In the Time of Bobby Cox : The Atlanta Braves, Their Manager, My Couch, Two Decades, and Me

Bobby Cox has now hung up his spikes, leaving behind an unparalleled tenure as one of the most successful managers of all time. Known throughout baseball as a player’s manager, the legendary skipper has endeared himself to all who love the game. His constancy has been an anomaly in this fickle sports era, and In the Time of Bobby Cox is Lang Whitaker’s heartfelt exploration of the lessons he’s learned sitting at the master’s side . . . or, more accurately, sitting on his couch in front of the television.

The number of players who’ve hit the field for Cox is astonishing—and this book includes a list. From David Justice to Greg Maddux to Chipper Jones to Jason Heyward, Cox managed every kind of player, and almost always got the most out of each one. He did it with patience, persistence, and faith. He did it by adapting, communicating, and, more often than any other manager, getting himself ejected. Whitaker didn’t think much of it at first, but, as the years rolled by, he realized he’d learned at least as much from Cox as players such as Andruw Jones had.

In the tradition of Frederick Exley’s 1968 classic, A Fan’s Notes, and Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch, sports commentator, editor, columnist, and blogger Lang Whitaker weaves memoir with his obsessive super-fandom, providing the perfect blend of sports, humor, and insight for Braves fans and for everyone who enjoys America’s favorite pastime.

In his second incarnation as Atlanta Braves manager, from 1990 through 2010, Bobby Cox, now retired, was so predictably successful�14 straight division titles, 14 seasons of 90 wins or more�as to operate almost under the radar of many baseball fans. Whitaker, executive editor of SLAM magazine and super Braves fan, pays tribute to Cox and the teams he managed. There�s some analysis here�Whitaker�s take on future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux is especially keen�but readers will more likely appreciate the author�s undying connection to his team, which includes an apparently complete, annotated list of every player on the Braves during Cox�s second tenure and, more important, the life lessons Whitaker drew from Bobby Cox, among them patience, adaptability, resilience, and a dedication to improving the performance of those he managed. Essential reading for Braves� devotees and a fascinating baseball story for fans of all kinds. --Alan Moores