Bobby Cox

On this date in 2007, Bobby Cox is ejected from a game for the 132nd time breaking the record held for over 70 years by John McGraw.

"You'll probably have to write a $500 check. Or you can do what I do, write a $10,000 one and tell them when it runs out, let me know." - to Jeff Francoeur after Francoeur's first career ejection

Bobby Cox

On this date in 2011, the Braves retire Bobby Cox's uniform number 6.

"We weren't trying to walk him. He just wouldn't swing at any bad pitches." - on the Braves walking Barry Bonds 7 times in a series

Chipper Jones

On this date in 1990, the Braves select Florida high school shortstop Chipper Jones with the first pick of the free-agent draft.

"(Bobby) Cox, then the General Manager, liked Jones as a ballplayer. He wondered, though, if Jones had the requisite toughness to succeed. One day, supposedly a week before the draft, Cox got a report from a scout. An opposing player had begun yakking at Jones' pitcher. Being the sophisticated player Jones was (and remains), he responded by punching the player in the face. This delighted Cox and led the Braves to select Jones with the first-overall pick in the draft. Jones even signed his first professional contract with a broken hand endured from the punch." - R.J. Anderson, Baseball Prospectus

Bobby Cox

Born on today's date, Bobby Cox.

"We weren't trying to walk him. He just wouldn't swing at any bad pitches." - on the Braves walking Barry Bonds 7 times in a series

"Don't worry! MLB will probably suspend him."

"They might even get his manager too."

154 and counting

Bobby Cox on two hours sleep?!

That umpire had no chance.

Bobby Cox is coming back!

Christmas in Jul.....ok September!

It has been announced that Bobby Cox will return to manage the Braves for one more year. Hooray!

They are calling it "The Farewell Tour". Look, I don't want to quarrel with the Braves PR staff but it should really be called "The Farewell EJECTION Tour" as this gives Bobby 162 opportunities to add to his managerial career record of 150 game ejections.

You know what I want to see? A Bobby Cox ejection in every National League stadium in 2010 with the grand finale in game 162. For that last game, they should even let him have dogs or something for some added antagonism towards those dastardly umpires.

Remember when Topps made that special tribute Hank Aaron card in the 1974 set and designated it the #1 card in the set in anticipation of Hank breaking the career home run record?

Topps has got to do the same thing for Bobby in 2010 in their base set. They just have to.

How often does this happen?

Bobby Cox might call it quits?

So apparently the word out of Atlanta is that Bobby Cox may retire and not manage beyond this season.

Per the Atlanta Journal Constitution, when asked if he would be back for a 25th season as the Braves' manager, Cox responded, "We'll see," and when pressed further, he said, "We'll see, OK?"

Hmmm. I didn't know that this was even an issue but when you think about it, Bobby has the record for career ejections for a manager so there appears to be not much more that he could possibly accomplish in baseball.

While I can respect his decision to retire, if that is really what he is going to do, it sure must a kick to have license to hurl abuse at authority figures on a regular basis with the only penalty being that you have to go take a shower or you would face an unlikely short suspension. I know that I would not want to give that up.

Actually there is probably no need to speculate as to whether Bobby will retire as I think I know a sure-fire way to tell if he will quit.

Remember Ted Williams' last at-bat when he hit that dramatic home run?

I see the same thing happening here.

If Bobby Cox gets thrown out in the last game of this season, he's retiring.

I just know it.

I can't wait.

Bobby Cox ejection watch

After being in a mini-slump for a little while, Bobby Cox finally came to life and was able to get ejected from last night's Braves game against the Marlins and this extends his major league record for ejections to 149.

The AP game story is not very specific as to the facts other than he was thrown out in the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes. Sounds like a pretty generic ejection but they all count.

"I think, honestly, I could umpire-just call everything a ball except for pitches right down the middle," Cox said after the game.

Ok, again this does not appear to be one of Bobby's better ejections but I do give him points for the sarcasm which kind of spices things up a little. He's trying.

This career ejection number 149 gives Cox a commanding 18 ejection lead over second place manager, John McGraw who had 131 ejections. As most of you know, John McGraw is dead. Not to be too morbid, but this is the perfect opportunity for Bobby to extend his lead; when his closest competitor is dead. No need for complacency now.

If he could maybe get thrown out of a game this weekend*, he could really gain some momentum and then there would be no stopping this juggernaut.

The only thing that possibly could stop him would be flawless umpiring and well do I need to go further.....

*p.s. rather than doing another post. He did it! 150 tonight! I don't know the facts yet but I know he is gone from the game and can't come back. This has a magical feel to it!

Bobby Cox ejection watch

I see Bobby Cox got thrown out of the Braves game with the Dodgers last night giving him 148 career ejections. After a slow start, he is really getting back in the swing of things. All seems right with the world.

I would like to give Bobby more credit on this one but I really can't. This is why.

The Dodgers have a batter up with a full count and a runner on first base. Jair Jurrjens pitching for the Braves throws a strike and the batter does not swing. Home plate umpire motions a strikeout with his right hand. The runner on first is attempting a steal and Braves catcher, Brian McCann throws him out at second base. Two outs on one pitch. Nirvana!

But hold on one second. Home plate umpire now says he actually called a ball and a walk (and people say Pete Rose had a gambling problem) and puts runners on first and second base.

Bobby Cox enters the scene and the rest is very predictable.

As you can see, Bobby only gets a very slight pat on the back here as any competent manager gets thrown out in this situation.

It still counts though!

I do however know one umpire who is not going to be working the Playoffs or World Series this year. Baseball just does not reward bad behavior like that.

What's with these umpires?

I knew that Bobby Cox got thrown out of Monday's game with the Marlins but I really did not know anything other than the basic facts in the AP article on the game. Well, here is the rest of the story.

