In the Time of Bobby Cox: The Atlanta Braves, Their Manager, My Couch, Two Decades, and Me

by Lang Whitaker

In the tradition of Bill Simmons’s Now I Can Die in Peace and Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch , sports commentator, online columnist, and blogger Lang Whitaker combines memoir and baseball as he follows extraordinary manager Bobby Cox and the Atlanta Braves for the past two decades.

For many people, sports are an escape from reality. For Lang Whitaker, sports is reality. He reads and writes about sports all day, and then he goes home at night and watches sports. And he loves this. As often as Lang writes about sports—in daily blog posts, Internet columns, and monthly magazine features—he finds himself thinking about sports even more often. Mostly about the Atlanta Braves; specifically, about Bobby Cox. Now, just as Warren St. John achieved unexpected national bestselling success with his book about Alabama football, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer , Lang Whitaker tells the fascinating story of being a Braves fan during Bobby Cox’s incredible winning reign since 1990.

In the Time of Bobby Cox is Lang Whitaker’s heartfelt exploration of the lessons he’s learned from Bobby Cox—who is set to retire at the end of the 2010 season—during Cox’s unparalleled tenure as the manager of the Atlanta Braves. Frederick Exley’s 1968 classic A Fan’s Notes established the genre, and here, Lang weaves memoir with his obsessive super-fandom, providing the perfect blend of sports, humor, and insight for fans of America’s favorite pastime.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir

240 pages, Paperback

First published February 16, 2011

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun read for any fan of the Atlanta Braves of the Bobby Cox era. The book goes back and forth with some of the key players impact on the team and then what was going on in the authors life at the time. A quick and entertaining read.

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sports writer’s book comparing life with baseball (as an Atlanta Braves fan) during the managerial days of Bobby Cox frequently captures the ups and downs of being a fan. But his comparisons to life feel a little forced even if the stories of his life he tells are sweet and compelling.

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

Memoirs are a tricky genre. Best seller lists are typically chock full of them, though those same hot titles will undoubtedly find their way into the discount bin if you give them enough time. Tina Fey's Bossypants will come and go, as will the new releases by Sammy Hagar, Barbara Eden, and Shirley MacLaine. A quick book tour to dust off the cobwebs of their popularity, then back to the land of has-beens for most of these "authors."

When a memoirist doesn't have celebrity to sell, they need a hook, something a reader can identify with. Those of us who grew up collecting baseball cards in the 1970s saw something of ourselves in Josh Wilker's Cardboard Gods, which came out last spring. Two years ago, Greg Prince's Faith and Fear in Flushing celebrated his obsession with the Mets, which paralleled on some level my passion for the Mariners growing up in Seattle. It may not have been a home run for every fan, but for Mets partisans it was crushed out of the park.

I'm not sure Braves fans will feel the same about this spring's In the Time of Bobby Cox: The Atlanta Braves, Their Manager, My Couch, Two Decades, and Me. While Lang Whitaker details some of the team's highlights over the past 20 years, this is not an exhaustive recap of every playoff run. Instead, Whitaker presents in each chapter a trait he has learned over his long tenure as a Braves fan, intertwining his life lesson with an example from the team.

He gives us chapters such as "EMOTION: How Greg Maddux Is Like Traveling Cross-Country with Your Grandparents" and "ADAPTING: How Jeff Francoeur Is Like Teaching Yourself to Cook." Whitaker weaves stories about his personal life and the Braves, alternating back and forth every couple of pages until the chapter concludes with the life lesson having been neatly supported by the tale of whichever Brave is being discussed.

Only most of the pairings didn't really work for me. They felt contrived. Chipper Jones isn't like going to college. Especially in Whitaker's case, as he dropped out of the University of Georgia after two years. David Justice's failure to keep the hearts of Braves fans after such a promising start to his career isn't really that much like Whitaker's failure to throw strikes in a gas station commercial.

More disappointing to me, however, was the lack of in-depth analysis into the Braves' play over the past two decades, which I guess is what I was expecting going into this one. This isn't a sabermetric handbook by any stretch. He spends most of the second chapter bashing the 25th man on various iterations of the team, expressing his frustrations for Cox and GM John Schuerholz "keeping at least one player on the roster who is having a below-average season." This reminded me of the time when I was 13 and wrote a letter to the Mariners asking them to dump Thad Bosley (who hit just .174 in 46 at-bats that year). Bosley's next five seasons: .292, .296, .328, .275, .279. Maybe cutting him (which the M's did, though probably not specifically because I requested it) wasn't the right move after all. But it was probably what a lot of Seattle fans were yelling at their TVs back in 1982.

