Eulogy For Something Special

It’s over, and that’s the most startling thing about this whole 2010 Atlanta Braves journey is that it has come to an end. It didn’t happen the way the players wanted it to or the way the fans wanted but maybe it ended in the way most fitting for Bobby Cox’s career. More pertinently it wasn’t just the season that ended, the game 4 loss to the Giants in the National League Division Series marked the final time that Bobby Cox would sit on a Major League bench as a manager. Bobby’s career has been eulogised enough by people far more eloquent than I but these last two series (the Phillies and Giants) showed us exactly how much love the city and team of Atlanta has for the veteran manager.

The three sell outs to end the regular season during ‘Bobby Cox Weekend’ gave the fans the chance to thank Bobby for the 20 plus years he gave to the city and the team, it was an outpouring of emotion that only ever happens in sports. The epic finale to his wonderful career was the moments following Melky Cabrera making the final out of game 4, with the Giants beginning their celebration in the middle of the Braves diamond something strange happened in the capacity crowd. There wasn’t any boos, as the fans had showered on Brooks Conrad the night before, there wasn’t the mass exodus as witnessed the night after at Tropicana Field, the 44,532 individuals inside the Ted simply began chanting one name; Bobby. With the increasing volume and passion in the chant Bobby made one more walk up the dug-out steps and onto the field, his players stopped and applauded, the fans all stopped and applauded and, in one final touching tribute, the Giants stopped celebrating to applaud. One final great tribute to one of the last great managers.

It wasn’t just the fans who were demonstrating their love during the NLDS the Braves players made it clear from the beginning that everything they did was in Cox’s name. No player was more forthright in their feelings or actions than the only Braves on the play-off roster who appeared in Cox’s last postseason appearance back in 2005. Brian McCann was a young rookie who came up as part of the ‘Baby Braves’ and Tim Hudson was serving as the Braves ace making his first play-off appearance as a Braves. This year they were the veterans of the team and the backbone that Cox relied on to be his leaders. Both paid tributes to Cox with their performance in the NLDS. Hudson only made the one start after appearing on sort rest at the end of the season, he had however been set up to pitch game 5 had the Braves forced a decider. Huddy proved the Braves stopper again in Game 2 after Tim Lincecum had pitched his 14 strikeout complete game two-hitter; Tim went seven strong innings against the Giants number 2 ace Matt Cain without giving up an earned run. He earned his ‘ace’ tag over the season and it’s just a shame that he didn’t get the chance to pitch in a Game 5 and was denied the ability to play in his first League Championship Series. In what was an extremely challenged offence Brian McCann proved the rock in the middle of the line-up that he has been for the past 5 years. Whilst playing in all four games McCann posted a .429 batting average that included a go ahead home run in game four that looked, to all intents and purposes at the time, to have kept the Braves in the hunt. Nobody took the series loss harder than McCann as he continues to be one of the most underrated players in the game and the building block for any future success the Braves may have.

Apart from the ending of Bobby Cox’s legendary career the sad thing about the Braves postseason elimination is that never again will we find ourselves in this situation with a team like this. They were nowhere near the best team in the National League let only the Major Leagues but they were one of the hardest working and that was a quality nobody appreciated more than Bobby. After moves like the Mark Teixeira trade that began to make the Braves look like a faceless team of hired guns, this team was one of the most easily likeable Atlanta has had in a long time. Regardless of how it ended this season was unique and incredibly special and should not be forgotten by anyone.