In an article by David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it appears that several Braves players saw rogue umpire, Bill Hohn (yea that guy in the picture above) bump fists with Marlins catcher John Baker after the final out in the Braves 6-3 loss.

"Shocking," Chipper Jones said of the Hohn-Baker fist bump. "But it kind of makes sense considering how the ebb and flow of the game went, the way the game was called."

"Never seen it before in my 16 years," Jones said. 'Players and umpires exchange banter all the time. But never a handshake or a fist bump. I guess Baker thought he deserved a hand shake."

"And as a player, it makes you not want to play when that stuff happens. Because you don't have a chance," Jones said.

"No comment," Hohn told two reporters after the game. (At least deny it....if you can)

You can't make this stuff up. You just can't.

As kind of a public service, I think I will provide the following basic, timeless rules for umpires so to prevent these kinds of problems.

1. Do not wear paraphernalia of either team while on the field. (Stick with generic mlb gear. No snazzy emblems but that is how it goes.)

2. Do not sit in either team's dugout between innings. (Even if it is hot and you are tired. Gut it out.)

3. Do not lend or borrow anything from anybody while on the field. (Even if Jim Leyland tries to bum a smoke off of you)

4. Do not at any time while you are on the field give a fist bump or high five to any player or manager competing in the game. (People are watching you know)

Actually, there are quite a few other rules to eliminate any potential evidence of umpire bias in games but consider these just a start. If we can get through a few weeks with no problems on these, we can work on some others. Our long-term goal is bias-free umpiring. Because right now, we have players that don't want to play. And we don't want that.

And here I thought Bobby Cox got ejected all on his own.

Bobby Cox ejection watch

It is noted that Bobby Cox was ejected in last night's Braves/Marlins game which extends his major league career record to 147.

Actually, Bobby was in danger of managing this game to it's conclusion but he pulled it out in the end getting ejected by home plate umpire, Bill Hohn in the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes. That is one clutch performance.

Bobby was in a slump during the first half of the year but really seems to be getting back in the swing of things lately and this is nice to see. It kind of makes you feel that everything is right with the baseball world again.

(Now Magglio Ordonez needs to turn it around)

The Bobby Cox ejection watch

I see that Bobby Cox got thrown out of the game last night in the Braves 5-1 loss to the Giants. This gives Bobby who of course is the career leader in ejections, 146 ejections giving him a commanding 15 ejection lead over John McGraw who of course cannot catch him because he is dead.

While I appreciate Bobby's continued feistiness and willingness to extend his lead here, he seems to be in a bit of a slump as this was only his third ejection of the year. This is kind of disappointing. Three?! From Bobby Cox? What's going on here? Is Bobby losing focus or something? It's not like umpiring is getting any better recently. This is truly something of a mystery.

I have said it before but if Major League Baseball would assign Doug Eddings and fellow incompetent Angel Hernandez to ump more Braves games, I bet Bobby would get back in the groove really quick.

Until then, if I was Bobby, I would periodically hurl some abuse on the some of those lesser guys and bide my time until the Eddings and Hernandez games come up when he can really rack up the numbers.

Bobby Cox sure doesn't respect Jeff Francoeur very much

In last night's game against the Mets, Brave's manager, Bobby Cox issued intentional walks to David Wright in the first, sixth and ninth innings, each time putting runners on first and second for former Brave, Jeff Francoeur.

Ouch!

I wouldn't be surprised if the field mikes picked up Bobby yelling to his pitchers, "Don't even bother throwing him a strike! He'll swing!"

As it turned out, Francoeur got hits in the sixth and ninth innings so the strategy was not exactly successful.

That's ok. I am with Bobby on this one.

(Frustrated Jeff Francoeur fantasy baseball owner)

John Russell experiences second career ejection

It is noted that Pittsburgh Pirate manager, John Russell was ejected in the 6th inning of last night's game against the Indians for arguing with home plate umpire, Jerry Lane. This was Russell's second career ejection.

Bobby Cox is "SO" not impressed.

An anonymous (and probably mythical) source apparently overheard Bobby say "Tell him to take the skirt off and see me when he has 143 more!"

Bobby exits early again

I note that Bobby Cox of the Braves was ejected in the bottom of the ninth inning in yesterday's 3-1 loss to the Pirates. As you can see, Bobby was in danger of actually managing the whole game but in the end, he pulled it out in the clutch and was ejected in the bottom of the ninth.

I knew that Bobby Cox was the all time major league leader in managerial ejections with 144 and John McGraw was in second place with 131. What I did not realize is what a commanding lead Cox has over the nearest active manager as he leads Tony LaRussa by more than 50 ejections.

What this means is that Bobby has a chance to join baseball's immortals like Cy Young and Joe Dimaggio in owning a record that will never ever be broken. He could join the inner-ring pantheon of baseball gods. Frankly in my opinion, this just does not get enough attention.

Actually major league baseball could even help Bobby in his bid for baseball immortality by assigning noted incompetents like Doug Eddings and Angel Hernandez to umpire more Braves games. Bobby would really rack em up then. Think about the numbers he could put up. There would be no stopping him.

If I were an advisor to Bobby Cox, this is what I would tell him:

1. Argue everything and anything. Instant replays on those home runs are not always right especially if the call goes against you and replay seems to confirm the call on the field. Be persistent.

2. Be demonstrative too. Don't be shy. Hats were made for throwin and dirt was made for kickin. (Actually, Bobby has this one down pat)

3. As for language, let it fly. You know all the words that will ring the bell. Use them. (Though I would not actually know, I suspect that Bobby has this one down pat too.)

4. Don't let them cheat you. You are not just a potted plant out there. Make them respect you. (But not enough that they would feel reluctant to throw you out. It's a fine line there.)

After all, baseball immortality rides on this.