SamtheBravesFan
08-31-2008, 10:00 PM
After reading through The Bill James Guide to Baseball Managers From 1870 To Today, I got an idea. I would like to pose the questions from his Manager in a Box essays and ask everyone to answer those for Bobby Cox. I would like to see if we can get a consensus on what kind of a manager he has been or is. I'll supply my own answers later to those I believe I can answer with certainty.
(I know we're really angry with him right now, so please try to be as disconnected as possible. ;) )
YEAR OF BIRTH: 1941
YEARS MANAGED: 1978-85, 1990-present
RECORD AS A MANAGER: 2,314-1,842, .557
MANAGERS FOR WHOM HE PLAYED: Ralph Houk
OTHERS BY WHOM HE WAS INFLUENCED: ?
CHARACTERISTICS AS A PLAYER: Looking at his stats, I would guess that he was a semi-patient hitter who looked better because of the depressed offense in 1968. He had a decent range factor, so his defense must have been serviceable.
WHAT HE BROUGHT TO A BALL CLUB
WAS HE AN INTENSE MANAGER OR MORE OF AN EASY-TO-GET-ALONG-WITH TYPE? I would have to say that it depends on the situation. He's easy to get along with when it comes to the players, but when it comes to the game, he seems a little more intense.
WAS HE MORE OF AN EMOTIONAL LEADER OR A DECISION MAKER? To me that would also depend on the situation. He becomes an emotional leader when he argues. Otherwise, he's a decision-maker. He doesn't seem to be one or the other.
WAS HE MORE OF AN OPTIMIST OR MORE OF A PROBLEM-SOLVER? Given his willingness for players to work out of slumps, I'd have to say he's optimistic they can work it out.
HOW HE USED HIS PLAYERS
DID HE FAVOR A SET LINEUP OR A ROTATION SYSTEM? A set lineup when players are healthy, a rotation system when there are injuries. Some positions in the lineup are set to him because of the player. However, he takes at least one position on the diamond each year and rotates through players, whether it be by whim or injuries.
DID HE LIKE TO PLATOON? Does a fish like water? My guess is that Cox is one of the most platoon-happy managers in the game today.
DID HE TRY TO SOLVE HIS PROBLEMS WITH PROVEN PLAYERS OR WITH YOUNGSTERS WHO STILL MAY HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO LEARN? This season should tell you that he looks to veterans to solve problems, no matter who they are.
HOW MANY PLAYERS DID HE MAKE REGULARS WHO HAD NOT BEEN REGULARS BEFORE? He started Glenn Hubbard in July of 1978, and he stayed the Braves' regular second baseman for the next 9 seasons. Bob Horner was a regular the second he joined the major league team in that same year, so that counts as something. In Toronto, he gave second baseman Rance Mulliniks more playing time than he ever had before. Willie Upshaw was inserted as the regular first baseman in 1982, which jumpstarted his production. Jesse Barfield got more regular playing time in the outfield under Cox, but not a full season. Tony Fernandez played regularly for the AL East champion Jays in 1985 and continued to play regularly after that. Among the Braves players who turned into regulars under Cox: Otis Nixon, Javy Lopez, Andruw Jones, Marcus Giles, Rafael Furcal, Kelly Johnson, Brian McCann, (for better or worse) Jeff Francoeur. Pitchers I can think of: Kevin Millwood, Jason Marquis, and that's basically it.
DID HE PREFER TO GO WITH GOOD OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OR DID HE LIKE THE GLOVE MEN? He went with offense wherever he could get it. However, at a few positions in most years, he was willing to sacrifice offense for defense (shortstop, second base, even catcher).
DID HE LIKE AN OFFENSE BASED ON POWER, SPEED, OR HIGH AVERAGES? Power. Doubles and homers were the keys with him for years. He's more like Earl Weaver in that department.
DID HE USE THE ENTIRE ROSTER OR DID HE KEEP PEOPLE SITTING ON THE BENCH? Cox tends to use the entire roster in some capacity, be it in platoons, pinch-hitting or defensive substitutions. He usually saves the bench for pinch-hitting.
DID HE BUILD HIS BENCH AROUND YOUNG PLAYERS WHO COULD STEP INTO THE BREACH IF NEED BE, OR AROUND VETERAN ROLE-PLAYERS WHO HAD THEIR OWN FUNCTIONS WITHIN A GAME? Veterans. Rookies are rarely used on his bench.
GAME MANAGING AND USE OF STRATEGIES
DID HE GO FOR THE BIG-INNING OFFENSE OR DID HE LIKE TO USE THE ONE-RUN STRATEGIES? The big inning. Like Earl Weaver, Cox usually sat back and waited for the three-run homer. For years, with the caliber of players the Braves had, that's what they did.
DID HE PINCH-HIT MUCH, AND IF SO, WHEN? Almost always when Cox wanted to take the pitcher out of the game. He would occassionally pinch-hit a platoon partner, but that is rare.