There were several points in this book where I felt the level of analysis was only about as deep as the average fan might be shouting from their couch. I wanted more than that. Whitaker, while not a baseball reporter, does write about sports for a living, covering the NBA for SLAM magazine. But I didn't really learn anything here, and apart from the bit at the end where I sympathized with Whitaker's and his wife's challenges in starting a family, I didn't really feel drawn into his personal story. Certainly not the way I was sucked in by Wilker's in Cardboard Gods.

If you must, I'll recommend checking this one out from the library. Save your money for Bossypants.

[Jeramey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a Braves fan, so I wasn't sure if this was the book for me. On top of that, I'm not extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Braves.

Turns out, I didn't need to be either to enjoy this book. The book is as much about Lang's journey into adulthood as it is about the Braves, which made it an easier read than just a straight Braves history book.

I found myself engaged in the book, but it's not something I'm going to be telling everyone I know to read (my 5-star rating standard). I'm not sure why that is, I enjoyed reading it, it just wasn't life changing.

My next test (4-stars) is would I tell my friends that are into baseball to read it before other baseball books. I'm not sure I would. If they're into the Braves certainly, but I'm not sure a die-hard Brewers fan gets a lot out of this book if he isn't interested in Lang's journey. Moneyball and others are these perspective altering books, Lang's book is a story of a man's journey with his team.

I've been a SLAM subscriber for years, and that's what ultimately pushed me over the top to read the book. I'm glad I did. If you're going to read just one book this year, this probably isn't it. However, if you're into reading about sports, you will likely enjoy this book, especially if you have a relationship with a must-watch favorite team.

[Mr. Rubenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might be ever so slightly biased because I was a protege of the author's for 4 years, but I loved this book! Occasionally heartfelt, often funny, and always insightful, I had thought I had heard every story Lang had to tell (numerous times), but I learned a lot about the man.
I may also be biased because as a Mets fan, I have cultivated a burning hatred for Bobby Cox, Chipper Jones, Smoltzie, Frenchie (the Brave and Met), Glavine (Even more as a Met than a Brave), and so on. Still, I was able to overlook all that and enjoy the book, even the chapter where Lang lists everyone who ever played for the Braves under Bobby Cox.
If you are a fan of Lang's work for SLAM Magazine and slamonline.com, this is must-read material for you.
Also, as a goodreads review writer... FIRST!

[fleegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, this isn’t a book about Bobby Cox or the Atlanta Braves. It’s a memoir where these two things are featured. And the book points this out first thing, so it’s not like you’re being duped into reading it.

It was an okay read. It would be like if I wrote about being a Yankees fan and also shared parts of my life. See? Kind of boring unless you’re one of my friends or family. That’s the problem with this book.

Also, the ending. There’s really not one. I bet the author really struggled with the ending, not with the writing, but with coming up with something to end on.

If you like memoirs, maybe give this one a shot. It’s short.

[lvwoolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

This guy is a magazine editor, a few years younger than me - writing, obviously, about the good old times. He's funny and enjoyable. But I got more than a bit bored when he wrote about his life. I understand what he was trying to do (it's a memoir, not a history of the Braves) - just would have preferred him to stick more with his reflections of the Braves and less on his own. Call me selfish, as I read this book when I was attempting to make my comeback as a fan of the game. His book seems to have helped with that - but as I write this review - on April 9, 2011 at 3:30pm - the Braves are getting killed by the Phillies. So, that's not so swell either.

[Rachel Lantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud while reading this book. The author has a way of making even the most prosaic of baseball stories humorous, but there is no denying everything he says about the Braves coaches and players is true. If anyone is looking for a nostalgic stroll through the glory years of Bobby Cox and the Braves, this is the book for you. This Braves fan misses those years and especially Bobby and Chipper!

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great nostalgic read. I too grew up watching the Braves on the superstation and feel forever intertwined with Bobby Cox. Furthermore, the Braves will always be a connection I share with my grandfather. Whereas this is not a Bobby Cox biography, it really does not claim to be if you read the author's description. It is wonderful read on how following a team can impact one's life and reach into your history. A must read for all true Braves fans.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's great to read a book from a fan's perspective. Especially, when the book is about your favorite team. Shared many of the same fan experiences as the author, along with the everyday experiences. I didn't always make the connection between the two, but overall is a solid contribution to the history of the Braves.

[Sarit Schneider · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was entertaining and had great facts about Bobby Cox and the history of the Braves. I enjoyed the author's personal stories also, but they did not seem to match up with the titles of each chapter or anything that was going on with the Braves. Overall the book was enjoyable but a bit awkwardly written.

[Frank Taranto · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at one man's love affair with the Atlanta Braves. As a sports nut, I enjoyed his stories and understood how he could relate his life to his favorite baseball team.

[Jim Trela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun baseball loving book

[Colby · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the last chapter alone, this book is five stars. The process of getting to that chapter is worth it and more for any lifelong Braves fan.