The baseball world is mourning the loss of a true legend. Former manager Bobby Cox passed away on Saturday at the age of 84, leaving behind a legacy that transformed two franchises and shaped the modern game.
Cox's impact was felt deeply in Toronto, where he managed the Blue Jays from 1982 to 1985, and in Atlanta, where he led the Braves from 1978 to 1981 and again from 1990 to 2010. In both cities, he was remembered as the man who turned losing teams into winners.
When Cox arrived in Toronto, the Blue Jays were still finding their footing as a 1977 expansion team. In their first five seasons under managers Roy Hartsfield and Bobby Mattick, the team went a combined 270-482 and never finished above last place in the American League East. That all changed when Cox took the helm.
In his very first season, the Blue Jays posted a franchise-record 78 wins. By his fourth year, they had soared to a 99-62 record, drawing nearly 2.5 million fans to Exhibition Stadium. That season ended in heartbreaking fashion, losing a seven-game American League Championship Series to the Kansas City Royals—just one win shy of reaching the World Series.
"Bobby instilled winning," said Howard Starkman, the team's longtime communications head who retired in 2014. "We were only eight years into the business and all of a sudden we were one win from having the World Series at Exhibition Stadium, which would have been incredible."
The Blue Jays honored Cox on Saturday with a tribute video and a moment of silence before their 14-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Fans and former players alike shared their memories of a manager who was as fiery as he was beloved.
"You'd have a hard time finding anybody who couldn't justify loving playing for Bobby," one tribute read.
Cox was known for getting the most out of his players—a true players' manager who supported them publicly but could be confrontational behind closed doors when needed. He was also famously confrontational with umpires, holding the major league record for ejections with 162.
Whether in Toronto or Atlanta, Bobby Cox left an indelible mark on baseball. His legacy as a builder of winning cultures will be remembered for generations to come.