Major League Baseball

New skipper a familiar face;Ex-Marlins manager and former Braves third-base coach was the

Published Oct. 14, 2010 10:14 a.m. ET

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Shortly before he was introduced as Braves manager Wednesday, Fredi Gonzalez sent a text message to veteran third baseman Chipper Jones, who's recovering from season-ending knee surgery.

"I texted Chip and said, 'Hey, get off the couch. Let's get to work and maybe go down to the Dominican and get 100 at-bats,'" Gonzalez said, smiling. "I haven't heard back from him."

Say hello to the new boss. Not the same as his old boss, Bobby Cox, but with some similar traits, including an upbeat personality and knack for putting folks at ease.

"It's an honor and a privilege to manage a baseball club like the Atlanta Braves," said Gonzalez, a Cox protege who served as Braves third-base coach from 2003-06, then spent 3 1/2 seasons managing the Florida Marlins before being fired in June. "I'm looking forward --- really, really looking forward --- to getting going."

Gonzalez's contract is for three years, with a team option on a fourth. His salary was not disclosed.

Braves officials were so sure that Gonzalez, 46, was the right man to replace Cox that they didn't bother interviewing anyone else. When Gonzalez became available in June, they centered their search on him, and him alone.

"It was kind of a perfect storm," Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "An upheaval in his life when it happened, but I think at the same time, it worked out very well for us."

It worked out well for the Braves and for Gonzalez, a Cuba native whose family moved from Miami to suburban Atlanta seven years ago and liked it so much they never left. The Gonzalezes --- Fredi, Pamela and two teenage children --- stayed in their Marietta home even after Gonzalez took the Marlins' job four years ago.

When the Braves made it clear to him that he was the guy they wanted to replace Cox, Gonzalez turned down recent managerial job interviews with the Chicago Cubs and three other organizations.

"For me it was a really easy decision," said Gonzalez, who was hired Tuesday, one day after the Braves lost to San Francisco and were eliminated from the playoffs. "... It's a good fit.

"You feel so comfortable that when the Cubs come calling, you don't want to waste people's time and money and energy flying you around the country to do these interviews. By that time I felt pretty good."

Wren has known Gonzalez for more than 20 years and was Florida's assistant GM when the Marlins hired Gonzalez as a 20-something managerial prospect to run their Class A Erie team in 1992.

But he wanted to make sure, after all these years, that he and Gonzalez saw eye-to-eye on a wide range of things. So on July 2, Wren and Gonzalez drove to an Alabama lake cabin, where they spent six hours talking about every aspect of running a team.

Braves president John Schuerholz interviewed Gonzalez a few days later, and in September, Schuerholz and Wren interviewed him together. The two Braves officials agreed it was time to let Gonzalez know they wanted him, before other teams put a hard press on him.

"It's perfect for us," Wren said. "On so many levels, it's perfect for us. Because of the job he's done in Florida, but also the familiarity, the players' familiarity [with him]."

Gonzalez had a 276-279 record with the Marlins, who were 35-36 when he was fired. He was Sporting News Manager of the Year in 2008, when the Marlins finished 84-77 despite the lowest player payroll in the major leagues.

"Fredi is a great pick to lead this organization forward," Cox said.

"He knows the game of baseball inside-out; he's got a great personality with players; his communication skills are excellent," Cox said. "Anything you'd want in a young manager, Fredi possesses. It'll be an easy transition."

When Gonzalez was fired by the Marlins, Jones and All-Star catcher Brian McCann were among the Braves who said immediately that he would be a good choice to replace Cox. As players cleaned out their lockers Tuesday, and before they knew Gonzalez was being offered the job, outfielder Matt Diaz and pitchers Derek Lowe and Peter Moylan all said he would be a good choice.

"Fredi's got all the respect in the baseball world from players and managers around the league," Cox said.

Wren said Gonzalez was No. 1 on a list of 15-16 candidates they put together at the end of the 2009 season, after Cox announced the next season would be his last. Wren said the Braves had been prepared to ask Marlins ownership for permission to talk to Gonzalez, who had a year left on his contract in 2011.

But when Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria fired him, the Braves didn't need to ask permission to interview him.

"For some reason the owner didn't appreciate" the job he did, Cox said, "and everybody else in the [Marlins'] front office, the coaches, the players, the fans --- did.

"It was sort of like a George Steinbrenner move: let's get rid of somebody just to get rid of somebody. And that was the case down there."

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