The end of the 2010 season will also mark the end of the managerial career of Atlanta Braves skipper Bobby Cox.
Cox has spent a total of 25 years as the manager of the Braves over two separate stints and has announced that this season will be his last.
Since 1990, Cox and the Braves front office have been the model of consistency among professional sports franchises.
Cox is fourth on the all-time list for managerial wins and has been named Manager of the Year four times, most recently in 2005. If the Braves finish first in the NL East this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if he adds a fifth.
His teams have won finished first in their division 15 times: once with the Blue Jays in 1985 and every year from 1991 to 2005 with the Braves.
Cox has one World Series ring as a manager that came back in 1995.
After this season, Atlanta will be faced with the task of replacing the iconic Cox: no easy task.
It’s almost impossible to think that the next manager of the Braves will be an outsider with no ties to the organization.
Therefore, all of the possible candidates I’ve chosen except one have either played or coached in the Braves organization.
Let me start with…