ATLANTA - Former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox has passed away at the age of 84, according to a statement released by the team Saturday.
What we know:
The longtime skipper led the franchise through its most dominant era, securing 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and a World Series championship in 1995.
"Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform," the team said in a statement. "His Braves managerial legacy will never be matched."
Cox was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
The backstory:
According to his MLB biography, he was born in May 1941 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before attending school in California. He began his professional career in 1959 as an amateur free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cox spent five seasons in the Dodgers’ farm system before being selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 1964 minor league draft. After being traded to the Braves in 1966, he was acquired by the New York Yankees, where he made his big-league debut in 1968.
After two seasons as a major league third baseman, chronic knee injuries forced Cox to retire as a player. He began his managerial career within the Yankees' system before joining the Braves in December 1977. Following a stint with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he led the young franchise to 99 wins and its first postseason berth in 1985, Cox returned to Atlanta as general manager. He eventually returned to the dugout, leading a turnaround in 1991 that sparked nearly two decades of dominance.
The Source: Information in this article came from a statement sent to FOX 5 by the Atlanta Braves and Cox's bio on the MLB website. (Linked above)