A Players' Manager

When you hear the term "Players' Manager," the man who usually comes to mind is Bobby Cox. I read a quote the other day from a new Braves reliever that really put into perspective what the means exactly, and why Cox is well-loved and respected by his players.

The player said that most bullpens don't have a lot of contact with the manager, just the pitching coach. It's like relievers are in their own world. They get put in games by the manager on the advice of the pitching coach. He then said of Bobby Cox (paraphrasing): "but every day when I come to the ball park, Bobby Cox makes a point to come over to me and ask "can I use you today?" And if the reliever feels overworked, etc. he can tell Bobby that, and Bobby will respect it.

I just love that. That, and Cox's ability to instill confidence in young players, is simply what makes him one of the best managers in the game.

The Braves have won 8 of 10 and knocked the O's out of first place with a three-game sweep. And in case anyone's keeping track, they're doing it with four rookies in the starting lineup (Johnson, Betemit, Langerhans, and McCann). And the other four players in the lineup? All reared in the Braves' farm system (AJones, Giles, Furcal, LaRoche). And the Braves have three starters on the DL right now (Hudson, Hampton, Thomson). Read this related story by Tim K

Sure, we're 3 games out of first place, but this race isn't over yet.