Bobby Cox tabbed for baseball HOF expansion ballot

By foxsports
Published

Longtime Braves manager Bobby Cox, who presided over the city of Atlanta's only major sports championship, has been tabbed as one of 12 candidates for the Baseball Hall of Fame — as part of its Expansion Era ballot.

Ranking fourth all-time in victories amongst MLB managers (2,504 over 29 seasons —1978-81, 1990-2010), Cox guided the Braves to five National League pennants — including 14 straight division titles from 1991-2005 — and one World Series title in 1995, when Atlanta upended Cleveland in six games.

With the Toronto Blue Jays (1982-85), Cox also claimed the American League East crown in 1985 ... with his team falling to the Kansas City Royals in a classic AL Championship Series.

According to the Baseball Hall of Fame:

The 16-member Hall of Fame Board-appointed electorate charged with the review of the Expansion Era ballot features: Hall of Fame members Rod Carew, Carlton Fisk, Whitey Herzog, Tommy Lasorda, Joe Morgan, Paul Molitor, Phil Niekro and Frank Robinson; major league executives Paul Beeston (Blue Jays), Andy MacPhail, Dave Montgomery (Phillies) and Jerry Reinsdorf (White Sox); and historians Steve Hirdt (Elias Sports Bureau), Bruce Jenkins (San Francisco Chronicle), Jack O’Connell (BBWAA) and Jim Reeves (retired, Fort Worth Star-Telegram).

The Expansion Era ballot was devised this fall by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA)-appointed Historical Overview Committee from all eligible candidates among managers, umpires, executives and long-retired players, whose most significant career impact was realized from 1973 through the present.

Eligible candidates include players who appeared in at least 10 major league seasons, who are not on Major League Baseball’s ineligible list and have been retired for 21 or more seasons (those whose last playing appearance was no later than 1992); managers and umpires with 10 or more years in baseball and retired for at least five years, with candidates who are 65 years or older eligible six months from the date of the election following retirement; and Executives with 10 consecutive years in baseball and retired for at least five years, with active executives 65 years or older are eligible for consideration.





With Cox's nomination, the stars are seemingly aligned for Cox, Greg Maddux (355 career victories, four NL Cy Young awards) and Tom Glavine (305 wins, two NL Cy Youngs) to all reach Cooperstown in the same calendar year (2014).