What’s Happening in Baseball Today

The First Pitch: May 10, 2026

Bobby Cox, the Hall-of-Fame manager who led the Atlanta Braves through their most sustained period of success while holding the all-time record for ejections, passes away at the age of 84. No cause of death is made public, but Cox’s health had deteriorated since suffering a stroke in 2019. 

Fourth on the all-time managerial wins list with 2,504, Cox played two seasons as a third baseman for the New York Yankees, batting .225 with nine home runs over 220 games before being sent back to the minors a year later and, shortly thereafter, dropping out of the game due to chronic knee issues. But the Yankees thought much of his potential as a manager and gave him a spot as pilot of Class-A Fort Lauderdale. He quickly worked his way up the system, became a coach back at the parent level under Billy Martin starting in 1977, and later that year was plucked away by Ted Turner to become manager of the Braves. Fired after the 1981 season, Cox quickly hooked on as manager at Toronto—guiding an improving team to 99 wins and an AL East title before losing, heartbreakingly, to Kansas City in the 1985 ALCS. 

In 1986, Cox returned to the Braves to be closer to his family (who had remained in Atlanta) and to tend to unfinished business with a team that had fallen apart since his departure. Cox served as the Braves’ general manager until placing himself back in the pilot chair midway through 1990, believing he had accumulated enough aspiring talent—particularly within the pitching staff—to lead them directly. That intuition paid off in spades when Cox led the Braves to a worst-to-first finish in 1991 and their first NL pennant since 1958. From there, Cox oversaw a consistently strong team that made 14 straight postseason appearances (the cancelled-in-progress 1994 campaign excluded), winning his lone world title in 1995—but also ending up as bridesmaids in four other World Series and four NLCSs. Along the way, he was ejected a record 164 times—leading the league in 13 seasons, peaking with 11 ejections in 2001.

The Giants, seeking to ramp up their hitting, trade two-time Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey to the Guardians in exchange for minor league pitcher Matt Wilkinson and a Round A pick in the upcoming amateur draft. Trading Bailey, who’s never hit well and is particularly struggling (.146) this season, opens the door for two younger, better hitting catchers (rookies Daniel Susac and Jesus Rodriguez) on the Giants roster. And although Bailey is considered a terrific pitch framer, that talent in general has lost some of its importance with the emergence of the ABS system.

Ernie Clement leads the way for the Toronto Blue Jays, piling up five hits including a home run in a 14-1 drubbing of the visiting Angels. It’s Clement’s second career five-hit game, and only the second by any major leaguer so far in a season that is already almost one-quarter done. By comparison, there were 19 five-hit games last season, 18 in 2024…and 32 in 2023.

The Minnesota Twins defeat the Guardians at Cleveland in 11 innings, 2-1, on the strength of two hits, both by Byron Buxton: a leadoff home run in the first, and the eventual game-winning double in the 11th. In between, the Twins go 0-for-28, but Twins starter Joe Ryan—back on the mound after experiencing elbow soreness in last start six days earlier—and six relievers combine to also hold the Guardians to two hits. It’s is the first time that a game has gone 11 or more innings with both teams combining for four or fewer hits.

Congrats, Your Box Score Line Was the Best (Hitters Edition)

4-2-3-4—Alec Bohm, Philadelphia                                 
Saddled with a dismal .159 season average, the 29-year-old third baseman was given a couple days off to “reset.” Boy, did he ever. Against the visiting Rockies, Bohm launched his second and third home runs of the year and added a double in a 9-3 victory. Sometimes, you just gotta fix the glitch and start over.

Congrats, Your Box Score Line Was the Best (Pitchers Edition)

7-2-0-0-2-6—Michael Wacha, Kansas City                                   
It’s another superb start for the veteran right-hander, who achieved his third outing of at least six scoreless innings this season with a 5-1 home win over Detroit. Wacha improves his season record to 4-2, while lowering his ERA to 2.63; “underrated” is the word many continue to use when describing this guy.

It Was Whatever-Something Years Ago Today

1970: Hoyt Wilhelm, 46, becomes the first major league pitcher to appear in 1,000 games when he takes the mound for the Braves in a relief appearance against St. Louis. Wilhelm, who began his career in 1952, will pitch another 70 times before retiring in 1972.

You Say It’s Your Birthday

Happy birthday to:

Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (26) 

Cincinnati reliever Pierce Johnson (35) 

Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez (36), nine-time All-Star; recipient of five Gold Gloves; guy who smacked an MLB-best 48 homers with 121 RBIs in 2021 

Robby Thompson (64), 11-year second baseman for the Giants; NL Rookie of the Year runner-up in 1986; twice made the All-Star roster 

Center fielder Ken Berry (85), not the former Disney/Mayberry RFD actor; winner of two Gold Gloves; split his career primarily with the White Sox and Angels 

Born on this date:

Jim Hickman (1937), decent outfielder who broke out with 32 homers, 115 RBIs and 1.001 OPS for the 1970 Cubs

Shameless Link of the Day

Check out our story on San Diego Stadium, which ultimately was renamed Qualcomm Stadium by the time the Padres played their last game there in 2003.

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