Braves Hall of Fame captain Bobby Cox was in attendance at Truist Park

After the third inning, announcer Kevin Kraus announced that the Braves had a special guest for this game against the Phillies. In introducing the guest, Kraus mentioned that he was a World Series champion and four-time manager of the year.

At that point, some fans began to realize who was among them — even before the Braves showed it on the big screen.

Bobby Cox.

He’s there.

When the Braves put Cox in the main draw, the sellout crowd of 41,006 roared. Cox saluted. From the dugout, Snitker applauded.

“I always watched him on TV when I was little and then I watched him play in spring training,” said Albies, who had met Cox before. “It’s always been awesome and he means a lot to this organization.”

Credits: AP

Credits: AP

Credits: AP

Credits: AP

It was one of Cox’s first trips to Truist Park for a game since suffering a stroke in 2019. In 2020, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He remained out of the public eye for years.

Cox, who was in a wheelchair suite, was with his wife, Pam. He stood to greet the crowd when the Braves showed him on the big screen. And before the game, Snitker said, Cox had “a few more words” than expected. Snitker could see Cox acknowledging the players.

On Saturday, Cox told Albies he was glad to see him. “Keep playing hard,” Albies told Cox. And Marcell Ozuna met Cox for the first time Saturday.

But he knew everything about the legendary captain.

“He’s won a lot of World Series and a lot of wins in this organization,” Ozuna said. “He’s one of those special guys in the organization. I’m happy for him that he’s still alive and he can recognize everybody.”

Of Cox’s impact, Albies said: “He set a lot of standards here, and you always have to play the game hard and respect that.”

Cox was a manager for 29 seasons – 25 with the Braves, four with the Blue Jays. In total, he had a record of 2,504-2,001. He is the fourth-winningest manager in history. He led the Braves to five World Series and won one. He led the Braves through a string of 14 consecutive division titles.

Snitker said he hopes Cox can attend more games in the future.

“Yeah. I hope it went well, and I think it did,” Snitker said. “I know his family, they picked him up and brought him here. Security and everybody was really good here to help him out.

“So yeah, I hope he can, because there’s nowhere else he’d rather be than at the ballpark, that’s for sure.”

Under Cox’s watch, the Braves beat the Phillies 5-1. They pitched well and hit well-timed home runs.

They were happy to win ahead of Cox.

“It was awesome,” Albies said. “I’m glad we got a win and Bobby was there to watch it.”