From an article on a Lakeland, Florida website about Braves outfielder Matt Diaz:
"Bobby virtually gave me my career," said the Braves left fielder. "I was a scrap-heap member of two organizations that were bad at that time. I couldn't make it there and Bobby saw something in me that allowed me to make the team in '06. I owe him a lot, personally and professionally." [...]
Watching video of Diaz's swing, Cox saw something he liked. The Braves traded a minor-league pitcher for him, and the rest of the story is filled with things Diaz once dreamed about - a .316 batting average, million-dollar contracts, even a little security by baseball standards. In fact, Diaz has now been with the Braves longer than any player except third baseman Chipper Jones, pitcher Tim Hudson and catcher Brian McCann.
Diaz will be another part of the Bobby Cox legacy. Cox has taken countless players like Diaz off the scrap heap and turned them into stars. He's taken All-Stars and given them the room to have some of the best years of their career. Bobby Cox is a special baseball talent, a talent so often overlooked. Like with Diaz, Cox simply builds his players up with the knowledge that he believes in them, he gives them room to play, and only looks to make adjustments when absolutely necessary.
0 recs | 60 comments
Sweet,
I had never heard this.
HEYJUDE - April 1, 2010
I don’t think most of us realize just how much we’re about to lose at the end of the season.
Rhyno18 - April 1, 2010
Very true.
soup du jour - April 1, 2010
Cox is the classic example of a coach who lifts players up, boosts their confidence in themselves and each other, and doesn’t over-react when things go badly.
In comparison to somebody famously abusive like Bobby Knight (the college basketball coach), I believe its obvious which is the better approach.
fandave - April 1, 2010
Both approaches are very effective. I bet you would be hard-pressed to find any former BK players (other than the one who tried to make a name for himself) who wish they had a different coach.
justincredubil02 - April 1, 2010
We’ll see if people remember that when they are calling for his head during the season, especially when he leaves the starter in for one batter too many.
bravos1984 - April 1, 2010
...
I thought you meant when Diaz’s contract is up!!
scorby911 - April 1, 2010
Watched Diaz play at FSU...
I was pumped to see when he signed with Atlanta. I still can’t believe how good he has been the last few years.
tampa bay braves fan - April 1, 2010
he was actually traded for
IIRC.
For Ricardo RodrÃguez.
apoxonbothyourhouses - April 1, 2010
Shortstop turned pitcher. And he was out of baseball within a year and a half. It’s not always just economics with small market teams, sometimes they suck because they just make terrible decisions.
cbwilk - April 1, 2010
Thanks...
I always feared my first TC post would contain an inaccuracy!
tampa bay braves fan - April 1, 2010
no worries, keep em coming biggo
VivaLosBravos - April 1, 2010
didn’t realize how much that would look like “Biggio” until I typed it
VivaLosBravos - April 1, 2010
While his loyalty is unrivaled and he has a great baseball mind, his loyalty can be at fault sometimes (Raul Mondesi, Reitsma, and Kolb come to the front of the mind). Nevertheless, he’s been great. Lets just enjoy this one last ride.
soup du jour - April 1, 2010
I guess that’s the price you pay for a player-loyal manager who sees a possibility and isn’t afraid to give somebody one more chance.
bighop - April 1, 2010
Yup,
and as frustrating as that can be sometimes, you can’t argue with the overall results. Besides, one Matty D. has got to outweigh 3 or 4 Reitsmas, right?
Jacob Peterson - April 1, 2010
They certainly dont outweigh one wickman
blitzerlover - April 1, 2010 via mobile
lol
Gage23 - April 1, 2010
ZING!
FitzFan - April 2, 2010
and let's not get carried away
and proclaim Cox as something more than he is:
a great manager of talent and egos. However, as far as in-game baseball strategies, he’s got a long way to go. Cox’s has made some bone-headed decisions in his time in Atlanta.
However, if I were a baseball player, there’s no better player’s manager than Bobby Cox.
apoxonbothyourhouses - April 1, 2010
not every manager
is perfect and doesnt make bad decisions.
drumzalicious - April 1, 2010
For every criticism that people make of Cox, I challenge you to find one manager of whom the same thing cannot be said.
justincredubil02 - April 1, 2010
He gets thrown out too much...?
And before you jump on me, I’m just playing Devil’s Advocate and actually love the fact that he doesn’t take shit calls lying down and will fight for his players.
J-Freak - April 1, 2010
I consider that one more of a compliment, actually.
justincredubil02 - April 1, 2010
One thing I've always wondered...
Would be what would happen if a team had “co-managers” (call them a manager and bench coach if you want). One would be in charge of day-to-day stuff, managing of egos and all that—the stuff Bobby excels at. The other would be in charge of in-game strategy only, but would have the final say in that area. Seeing as how most managers only really excel in one area (if any areas at all), that could be a good solution with the right two men.
Jacob Peterson - April 1, 2010
I think a manager’s effectiveness in ‘managing egos’ and the day-to-day stuff, comes largely from his final authority. All managers relegate authority to the members of the staff, give them all projects to fulfill. Eddie Perez and Chino Cadahia for example have had Escobar as their project. But I think largely Bobby gets the kind of respect he does because he has the authority to bench your ass. No matter what your contract is, Bobby is the permanent fixture, not you.
jjschiller - April 1, 2010
But along those lines
I’ve theorized myself that in the last few years, there’s been a bit of an authority issue with the Braves. Hear me out:
Bobby in the past has had Jimy Williams, Pat Corrales, those types on his bench. Even Don Baylor when he was here. Guys who had been managers. And although they had to accept lesser roles to be on Bobby’s bench, they were still guys Bobby would see, and who might see themselves, as Bobby’s colleagues.
