Bobby Cox manages his last game a 3-2 loss to Giants

   Bobby Cox has had a long 29 year career as a manager in Major League Baseball, and tonight his Atlanta Braves came-up short in another exciting game won by the San Francisco Giants 3-2. The baseball legend known as much for his genius as his hot temper gave it his best tonight making every possible move and switch he could to try to get his club past the crafty Giants. This game was National League Baseball at it’s best with great starting pitching from both sides, key hits, lots of drama and in the end an appreciative classy crowd who hung around after the bitter loss to applaud another fixture of they game who is sailing away.

  Both of these teams have catchers who can hit as well as handle pitchers and tonight Braves catcher Brian McCann drove in both Braves runs with a homer and a sacrifice fly to bring in another run. But tonight the biggest offensive contribution came from Cody Ross the Giants right fielder who homered and delivered a clutch hit to drive in the winning run for the Giants moving this series on to the next round against the Phillies. While tonight belonged to Bobby Cox, you have to hand it to Giants manager Bruce Bochy who pulled all the right strings with his excellent pitching staff. Bochy used starter Bomgarden along with three relievers to get through a tough but not star-studded Braves lineup at Turner field.

  It took me back to the 90′s hearing the Braves fans with their chants and foam tomahawks. But once again they came-up short, this time with their team leader Chipper Jones out with an injury and their Ancient Skipper Bobby Cox on the way out of the game he loved.

  But hey, we live on the West Coast and the nearest major league city to us is San Francisco which politically and culturally is much the same as Seattle and also has a strong Maritime heritage that is intertwined with ours. I lived there as a young lad in the 60′s and had my heart-broken for years by great Giants teams with Mays, McCovey, Marichal and lots of other talented players. I quit following them in the 70′s once we had come back to Seattle but the classic black and orange caps still bring back a lot of baseball memories for me. I will be in SF next week and hope to sneak in a game if I can get a ticket somehow.

Bobby Cox as he will be remembered

   All that is left in the Division Series is game 5 tomorrow between the Rays and Rangers. This should be a great pitchers duel between Cliff Lee and Rays Ace David  Price. So far this postseason has been a gas and I’m hoping for a Giants-Yankees World Series!

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