Ted Cox (baseball)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2020) |
| Ted Cox | |
|---|---|
Midwest City, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 18, 1977, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 4, 1981, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .245 |
| Home runs | 10 |
| Runs batted in | 79 |
| Teams | |
William “Ted” Cox (January 24, 1955 – March 11, 2020) was an American
Career
Cox was selected by the Red Sox with the seventeenth pick in the first round of the 1973 draft, ahead of
Cox debuted with the Red Sox on September 18, on
Cox ended 1977 with a .362 average (21 for 58), and drew considerable attention to himself. Before the 1978 season he was traded by Boston along with Bo Díaz, Mike Paxton, and Rick Wise to the Cleveland Indians for Dennis Eckersley and Fred Kendall.[2] After two years in Cleveland as a backup outfielder and playing all four infield positions, Cox joined the Seattle Mariners in 1980 and the Toronto Blue Jays in 1981, his last major league season.
In a five-season career, Cox was a .245 hitter with 10 home runs and 79 RBI in 272 games. On April 9, 1980, Cox became the first player in American League history to collect a game-winning RBI,[3] a statistic that was official only from 1980 to 1988.
Later life
After his playing career, Cox operated Grand Slam batting cages in Oklahoma City.[4] In addition he was Oklahoma baseball director for the United States Specialty Sports Association.[4] He was also an assistant baseball coach at Midwest City High School and Oklahoma City University.[4] Cox worked with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association to raise money for charities and civic causes.[5]
Death
In November 2019, Cox was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. He died in Midwest City, Oklahoma, on March 11, 2020. Cox was survived by his mother Ernestine, wife Debbie (Pulliam) Cox and sons Billy and Joey.[4]
References
- ^ Montgomery, Paul L. (September 19, 1977). "Red Sox Set Back Orioles, 10‐4, As Both End Ungainful Weekend". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ "Red Sox Acquire Eckersley". The New York Times. March 31, 1978. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ "You Could Look It Up: The first time ..." seattlepi.com. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. March 23, 2003. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Ted Cox, ex-Red Sox player with hits in 1st 6 at-bats, dies at 65". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 13, 2020.
- ^ "Ted Cox Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information". www.bffuneralhome.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet or Pura Pelota
- The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia – Gary Gillette, Peter Gammons, Pete Palmer. Publisher: Sterling Publishing, 2005. Format: Paperback, 1824pp. Language: English. ISBN 1-4027-4771-3