Hall of Famer Bobby Cox’s rare visit to Truist Park sparks emotion among Braves players, fans

ATLANTA — When Bobby Cox made a rare visit to the ballpark Saturday night, many Braves executives, coaches and fans had tears in their eyes as the legendary former manager stood and greeted a sellout crowd that gave the 83-year-old manager, Hall of Famer and Atlanta icon a lengthy standing ovation during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

It was just the second game Cox had attended at Truist Park since suffering a stroke in April 2019. His other visit came in 2020 when he watched from Braves chairman Terry McGuirk’s suite in an empty stadium during the pandemic.

Saturday’s visit was a much happier time for everyone. Cox stopped by the dressing room before the 5-1 win, meeting players who knew him but had never met him. Although Cox’s right arm remains paralyzed and his speech is limited, he was in good spirits and seemed as pleased to see the players as they were to meet him.

“It was awesome,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker, a close friend of Cox’s, his mentor and former boss. “I brought him into the locker room. You don’t realize none of those guys had ever met him. Once he had his stroke, there were all these new guys (since then). Everybody went over and introduced themselves, we took a team photo. It was awesome.”

“I think he had a great time. I know Pam (his wife) did too. It was really special.”

Braves first baseman Matt Olson, a native of the Atlanta area who grew up a Braves fan, smiled as he described meeting the man he watched guide the Braves as a child.

“The first time I met him, I got to shake his hand. I told him he was a legend,” Olson said. “It was a really cool moment. I always saw him running the operations here when I was younger, so it was really cool for me.”

“Oh, so cool,” said Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies, who had a home run and three RBIs and was happy the Braves were able to win the game with Cox in attendance. “He came into the locker room. We all said hi and got a cool picture. It was phenomenal. Glad to see him doing well.”

“We talked, he said, ‘Hey, good to see you, Ozzie,’ and ‘Keep playing hard.'”

A statue of former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox outside Truist Park. (Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

Snitker, who shared details of Cox’s visit to the clubhouse, has seen Cox regularly since the stroke, first in the hospital, then at a rehabilitation center, and finally at his home in the northern suburbs of Atlanta.

“He had a few more words, really,” Snitker said of what Cox was able to say. “I could tell he knew who the players were. He had a really cool reaction when Chris Sale came out to introduce himself. He saw Austin (Riley) and said something about the (ground ball) selection, and as soon as Ozzie came in, he said his name.”

Like Olson, Marcell Ozuna is one of the veteran players on the team who best knew Cox’s impact on the Braves.

“It’s great to meet this legend,” Ozuna said. “He’s been to a lot of World Series and won a lot of titles in this organization. He’s one of the special players in the organization. I’m happy for him, that he’s still alive and that he can recognize everybody.”

Pam Cox stood next to her husband in the private suite where some family members, along with McGuirk and a few others, were watching the game. When Cox appeared on the big video screen in center field, dramatic music played and the stadium announcer asked the crowd to salute “the greatest manager in the history of the game, our beloved No. 6, Bobby Cox.”

Fans and media were unaware of Cox’s presence at the game, and when he appeared on the video screen, the ovation was immediate and intensified. Pam Cox fought back tears, as did countless fans who could be seen wiping their eyes as Cox stood, smiling and waving. His number 6, retired by the Braves, was flashed on the screen as the ovation continued.

“We were talking and I thought this place is going to go crazy when they see him,” said Snitker, who stood in the dugout clapping, trying his best to contain his emotions. “They did a great job with the presentation. I’m glad he got to experience it because I hope he comes back. Everybody loved seeing him. My goodness, it was really special.”

(Photo: Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)