The Atlanta Braves will name a new manager to their franchise for the first time since Bobby Cox joined the Braves for the second time in 1990. “Multiple baseball sources have confirmed that the Braves will introduce Fredi Gonzalez as their new manager Thursday,” reports MLB.com Atlanta Braves beat writer Mark Bowman.
Gonzalez has been the favorite to replace the legendary manager ever since the Florida Marlins fired him in late June. He worked on Cox’s coaching staff from 2003-2006 and has always been very close to the Braves organization.
One day after Atlanta was eliminated from the postseason by San Francisco on Monday night, an official Braves press release referred to Cox as “former Braves manager,” three words that the Braves and their fans have never heard to describe the manager that brought them such great success for over 20 years.
Gonzalez is going to have a big challenge in front of him, not only is Gonzalez replacing a legendary manager. He will have to deal with the new power house in the division, the Philadelphia Phillies. Some think that Gonzalez may be more equipped to get the Braves over their playoff hump, something which Cox struggled with seemingly every year.
The Atlanta Braves have always been a close-knit organization, and it came as very little or no surprise that Gonzalez was selected to replace Cox so soon. The Braves have always been a slick organization when conducting their business and transactions, having Gonzalez quietly waiting in the wings after he was fired from the Marlins was a smart move on their part.
Now that the ominous cloud of “Who will fill the cleats of Bobby Cox?” has dissipated, the Braves can immediately focus on returning to the playoffs in the 2011 season and go about business just like they would any other season.
With all of the compliments and promotions of Gonzalez by Bobby Cox and his players, Braves fans can feel 
comfortable that Gonzalez will fit in nicely in the Braves dugout.
On Thursday afternoon, the Bobby Cox era will officially come to an end, and the Fredi Gonzalez era will begin in Atlanta. The best part for Gonzalez is that he already has the respect of the players, and Bobby Cox left the cupboard in Atlanta full. He has players like Jason Heyward, Derrick Lowe, and Tim Hudson returning, and if Chipper Jones decides to give it one more shot that will only help Gonzalez even more.
You have to take a moment and pause next time you to look into the Braves dugout and not see that crazy old man sitting in there. Cox provided some of the most memorable games and moments in baseball history, and took the Braves franchise from obscurity to one of the most impressive runs in Major League Baseball history. Cox has definitely left his mark on the game, and the game is not as good without him. Bobby it was nice while you were here, and thanks for the memories.
