ATLANTA -- Seeing Bobby Cox present for the celebration of Atlanta’s first World Series title gave the 1995 Braves even greater reason to savor what they accomplished when they beat Cleveland in the Fall Classic 30 years ago.
"It's awfully special that he was able to make it out here tonight,” Hall of Famer Chipper Jones said before the Braves fell to the Mets, 12-7, on Friday night at Truist Park. “He was grinning from ear to ear, whenever we all went up and gave him a hug.”
Before hosting the Mets in the series opener, the Braves honored members of their 1995 World Series winning team. Jones, Tom Glavine, David Justice, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz were all present.
But the prized attendee was Cox, who has made just a few trips to the ballpark since suffering a major stroke at the beginning of the 2019 season.
"It's great seeing everybody, but obviously seeing Bobby is kind of icing on the cake,” Glavine said. “We all know it's not easy for him to get here. So, the fact that he made the effort tells you how special it is for him.”
Cox, 84, was the general manager who reconstructed the Braves during the late 1980s and the manager who guided the team to 14 consecutive division titles, five National League pennants and the one World Series title in 1995. He had the honor of being inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame alongside both Glavine and Maddux in 2014.
Other Hall of Famers from the 1995 team who were present for Friday’s celebration included former general manager John Schuerholz, Fred McGriff, Jones and Smoltz. Seeing Schuerholz able to enjoy the festivities was also special because he has had his own health concerns over the past few years.
"It’s great to see all of the fellas because we don’t really get a chance to see each other,” Justice said. “We were the first team to win a World Series in Atlanta. Going through the parade just now and feeling the appreciation of the fans, it was a great moment. It made us feel great.”
Cox participated in a pregame parade through The Battery and then entered the stadium’s tunnel, where the members of the 1995 team each had a chance to say hello to the beloved Hall of Fame skipper.
"Every guy that went up to him to say hi, he smiled,” Glavine said. “It shows how much he loved us and how much we loved him.”
Though his mobility and communication skills are limited, Cox had no trouble flashing his big smile while being reunited with the other honored attendees, which included some of his old coaches like former pitching coach Leo Mazzone, former hitting coach Clarence Jones, former baseball systems operator Jim Guadagno and Ned Yost, who guided the Royals to the 2015 World Series title.
“I talked to him yesterday and it’s something he’s really looking forward to,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Snitker’s phone call on Thursday was to inform Cox that he had made all of the arrangements for him to be transported to the stadium via an ambulance service.
Snitker and a handful of other former Braves employees have regularly visited Cox over the years. A recent visit included Dale Murphy, Mark Lemke, Yost and current Atlanta third-base coach Fredi González. Yost and González are among those who became managers after being part of Cox’s staff.
“Guys will start telling stories, and he's belly laughing because he understands everything that's going on,” Snitker said.
"He's aware of everything, and he's aware of how we're playing and what's going on in the games. It just hurts that he can't be a part of it. But you can tell inside there, he's realizing everything that we're talking about.”
When Cox was introduced during Friday’s ceremony, he rose from his chair, waved in appreciation and seemed to touch his heart, again signaling that he knew exactly what was happening on this special night.
“He’s the toughest son of a gun I’ve ever seen,” Smoltz said. “The fact he is here just blows my mind.”