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Bobby Cox's Speech At Number Ceremony: A Quick Transcript

Longtime (looongtime!) Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox saw his No. 6 jersey retired at a Turner Field ceremony Friday night. As dozens of former and current players looked on -- it would be so awkward if current players didn't look on -- Bobby was toasted by Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John SmoltzChipper Jones and John Schuerholz.

Here's a photo of that number being unveiled:

Screen_shot_2011-08-12_at_7

Never one to put up with attention, except when achieving an ejection from a shortsighted umpire, Cox took the mic just moments before the team's game against the Chicago Cubs and delivered this message:

Thank you, Don. And I want to thank Greg and Tommy and John and Chipper ... And this time I want to sort of honor Fredi Gonzalez and his staff and the way they've played this year. I think they deserve a standing ovation.

You know, having your number retired in baseball is one of the highest honors. I have so many peple to thank that helped me along the way. My family, my wife Pam, our eight children for their love and support.

I want to thank Bill Lucas, the winter of 1977 he and Ted Turner gave a really young guy the chance to manage for the first time in the major leagues. I want to thank Terry McGuirk, John Schuerholz, Frank Wren and Bill Bartholomay for giving the tools to this organziation to make this organization a real winner for a number of years.

I want to thank the trainers and doctors for keeping our players on the field.

I want to thank Bill Acree and his clubhouse staff for making this a home away from home

I want to thank Paul Snyder and his scouting staff and the player development people, that when we got the players here, they were ready to perform Major League-style.

I even want to thank Ed Mangum for making this field the very best in baseball.

I want to thank all the great players and coaches that played for me that made all this possible.

And last, but not least, I want to thank you the fans. You have been so wonderful through everything. This is a day that my family and I will remember forever, and I was fine until they too the curtain off that No. 6. This is one of the greatest days of our lives.

Thank you very much.

For more Braves, head to Talking Chop.

Photographs by coka_koehler used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.