Quote :

"Cox indicates he may retire after 2008 Manager says he might stay with team for only two more years By Mark Bowman / MLB.com LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- As he sat in his office last weekend, Braves manager Bobby Cox indicated that he's planning to retire at the conclusion of the 2008 season. Realizing the finality present in this revelation, Cox immediately asked that his words be kept private for at least a few more days. By doing so, he provided a hint of his future plans and at the same time made it known that he's not quite ready to begin closing the door on his illustrious managerial career. "It's just a reasonable answer to a question I get asked all of the time," said Cox, while explaining why he indicated that he may be with the Braves for just two more seasons. Early on Saturday morning, a columnist from The Atlanta-Journal Constitution heard Cox once again explain that he might retire at the end of the 2008 season. Then, during Saturday afternoon's 6-1 loss to the Astros at Disney's Wide World of Sports, Cox decided that he'd publicly announce his thoughts with the understanding that he hasn't reached a firm decision. "It's not definite," Cox said. "That's what I want you to know. ... Once I make up my mind, then no matter what happens, my mind will be made up." Cox, who will celebrate his 66th birthday in May, has reached a point in his life where he knows that every long baseball season simply takes away from the time that he can spend with his family. "I've got to do what I need to do and not what I want to do," Cox said last week. Cox, who is preparing for his 16th season as the Braves manager and 47th consecutive year in professional baseball, said that he's still got his health and desire to be around the game. But both he and his longtime working partner, Braves general manager John Schuerholz, realize that there is only so much time allotted to enjoy life away from the daily responsibilities required by their current positions in baseball. "Where we are now in our careers and our lives, it's a more reasonable consideration to have about how much longer we can go," said Schuerholz, who turned 66 in October. In terms of legal documents, Cox and Schuerholz are entering the final year of their contracts. But while building and procuring one of the most successful eras any organization has experienced in professional sports history, they've essentially earned themselves lifetime contracts. If and when the Braves are sold by Time Warner to Liberty Media, nothing should change. Before giving his final approval on the deal, Commissioner Bud Selig will make it known that he's giving his blessing based solely on the belief that there won't be any significant changes made to the organization's upper management team. Cox became Atlanta's general manager before the 1986 season and held that position until the end of the 1990 season, when he opted to put all of his efforts toward managing. Replacing him to run the Braves front office was Schuerholz. Since the two joined forces before the start of the 1991 season, the Braves enjoyed an unprecedented run of 14 consecutive titles and captured Atlanta's only World Series title. Before last season, the only previous year they hadn't tasted the postseason together was 1994, when a player's strike ended the season in August. "We've had a tremendous run together, probably better than any other manager and general manager have ever had," Schuerholz said. "So maybe we will keep going." Before the start of each season, Schuerholz says that he asks Cox about his future plans. And every year, including this one, he's never got the sense that his manager is ready to hang up his spikes. "He loves his job so much and enjoys it so much, it wouldn't surprise me to see him keep going," Schuerholz said. "I also share with him the realization that, because we're the same age, that as much as we love our jobs, with each setting sun, there's another year clicking off our belts." If Cox were to opt to retire at the end of the 2008 season, he'd likely finish fourth on the all-time managerial wins list, behind Connie Mack, John McGraw and the still-active Tony La Russa. He enters this season 23 wins behind Sparky Anderson, who currently sits alone in fourth place. While they'll forever be linked together in baseball history, Schuerholz says that it's not definite that they'll end their careers at the same time. He'll decide what's best for himself and at the same time respect whatever decision Cox makes pertaining to his own future. "It's entirely his call," Schuerholz said. "I'd respect whatever he says. I hope he manages forever, because he's the best.""

That would be a loss to the Braves... But it has to come sometime...

[Edited on March 5, 2007 at 3:07 PM. Reason : .]

3/5/2007 3:02:48 PM

he wants more time to beat the shit out of his wife...

3/5/2007 3:05:54 PM

^ fucker.. i wanted to be the one to crack the first domestic abuse one liner.

3/5/2007 3:16:00 PM

^ anyone say Beltran?

3/5/2007 3:16:22 PM

bttt

3/6/2007 11:51:45 AM

I like Cox as a manager, but the man owns a dresser full of wife-beaters

3/6/2007 11:52:36 AM

I don't understand what the problem is. Sometimes, you just gotta smack a bitch.





Ironic he cites "to spend more time with my family" as his reason


I bet they're scared.

[Edited on March 6, 2007 at 11:53 AM. Reason : .]

3/6/2007 11:53:02 AM

This is good news for Braves fans....

Perhaps now when they win the division for 20 years in a row, they can make it out of the 1st round at least once and win more than 1 W.S.

3/6/2007 11:57:46 AM

yeah braves fucking blow, who cares

3/6/2007 1:12:10 PM

They were fine last year, except for their bullpen, which they drastically improved this year. So this should be a pretty good year.

3/6/2007 3:43:10 PM