Major League Baseball on TBS while longtime play-by-play announcers Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren had their participation on the broadcasts reduced. This was done in an attempt to combat criticism of Caray's on-air "home team" bias and to market its baseball coverage to fans of MLB teams other than the Braves. Meanwhile, the brand Braves Baseball on TBS was replaced by Major League Baseball on TBS. The move was strongly criticized by Braves fans, Atlanta area media outlets and Braves manager Bobby Cox. Over 90% of Braves fans who voted in an online poll conducted by the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" preferred Caray and Van Wieren
Bobby Cox (footballer) side. For the remainder of his career only injury and illness would prevent him from wearing the number three shirt. Doug Cowie was one of the mainstays of the team that Cox came into and when Cowie left, Cox succeeded him as captain. Cox would eventually notch up the second highest number of appearances for Dundee and his 433 starts are only bettered by the man who he succeeded as captain. The Club had waned from the halcyon early 1950 days of Billy Steel and co., but at the start of the next decade, as manager Bob Shankly introduced youngsters