Atlanta Braves to Retire Bobby Cox's No. 6: Looking Back at His Career

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The Atlanta Braves will retire former manager Bobby Cox's No. 6 on Friday before playing the Cubs in Atlanta.

The ceremony will mark the third time the Braves have retired a number since 2009 when Greg Maddux saw his number retired. Tom Glavine had his No. 47 retired last season.

When Cox's number is raised at Turner Field, it will mark the first time that such an honor has been bestowed upon someone based primarily for their managerial accomplishments.

Eddie Matthews did manage the Braves in from 1972 to 1974 to a 149-161 record. Something tells me, though, that it was the 512 home runs, 2,315 hits, 1,509 runs and 1,453 RBI Matthews compiled in 17 major league seasons that earned him such an illustrious honor.

The Braves will also induct Cox into the team's Hall of Fame. Speaking of the honor, Cox said, "It's as great an honor as a manager or player could ever have, being inducted into the Hall of Fame and having your number retired."

Tomorrow will be a special day for Cox, his family, former players and the entire Braves organization. To add the proverbial icing on the cake, the Braves have scheduled an old-timers game on Saturday.

Over 50 former players are also expected to be there including Dale Murphy and Phil Niekro. Maddux, Glavine, John Smoltz, David Justice, Steve Avery, Sid Beam and Fred McGriff are some of Cox's former players all expected to attend.

So, let's take a moment to look back at Cox's 25 years in the Braves dugout.

First Tour as Braves Manager, 1978-1981

At just 37 years old, Cox took the reigns in Atlanta in 1978, but the team went just 69-93 in his first year as manager.

Cox's Braves continued to struggle the following year and finished just 66-94.

In 1980, Cox led the Braves to their first winning record since 1972 when the team went 81-80 and finished fourth in the NL West.

Cox was fired because of the baseball strike of 1981 but managed the Braves in partial seasons in 1981 and 1982.

During his first tour in Atlanta, Cox made a career-defining decision when he moved Dale Murphy from catcher to the outfield because he had developed throwing block.

Murphy went on to win two MVP Awards and five Gold Gloves, becoming one of the premier players of the 1980s.

Braves General Manager, 1986-1990

After spending four seasons in Toronto and being named the 1985 AL Manager of the Year, Cox returned to Atlanta as the team's General Manager in 1986.

While in the Braves front office, Cox accumulated players such as Tom Glavine, Steve Avery, Ron Gant, David Justice and Pete Smith.  Oh yeah, he also drafted Chipper Jones with the first overall pick in the 1990 draft.

Frustrated, Cox fired Russ Nixon in June of 1990 and named himself as manager after going through three managers in less than five seasons.

From Worst to First, 1991

Under Cox's first full season in his second tour, the Braves became just the second team in MLB history to finish in first place after finishing in last place the season before. The other team to accomplish this feat was the 1991 Twins.

Fittingly, the Braves and Twins would meet in the 1991 World Series. The 1991 World Series marked only the second time that the home team won every game of the series. The other time was in 1987 when the Twins defeated the Cardinals.

Cox was named the 1991 NL Manager of the Year, becoming just the fourth manager to be named both AL and NL Manager of the Year. 1991 also marked the first of 14 consecutive division championships for the Braves under Cox.

Back-to-Back World Series Appearances, 1995-1996

After playoff dissapointments in 1992 and 1993, the Braves returned to the World Series in 1995 after a strike-shortened season in 1994.

Unlike in 1991 and 1992, the Braves won the 1995 World Series by defeating the Cleveland Indians.

The Braves would return to the World Series in 1996 but would fall to the New York Yankees in six games after being up 2-0 in the series.

Even after the loss, times were good in Atlanta. The Braves had been to three World Series in five seasons, and there was no reason to suspect that anything was going to change.

However, the 1995 World Series title would be the only one for Cox and the Braves.

Back to the World Series, 1999

The Braves would continue their string of division titles but would lose in the 1997 NLCS to the Florida Marlins and in 1998 to the San Diego Padres.

Cox guided the Braves back to the World Series in 1999 where they met the Yankees again. This time the Yankees made quick work of the Braves, eliminating them in four straight games.

The 1999 season marked the last time the Braves would reach the World Series under Cox.

Early Playoff Exits, 2002-2005

The Braves streak of division titles would continue through the 2005 season, but the team would fail to advance past the first round from 2002 to 2005.

In 2002, Atlanta lost in five games to the San Fransisco Giants.

In 2003, they lost to the Chicago Cubs in five games.

The Houston Astros eliminated the Braves in 2004 and 2005 in the NLDS. The final game of the 2005 NLDS between the Braves and Astros lasted 18 innings.

The Braves division title streak would end at 14, and they would miss the playoffs the next four seasons.

Return to the Playoffs and Retirement, 2010

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In his final season as manager, Cox led the Braves to the playoffs by winning the NL Wild Card.

However, Atlanta would fall short in a hard-fought series to the eventual World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.

Although his managerial career ended in defeat, the 2010 Braves showed promise for the future and were once again focused on solid pitching.

Career Accomplishments

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Cox won the Manager of the Year Award four times ('85, '91, '04, '05). He is one of only four managers to win the award in both leagues and is the only person to win it in back-to back years.

The Sporting News named him Manager of the Year eight times ('85, '91, '93, '99, '02-'05).

His 2,504 wins as a manager rank fourth all-time, and he is one of only four managers to win 2,000 games with one team.

With a winning percentage of .561, Cox ranks 14th all-time. The mark is second-best among those who managed the majority of their games since the creation of divisions within the leagues.

Cox led the Braves to 14 consecutive division titles, five World Series appearances and the 1995 World Series Championship.