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Robert Joe Cox
New York Yankees
Third Base
Born: May 21, 1941, Tulsa, OK
Signed: Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams: New York Yankees 1968-69
As a Manager: Atlanta Braves 1978-81; Toronto Blue Jays 1982-85; Atlanta Braves 1990-10
Hall of Fame Induction: 2014
As a player, Bobby Cox appeared in 220 games for the Yankees in 1968 and 1969, batting .225 with 22 doubles, nine home runs and 58 RBIs. He was the club's most regularly used third baseman in 1968, and his full season at the hot corner earned him a place on the Topps 1968 All-Star Rookie team. Cox began his minor league managerial career in 1971 in the Yankees' farm system. After guiding teams to winning records in each of his six seasons at the helm, Cox was the first base coach for Billy Martin's (#547) World Champion Yankees club in 1977. Named the new Braves manager prior to the 1978 season, Cox's first stint with the club saw steady improvement, but he was fired following the 1981 season and quickly snatched up by the Blue Jays to be their manager. Cox led the Blue Jays to their first winning season in franchise history in 1983 and a division title in 1985. He'd re-join the Braves in 1986 as their general manager.
Hall of Fame Induction: 2014
As a player, Bobby Cox appeared in 220 games for the Yankees in 1968 and 1969, batting .225 with 22 doubles, nine home runs and 58 RBIs. He was the club's most regularly used third baseman in 1968, and his full season at the hot corner earned him a place on the Topps 1968 All-Star Rookie team. Cox began his minor league managerial career in 1971 in the Yankees' farm system. After guiding teams to winning records in each of his six seasons at the helm, Cox was the first base coach for Billy Martin's (#547) World Champion Yankees club in 1977. Named the new Braves manager prior to the 1978 season, Cox's first stint with the club saw steady improvement, but he was fired following the 1981 season and quickly snatched up by the Blue Jays to be their manager. Cox led the Blue Jays to their first winning season in franchise history in 1983 and a division title in 1985. He'd re-join the Braves in 1986 as their general manager.
Cox returned to the dugout in 1990, and he'd guide the Braves for the next 21 seasons. He led the team to 14 division pennants during that time, with the Braves getting to the World Series in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1999. They'd win one World Championship in 1995, defeating the Indians in six games. Cox recorded 100-win seasons six times and his lifetime win total of 2,504 is currently fourth all-time. He won Manager of the Year honors in 1985, 1991, 2004 and 2005, and his 158 life-time ejections is tops all-time among all big league managers. His #6 was retired by the Braves in 2011, and Cox was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2014 by the Expansion Era Committee.
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show. The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year. I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova. I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.
I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set. The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.
I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set. It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop. This was the 33rd of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 33rd of 91 cards for set added overall on the day. Cox was the first of four star cards I'd add from America's Pastime, and the only card I feel I overpaid for from the show.
The Card / Yankees Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
This is Cox's rookie card and the first and last card of his in a Topps flagship set as a player. The back of the card explains how he had come to the Yankees. Cox bounced around throughout the 1960s, spending time in the organizations of the Dodgers (1959-64), Cubs (1965-66), and Braves (1966-67). On December 7, 1967, he was traded by the Braves to the Yankees for Dale Roberts and Bob Tillman (#374). Topps reprinted this card in its 2005 Topps Rookie Cup Reprints insert set.
Accuracy Index: Cox's rookie card earns a +5.
1969 Season
Cox served as a bat off the bench for the Yankees, not earning a start until May 4th. In 85 games, he batted .215, making 50 starts at third base and six starts at second base. He'd spend all of 1970 with the Triple-A Syracuse club, having seen his last big league action as a player.
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First Mainstream Card: 1969 Topps #237
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (23): 1969, 1978-81, 1983-86, 1990-93, 2001-10
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2010 Topps Heritage #137
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 127 in the Beckett online database as of 11/8/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
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