By the time St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Danny Cox finished the 1985 regular season with 18 wins, his teammates knew that the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was a fighter.
As it turns out, they had no idea just how right they were.
On October 3, 1985, Cox earned his 18th win of the season, holding the New York Mets to two runs over six innings and giving St. Louis a two-game lead over the Mets in the National League East pennant race with three games remaining. The next morning, he asked Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog for permission to leave the team, drove home to Warner Robins, Georgia, and punched out his former brother-in-law.
Cox had heard from family that his sister Maxine’s ex-husband was threatening his sister and their parents, who also lived in Warner Robins.
“I started it. I finished it,” said the 26-year-old Cox. “It only took two punches. When you start threatening my family, that you’re going to do them some physical harm, I’m going to retaliate.”[1]
Cox knew that his ex-brother-in-law, Richard Diebold, worked as a varsity sports director at Robins Air Force Base. Since his father, a former master sergeant in the Air Force, had been stationed there and still worked on the base, Cox knew right where to find Diebold.
Diebold told the Macon Telegraph that he tried to explain himself when he saw Cox coming, but the Cardinals right-hander was having none of it. Cox’s punches chipped two of Diebold’s teeth before he ran away.
“I took off through the gym and through the softball fields,” Diebold said. “He said, ‘I hope you can run all day, because I can. And as soon as you stop, I’m going to kill you.’”[2]
Cox returned to the Cardinals in time for their next day’s game against the Cubs.
“It was my job,” Cox said. “I think anybody in that situation would have done the same thing. If you wouldn’t have, then you’re not a man, and you don’t love your family. You’ve only got one family.”[3]
Though the Cardinals were concerned about elbow soreness that had recently been giving Cox issues, they weren’t too worried that their 18-game winner might break his hand with the playoffs looming.
“I never worry what they do with their family,” Herzog said. “If he’d hurt his hand, I just would have to pitch somebody else.”[4]
Eight days later, Cox made his playoff debut, starting Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the first inning, the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out before Cox retired Mike Marshall and Mike Scioscia to escape the jam.
Cox went on to earn the win, allowing two runs over six innings.
“A big inning there and the series might have been all over,” second baseman Tommy Herr said. “He’s a tough guy. He battles.”[5]
Nonetheless, Cox’s off-field battles had gotten more attention than he imagined, drawing headlines in newspapers across the country. Before his Game 3 start, he skipped an NLCS press conference, and after the game, he only granted interviews to the Cardinals’ regular beat reporters.[6]
“I knew what they were going to ask about,” Cox said of the national media.[7]
After the Cardinals beat the Dodgers in six games, Cox made two appearances against the Royals in the World Series. In Game 2, he allowed two runs over seven innings, receiving no decision in the Cardinals’ 4-2 win (St. Louis rallied for all four runs in the ninth).
Cox was even better in Game 6, throwing seven shutout innings and striking out eight. However, Kansas City starter Charlie Leibrandt was equally impressive, and the game was still scoreless when Cox left the game without a decision. The Royals went on to win the game, 2-1, before taking the series in Game 7.
Cox reached double-digit wins in 1986 (12) and 1987 (11) and shut out the Giants in Game 6 of the NLCS to send the Cardinals to the ’87 World Series before an elbow injury cut his 1988 campaign short. By the time he made his next major league start in 1991, he was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Over six seasons with St. Louis, Cox went 56-56 with a 3.40 ERA. After leaving the Cardinals, he pitched for the Phillies, Pirates, and Blue Jays, appearing primarily in relief. He retired after the 1995 season.
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[1] Rick Hummel, “Cox Punches Former Kin,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 6, 1985.
[2] Steve Goldberg, “Cox throws pitches Thursday, then throws punches Friday,” Macon Telegraph, October 6, 1985.
[3] Rick Hummel, “Cox Punches Former Kin,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 6, 1985.
[4] Mike Littwin, “Cards call upon ‘Rambo’ to get things going right,’” Asbury Park Press, October 13, 1985.
[5] Mike Littwin, “Cards call upon ‘Rambo’ to get things going right,’” Asbury Park Press, October 13, 1985.
[6] “Duncan’s status still uncertain after Game 2 spiking,” Sacramento Bee, October 13, 1985.
[7] Rick Hummel, “Dodgers Are Next Challenge For Cox,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 12, 1985.