WAS THERE ANYTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT HIS LINEUP SELECTION? It's more conventional. He tailors it to the talent that's available to him.
DID HE USE THE SAC BUNT OFTEN? Usually when the situation called for it. He led the league on sac bunts in a couple of years.
DID HE LIKE TO USE THE RUNNING GAME? Sproadically. It depends on the talent. He used it a lot with Otis Nixon and Rafael Furcal, but sparingly otherwise. He ran a lot in 1991, 1999 and 2000, but not as much in any other year.
IN WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD HE ISSUE AN INTENTIONAL WALK? To set up double plays or force outs at every base, and to get a platoon advantage. It burned him sometimes, but that's the nature of intentional walks.
DID HE HIT AND RUN VERY OFTEN? I don't believe so.
WERE THERE ANY UNIQUE OR IDIOSYNCRATIC STRATEGIES THAT HE PARTICULARLY FAVORED? I can't say.
HOW DID HE CHANGE THE GAME? I doubt it.
HANDLING THE PITCHING STAFF
DID HE LIKE POWER PITCHERS, OR DID HE PREFER TO GO WITH THE PEOPLE WHO PUT THE BALL IN PLAY? Pitchers who put the ball in play. Guys like Maddux, Glavine and Neagle were the norm. Smoltz and Millwood were the rarity.
DID HE STAY WITH HIS STARTERS OR GO TO THE BULLPEN QUICKLY? When the Big Three were at their best, the bullpen wasn't used much. Once the Braves' quality of starters went down, the bullpen was used more and more.
DID HE USE A FOUR-MAN ROTATION? To my knowledge, he may have done that once or twice.
DID HE USE THE ENTIRE STAFF, OR DID HE TRY TO GET FIVE OR SIX PEOPLE TO DO MOST OF THE WORK? He always had about five or six relievers to do all the work. Some pitchers seemd to get lost in the shuffle.
HOW LONG WOULD HE STAY WITH A STARTING PITCHER WHO WAS STRUGGLING? Over the years that has fluctuated, but he seems more apt to go with the quick hook now than in years past. That would also have to do with the quality of pitching.
WHAT WAS HIS STRONGEST POINT AS A MANAGER? He is a player's manager. Very few players have a sour word to say about Cox. A player's public outburst about anything regarding the team was rare. If it did come out, Cox would help diffuse it and the situation would be resolved away from the cameras.
IF THERE WAS NO PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL, WHAT WOULD HE PROBABLY HAVE DONE WITH HIS LIFE? Someone else answer this. :D
Answer as much or as little as you want. Let's figure out what the historians should remember about Cox. :)
(I know we're really angry with him right now, so please try to be as disconnected as possible. ;) )
YEAR OF BIRTH: 1941
YEARS MANAGED: 1978-85, 1990-present
RECORD AS A MANAGER: 2,314-1,842, .557
MANAGERS FOR WHOM HE PLAYED: Ralph Houk
OTHERS BY WHOM HE WAS INFLUENCED: ?
CHARACTERISTICS AS A PLAYER: Looking at his stats, I would guess that he was a semi-patient hitter who looked better because of the depressed offense in 1968. He had a decent range factor, so his defense must have been serviceable.
WHAT HE BROUGHT TO A BALL CLUB
WAS HE AN INTENSE MANAGER OR MORE OF AN EASY-TO-GET-ALONG-WITH TYPE? I would have to say that it depends on the situation. He's easy to get along with when it comes to the players, but when it comes to the game, he seems a little more intense.
WAS HE MORE OF AN EMOTIONAL LEADER OR A DECISION MAKER? To me that would also depend on the situation. He becomes an emotional leader when he argues. Otherwise, he's a decision-maker. He doesn't seem to be one or the other.
WAS HE MORE OF AN OPTIMIST OR MORE OF A PROBLEM-SOLVER? Given his willingness for players to work out of slumps, I'd have to say he's optimistic they can work it out.
HOW HE USED HIS PLAYERS
DID HE FAVOR A SET LINEUP OR A ROTATION SYSTEM? A set lineup when players are healthy, a rotation system when there are injuries. Some positions in the lineup are set to him because of the player. However, he takes at least one position on the diamond each year and rotates through players, whether it be by whim or injuries.
DID HE LIKE TO PLATOON? Does a fish like water? My guess is that Cox is one of the most platoon-happy managers in the game today.
DID HE TRY TO SOLVE HIS PROBLEMS WITH PROVEN PLAYERS OR WITH YOUNGSTERS WHO STILL MAY HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO LEARN? This season should tell you that he looks to veterans to solve problems, no matter who they are.
