Bobby Cox ATLANTA – OCTOBER 3: Manager Bobby Cox #6 of the Atlanta Braves receives a trophy commenmorating his 2,500th win from general manager Frank Wren (L) before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Turner Field on October 3, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves beat the Phillies 8-7. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, Atlanta Braves legend and future Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones released his autobiography, Ballplayer. While I haven’t started reading cover to cover quite yet, I did skim the book upon receiving it yesterday and came across a pretty interesting story about long-time Braves manager Bobby Cox.

According to Jones, Cox nearly quit his job as manager during Spring Training in 2008 because he couldn’t stand former Braves GM Frank Wren.

Here’s an excerpt from the book.

“I just wanted you guys to hear this fro me before you hear it from anybody else,” he said. “I quit yesterday.”

Everybody’s jaws dropped.

“Yep,” he added. “I drove halfway to Georgia, and Schuerholz called me and talked me back down. I can’t work with Frank Wren. Can’t do it.”

Jones goes on to explain just why Cox and Wren didn’t get along.

Frank was a micromanager. He wanted to put his two cents in about pitching, hitting, defense, baserunning, everything, instead of letting the coaches do their jobs. He was the opposite of Schuerholz, who hired personnel, made some suggestions, and let the men in uniform do the coaching.

It’s interesting to think what would have happened to the Braves in 2008 if Cox did quit. The team had a disastrous season, finishing 72-90 and 20 games back of the eventual World Champion Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. Cox would go on to manage two more seasons with the Braves before retiring after the 2010 season.

Wren, on the other hand, remained as GM until 2014, when he was fired in September as the Braves stumbled to a 78-84 season. Cox was part of a three man committee (along with John Hart and John Schuerholz) that helped choose a new GM – Hart for the 2015 season, and John Coppolella following that year in a more permanent role. There were rumblings about Wren’s clashes with various members of the Braves during his time there, which Jones has seemingly backed up with his account of Cox’s attempt to walk away from the team.

Who would have ended up replacing Cox had he left? The easy answer is “Fredi Gonzalez,” who eventually replaced him, but Gonzalez was getting ready to start his second season as Florida Marlins manager in 2008, and though he was coming off a 71-91 season in 2007, he would eventually finish above the Braves in both 2008 and 2009 before being fired in 2010 and taking the Braves job in 2011.

Given the relative lack of variance of Atlanta’s coaching staff over the years, I think the team would have ended up with a familiar face managing in 2008. Cox’s third base coach that season was Brian Snitker, the current Braves manager. Terry Pendleton, Atlanta’s current bench coach, was Cox’s hitting coach that season, while current Braves first base coach Eddie Perez was Cox’s bullpen coach. Of course, none of those three men had major league managerial experience at the time, meaning that the 2008 Braves (who had an eye on the playoffs that season) likely wouldn’t have seen their season end differently with a new man at the helm.

About Joe Lucia

I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.