Rare visit to Truist Park by Hall of Famer Bobby Cox stirs emotions among Braves players and fans

ATLANTA — When Bobby Cox made a rare visit to the stadium Saturday night, many Braves team officials, coaches and fans were left moist-eyed as the legendary former manager stood and waved to a sold-out crowd that gave the 83-year-old Hall of Fame manager and Atlanta icon a lengthy standing ovation during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

It was only 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 an empty stadium from Braves chairman Terry McGuirk’s apartment during the pandemic.

Saturday’s visit was a much happier occasion for everyone. Cox stopped by the clubhouse before the 5-1 win, where he met players who knew him but had never met. Although Cox’s right arm is still paralyzed and his speech is impaired, he was in good spirits and seemed as happy to see the players as they were to meet him.

“It was awesome,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker, a close friend of Cox, his mentor and former boss. “I took him into the locker room. You don’t realize that none of these guys had ever met him. After he had his stroke, they’re all new guys (since then). Everybody went up front and introduced themselves, we took a team picture. It was awesome.

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

Matt Olson, a Braves first baseman from the Atlanta area who grew up a Braves fan, smiled as he recounted his encounter with the man he watched lead the Braves as a kid.

“The first time I met him, to be able to shake his hand — I told him he was a legend,” Olson said. “Just a cool moment. I always saw him running the show here growing up, so that was really cool for me.”

“Oh, super 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 the game. “He came into the locker room. We all said hi to him and took a cool picture. It was phenomenal. Glad to see he’s doing well.

“We talked, and he said to me, ‘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 about Cox’s visit to the clubhouse, has seen Cox regularly since his 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, he really did,” Snitker said of what Cox was able to say. “I could tell he knew who the players were. He was really cool when Chris Sale came up to him and introduced himself. He saw Austin (Riley) and said something about picking (ground balls), and as soon as Ozzie came in, he called his name.”

Like Olson, Marcell Ozuna is one of the veteran players on the team who was most familiar with Cox’s impact on the Braves.

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

Pam Cox stood next to her husband in the private suite where a few family members, plus McGuirk and a few others, were watching the game. As Cox was shown on the large video board in center field, dramatic music played and the stadium’s PA 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 that Cox would be at the game, and when he appeared on the video board, the ovation was immediate and grew louder. Pam Cox fought back tears, as did countless fans who wiped their eyes as Cox stood, smiling and waving. His number 6, retired by the Braves, was displayed on the board as the ovation continued.

“We were talking and I said, this place is going to go nuts when they see him,” said Snitker, who stood in the dugout and clapped, trying to contain his emotions. “They did a great job with the presentation. I’m glad he got to experience that, because hopefully he’ll be back. Everybody loved seeing him. My goodness, that was pretty special.”

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