HOW MANY PLAYERS DID HE MAKE REGULARS WHO HAD NOT BEEN REGULARS BEFORE? He started Glenn Hubbard in July of 1978, and he stayed the Braves' regular second baseman for the next 9 seasons. Bob Horner was a regular the second he joined the major league team in that same year, so that counts as something. In Toronto, he gave second baseman Rance Mulliniks more playing time than he ever had before. Willie Upshaw was inserted as the regular first baseman in 1982, which jumpstarted his production. Jesse Barfield got more regular playing time in the outfield under Cox, but not a full season. Tony Fernandez played regularly for the AL East champion Jays in 1985 and continued to play regularly after that. Among the Braves players who turned into regulars under Cox: Otis Nixon, Javy Lopez, Andruw Jones, Marcus Giles, Rafael Furcal, Kelly Johnson, Brian McCann, (for better or worse) Jeff Francoeur. Pitchers I can think of: Kevin Millwood, Jason Marquis, and that's basically it.
DID HE PREFER TO GO WITH GOOD OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OR DID HE LIKE THE GLOVE MEN? He went with offense wherever he could get it. However, at a few positions in most years, he was willing to sacrifice offense for defense (shortstop, second base, even catcher).
DID HE LIKE AN OFFENSE BASED ON POWER, SPEED, OR HIGH AVERAGES? Power. Doubles and homers were the keys with him for years. He's more like Earl Weaver in that department.
DID HE USE THE ENTIRE ROSTER OR DID HE KEEP PEOPLE SITTING ON THE BENCH? Cox tends to use the entire roster in some capacity, be it in platoons, pinch-hitting or defensive substitutions. He usually saves the bench for pinch-hitting.
DID HE BUILD HIS BENCH AROUND YOUNG PLAYERS WHO COULD STEP INTO THE BREACH IF NEED BE, OR AROUND VETERAN ROLE-PLAYERS WHO HAD THEIR OWN FUNCTIONS WITHIN A GAME? Veterans. Rookies are rarely used on his bench.
GAME MANAGING AND USE OF STRATEGIES
DID HE GO FOR THE BIG-INNING OFFENSE OR DID HE LIKE TO USE THE ONE-RUN STRATEGIES? The big inning. Like Earl Weaver, Cox usually sat back and waited for the three-run homer. For years, with the caliber of players the Braves had, that's what they did.
DID HE PINCH-HIT MUCH, AND IF SO, WHEN? Almost always when Cox wanted to take the pitcher out of the game. He would occassionally pinch-hit a platoon partner, but that is rare.
WAS THERE ANYTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT HIS LINEUP SELECTION? It's more conventional. He tailors it to the talent that's available to him.
DID HE USE THE SAC BUNT OFTEN? Usually when the situation called for it. He led the league on sac bunts in a couple of years.
DID HE LIKE TO USE THE RUNNING GAME? Sproadically. It depends on the talent. He used it a lot with Otis Nixon and Rafael Furcal, but sparingly otherwise. He ran a lot in 1991, 1999 and 2000, but not as much in any other year.
IN WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD HE ISSUE AN INTENTIONAL WALK? To set up double plays or force outs at every base, and to get a platoon advantage. It burned him sometimes, but that's the nature of intentional walks.
DID HE HIT AND RUN VERY OFTEN? I don't believe so.
WERE THERE ANY UNIQUE OR IDIOSYNCRATIC STRATEGIES THAT HE PARTICULARLY FAVORED? I can't say.
HOW DID HE CHANGE THE GAME? I doubt it.
HANDLING THE PITCHING STAFF
DID HE LIKE POWER PITCHERS, OR DID HE PREFER TO GO WITH THE PEOPLE WHO PUT THE BALL IN PLAY? Pitchers who put the ball in play. Guys like Maddux, Glavine and Neagle were the norm. Smoltz and Millwood were the rarity.
DID HE STAY WITH HIS STARTERS OR GO TO THE BULLPEN QUICKLY? When the Big Three were at their best, the bullpen wasn't used much. Once the Braves' quality of starters went down, the bullpen was used more and more.
DID HE USE A FOUR-MAN ROTATION? To my knowledge, he may have done that once or twice.
DID HE USE THE ENTIRE STAFF, OR DID HE TRY TO GET FIVE OR SIX PEOPLE TO DO MOST OF THE WORK? He always had about five or six relievers to do all the work. Some pitchers seemd to get lost in the shuffle.
HOW LONG WOULD HE STAY WITH A STARTING PITCHER WHO WAS STRUGGLING? Over the years that has fluctuated, but he seems more apt to go with the quick hook now than in years past. That would also have to do with the quality of pitching.
WHAT WAS HIS STRONGEST POINT AS A MANAGER? He is a player's manager. Very few players have a sour word to say about Cox. A player's public outburst about anything regarding the team was rare. If it did come out, Cox would help diffuse it and the situation would be resolved away from the cameras.
IF THERE WAS NO PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL, WHAT WOULD HE PROBABLY HAVE DONE WITH HIS LIFE? Someone else answer this. :D
Answer as much or as little as you want. Let's figure out what the historians should remember about Cox. :)