Atlanta Braves Manager Bobby Cox to Appear at RiverDogs Annual Hot Stove Banquet
CHARLESTON, SC - Atlanta Braves
manager Bobby Cox, who is retiring at the conclusion of this season, will be
the featured speaker at the
7th Annual Hot Stove Banquet & Silent Auction on January 28 at
the McAlister Field House on The
Citadel campus.
The Hot Stove Banquet is an annual collaboration between the
Charleston RiverDogs and The Citadel to whet the appetite of Charleston area baseball fans. In addition
to the banquet, a live auction will be held with proceeds
going to The Citadel and to MUSC's Storm Eye Institute,
the RiverDogs' primary charity.
The event is
being sponsored for the fourth consecutive year by Tom
McQueeney State Farm Insurance Company.
"The Hot Stove
Banquet is gaining a reputation as one of the premiere in the region and I believe
this will be our best one yet," said RiverDogs General
Manager Dave Echols. "We think that Braves and baseball fans of all ages
will enjoy seeing and hearing Bobby Cox."
"Bobby Cox is
a sure-fire Hall of Famer who is quite familiar with
Citadel Baseball," said coach Fred Jordan. "The Hot
Stove Banquet has evolved into a great event and Cox will certainly be one of
the best speakers we've had yet."
A native of Tulsa, Okla., Cox played briefly at third base for the New York Yankees (1968-69) and concluded his playing career
because of bad knees. He managed in the Yankees farm
system from 1971-76 and earned his first World Series ring as the Yankees first base coach in 1977. After that, Cox
served as the Braves manager from 1978-81. He moved
to manage the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982-85, and was
brought back to the Braves and served as the General Manager from (1986-90). He returned to the dugout as Atlanta's manager from 1990-present, and captured
his second World Series ring in 1996.
In 1991, the Braves, along with the Minnesota
Twins, became the first teams to go from last place in one
season to first place the next. The two teams met in the 1991 World
Series. Although the Braves lost, they continued to
win division titles for a total of fourteen times in fifteen seasons.
Cox's 15 division titles is a Major League record for a
manager. On five separate occasions, the Braves have
won the National League pennant and played in the World Series, including four in a six-season stretch (1991,
1992, 1995, and 1996).
Cox, the
fourth-winningest manager in baseball history, has been named Manager of the Year four times (1985, 1991, 2004 and 2005) and is one of only four managers to have won the award in both the American and
National League. He is also the only
person to have won the award in consecutive years. Cox has
also been named Manager of the Year by The Sporting News eight times (1985, 1991, 1993,
1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005).
Previous speakers for the Hot Stove Banquets include former New York Yankees Bobby
Richardson and John Blanchard, Jim Bouton and Tommy John, former Brave and
current Texas Ranger Jeff Francoeur, Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry and one of the most popular Braves ever, Dale
Murphy.
The reception begins at 6 p.m. with
the dinner to start at 7 o'clock. Tickets are $65
per person and include dinner, beverages and admission to the live auction. Tables with preferred seating for eight
individuals are available for $500.
For individual tickets and
additional information, please contact the RiverDogs at
(843) 577-DOGS (3647). Tickets may also be purchased online at www.riverdogs.com.
-RIVERDOGS-