 2020, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He’s been out of the public eye for years. Cox, who was in a wheelchair in a suite, was with his wife, Pam. He stood up to wave to the crowd when the Braves showed him on the big screen. And before the game, Snitker said, Cox had “a few more words” than expected. Snitker could tell Cox recognized the players.
On Saturday, Cox told Albies it was good to see him. “Keep playing hard,” Albies said Cox told him. And Marcell Ozuna on Saturday met Cox for the first time. But he knew all about the legendary skipper. “A lot of World Series and a lot of winning he’s done in this organization,” Ozuna said. “He’s one of those special guys in the organization. I feel happy for him that he is still alive and that he can recognize everyone.”
Of Cox’s impact, Albies said: “He set a lot of standards here, and it’s always play the game hard and respect it.”
Cox managed for 29 seasons – 25 with the Braves, four with the Blue Jays. In total, he had a record of 2,504-2,001. He has the fourth-most wins of any manager in history. He took the Braves to five World Series, and won one. He helmed the Braves during a run of 14 consecutive division titles.
Snitker said he hopes Cox can attend more games in the future. “Yeah. I hope it went well, and I think it did,” Snitker said. “I know his family, they loaded him up and brought him out here. The security and all was really good here helping him up. So yeah, I hope he can, because there’s nowhere he’d rather be than the ballpark, that’s for sure.”
With Cox watching, the Braves defeated the Phillies, 5-1. They pitched well. They hit timely home runs. They were happy to win in front of Cox. “It felt great,” Albies said. “I’m happy we got a win and Bobby was there to watch it.”
Source: The Athletic, AP
