Atlanta Braves general manger Frank Wren, left, shakes hands with new manager Fredi Gonzalez during a news conference where Gonzalez was introduced as the baseball team’s news manager, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)ATLANTA – The clickety-clack of spikes has been replaced by quiet sneakers. Otherwise, it’s hard to detect much of a difference between Fredi Gonzalez and the guy he replaced in the Atlanta Braves dugout.
The expectations certainly haven’t changed.
The Braves were used to winning with Bobby Cox as their manager. They don’t expect anything to change with Gonzalez running the team.
“It’s an easy transition,” the new manager said.
Indeed, it’s hard to remember such a significant changing of the guard going as smoothly as this. Cox retired after leading the team to 15 playoff appearances in his two decades as manager, a record that will surely land him a spot in Cooperstown. He was quickly replaced by Gonzalez, a former Braves third-base coach who comes with the Cox seal of approval.