There’s an odd myth that celebrities die in threes and while I don’t consider myself famous, the recent deaths of baseball lifers, Bobby Cox and Bob Skinner have me thinking. More famous Bobs, Crane, Cratchit, and Hope are long gone.

HOF manager, Cox passed away last week at the age of 87. Much has been written and will be written about his illustrious managerial career. I’ve got nothing especially unique to say, but I’ll try. My interactions were limited to his stays with the Braves at our hotel back in the late 90’s. We didn’t talk baseball, rather I helped him and Leo Mazzone secure dinner reservations. He appreciated my efforts and trusted my recommendations. What I noticed was how his players and coaches acted in public. They were professionals and treated other guests with respect. Some of his higher paid stars were cheapskates, but that didn’t reflect on Bobby. I have no idea how many writers have spoken about his developmental legacy or that at least four of his former coaches, Ozzie Guillen, Cito Gaston, Ned Yost, and Brian Snitker managed World Series champions.

The other Bob, Skinner had a more successful and longer playing career but also was a lifer because of his coaching career. I never saw either play, but I have far earlier memories of Skinner as a major league coach during the 70’s and early 80’s. Conversely his ML managerial career lasted 38 minutes, relatively speaking. Long before managers were told they needed 16-member on field assistance, most managers surrounded themselves with three or four trusted baseball lifers. Fans who followed the game back in the 70’s could probably call up several of these lifers. In the early 1970’s, Topps included manager cards for each team. Usually, the manager got a nice bust shot while his three of four coaches got tiny floating head (no neck) shots.

Flash forward to 1990 when Deee Lite came out with the dance classic, “Groove is in the Heart.” 1:45 into the video, the floating heads of Lady Miss Kier, DJ’s Dmitry and Towa Tei recall the floating heads of Skinner, Al Monchak, and Al Spangler.

Who knows if I’ll post about Don Money, Dave Cash, and the Pet Shop Boys and ‘West End Girls.”

R.I.P Bobby Cox and Bob Skinner and thanks for giving so much to the game!