In recent years, guys like Cadahia, and Snitker, these are guys who may be good baseball men, but came up from the minors and have been subordinate their entire careers. Even Terry Pendleton and Glenn Hubbard, they are guys who PLAYED for Bobby.
There might not be anybody on the bench with the nerve to ‘tell truth to power," no one secure enough of their own position and knowledge to tell Bobby he’s making the wrong move. Somehow I doubt Pat Corrales ever had that problem.
jjschiller - April 1, 2010
While I get this argument, I don’t think it’s true. Knowing those coaches just the tiny little bit I do, I doubt any one of them has any problem telling Bobby what he needs to hear. In fact, I can almost guarantee that if they did they wouldn’t be a part of his staff.
cbwilk - April 2, 2010
Like this?
sddbaker - April 2, 2010
Sorry this is unrelated by I have a question hoping someone can help me out. When a team travels to a vistors park do they receive a portion of the ticket sales for that game(s). As part of sharing ticket revenue. Or does this only apply to Post Season games. I thought under mlb revenue sharing teams that make more in tickets, t.v. and have larger overall salaries sharied that money. Hope its not to dumb a question but I thought teams share their ticket sales during the regular season. Not 50/50 but a portion.
jasonbravo - April 1, 2010
I don't think so
The big market teams would never go for that. Imagine the Phillies and Marlins. The Phillies would get pennies when they went to Florida but the Marlins would get millions when they visited Philly.
Scott Coleman - April 1, 2010 via mobile
But don’t they do that for the playoffs???
jasonbravo - April 1, 2010
I've never heard of that
But i guess there could be some kind of revenue sharing plan into place. I would think it’s kind of useless since basically everyone would sell out playoff games, thus the money canceling eachother out, but who knows…
Scott Coleman - April 1, 2010
Now if only
he would play him full time
drumzalicious - April 1, 2010
THIS
Sparhawk - April 1, 2010
Now if only
we could arrange to have him only face left-handed pitchers, then he would play full time… (And win the MVP, no doubt)
Jacob Peterson - April 1, 2010
I wouldn’t exactly call Diaz a star!
homerlanding - April 1, 2010
You take that back
Matt Diaz is the type of star that doesn’t need to be called a star. If you don’t like Matt Diaz, you don’t like baseball. I ought to ban you for such ludicrous thinking.
royhobbs - April 1, 2010
Hey now!
You can love Matt Diaz and still not call him a star. Me, I’d call him a supernova.
Jacob Peterson - April 1, 2010
I'd call him
An unknown stellar phenomena.
Bronn - April 1, 2010
+1
gondeee - April 2, 2010
An explosion because the star was too big for its own good? I wouldn’t describe him like that.
ATLforlife - April 1, 2010
he’s certainly no black hole
VivaLosBravos - April 1, 2010
I guess thats why the all the other teams are knocking our door down trying to get him.
homerlanding - April 1, 2010
How do you know they’re not? Are people knocking down our door to get Chipper, B-Mac, Hudson…etc? So I guess they’re not stars either then.
FitzFan - April 2, 2010
Yeah. He might not be a star but he is the living definition of a professional, blue collar baseball player, and a guy EVERYBODY should respect.
The Real Me - April 1, 2010
Diaz is the man. I’m glad I got to meet him.
As far as Diaz is concerned, “it’s on.”
Let’s f[rea]king do this.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 1, 2010
This little notes on attrition shock me every time. That’s wild.
VivaLosBravos - April 1, 2010
Who’da thunk back in spring of 2006 that this guy who nobody ever heard of would have been a Brave longer than Jeff Francoeur?
10-4 - April 2, 2010
Hard to believe, huh.
Smoltz's Beard - April 2, 2010
Joe Blanton is out 3-6 weeks
With a bad oblique strain or something.
Scott Coleman - April 1, 2010 via mobile
A loss the Phillies can afford
But they don’t have a lot of depth. If it were Halladay, they’d be in some trouble. More injuries like this might derail them for 2010.
Bronn - April 1, 2010
oh man
Lidge and Romero both went on the DL today as well. Ouch. That bullpen is gonna be a disaster.
Scott Coleman - April 1, 2010
We already knew that
They’re actually probably a better team with Lidge on the DL. Lol.
Bronn - April 2, 2010
i should've rephrased
that bullpen is gonna be a disasterthat bullpen is going to be even more of a disaster.and true about Lidge. GET HEALTHY!!
Scott Coleman - April 2, 2010
This is a really good read, but I think Matty D is selling himself a little bit short here. The talent was always there. It’s not like he possessed my baseball ability and Bobby turned him into what he is. Dude can play. Bobby just helped him recognize and harness it.
UMDBHIK - April 1, 2010
I’m going to miss that “skoal spit dripping down his jaw” old coot.
adc62 - April 1, 2010
I never realize how good Diaz is until I look at his average at the end of the year and it’s ALWAYS around .300. I’m hoping he doesn’t lose any playing time, even though Heyward is the man. He’s a real good guy, and an underrated player.
The Real Me - April 1, 2010
The .300 average is nice and all, but I am more impressed with the near .400 OBP.
justincredubil02 - April 1, 2010
I love this guy. Matt Diaz is a very underrated baseball player. I’d love to keep him around for a few more years but I think it’s unlikely.
JKowalek - April 2, 2010
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Talking Chop to post a comment.