Bobby Cox first record above .500 since 1974. However, Cox was undone by the 1981 baseball strike when the Braves finished fifth and owner Ted Turner fired him. Asked at a press conference who was on his short list for manager, Turner replied, "It would be Bobby Cox if I hadn't just fired him. We need someone like him around here." The Braves won the National League West division title in 1982 and finished second in both 1983 and 1984 under Cox's successor Joe Torre. Cox finished with a record of 266 wins and 323 losses in the regular season. Cox joined
J. B. Cox pitching hand in a bar fight in December 2006. He had elbow surgery and missed the entire 2007 season. After a bad game in June 2009, Cox left the Thunder without permission. He returned to Texas to complete his college degree. Noticing that his arm was beginning to feel better, he returned to professional baseball in 2010. In September 2010, he got into an altercation with Thunder manager Tony Franklin after Franklin removed him from a game. He retired after the season. Cox was hired as a volunteer student assistant for the Texas Longhorns after retiring from playing. J. B.