ATLANTA - Bobby Cox strolled onto the field, ready to treat it like just another win.

His players had something else in mind.

A handshake just wouldn't do on this day.

"I think 2,000 wins warrants a hug," Chipper Jones said.

One by one, the Atlanta Braves lined up to embrace their manager, who became just the ninth in baseball history to win 2,000 games when the Atlanta Braves defeated the New York Mets 6-3 on Wednesday.

"Honestly, I didn't expect anything," said Cox, who hates drawing attention to himself almost as much as losing.

He didn't have a choice on this day. As soon as the final out was made, closer John Smoltz flashed a smile toward the dugout. Cox's coaches swarmed around him, shaking hands and patting him on the back. When Cox climbed out of the dugout, the fans chanted, "Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!" The scoreboard flashed "2000" over and over again.

From the Mets' dugout, Tom Glavine found the hugfest rather amusing. The pitcher knows Cox better than most, spending most of his career with the Braves before signing with New York after the 2002 season.

"He must have changed," Glavine quipped. "I guess he's getting soft in his old age."

Actually, Cox seemed to be getting better with age. At 63, this is probably one of his best managing jobs, guiding a team that was picked to finish no better than third in the NL East to its 13th straight division title.

Cox has been manager of the year twice before, but not since leading the Braves from worst-to-first in 1991.

"If he doesn't win it this year, he never will," Jones said.

"It's either him or a genie in a bottle," Smoltz added.

During the last offseason, Atlanta lost four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux and sluggers Gary Sheffield, Javy Lopez and Vinny Castilla because of budget cuts.

After lingering around .500 for the first three months, Atlanta took control of the division race in July and August, wrapping up another division title last week.

While some players have pointed to a fiery speech that Cox gave in late June as sparking the turnaround, Smoltz said it was the manager's unwavering confidence and steady leadership.

"It's what he didn't say when we were going the other way," the closer said. "If anyone else had been manager, I think we would have messed up - especially this year."

Of the eight managers who previously reached 2,000 wins, seven are in the Hall of Fame. The lone exception is Tony La Russa, still managing the St. Louis Cardinals.

"I think this number ensures Bobby's Hall of Fame candidacy," Jones said, "if he wasn't in already."

In 23 seasons, Cox's overall record is 2,000-1,530. That doesn't even include 63 postseason wins, second only to Joe Torre in baseball history.

The only blemish on Cox's record: In 14 trips to the playoffs (13 with the Braves, one with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985), he's captured only one World Series championship.

"I hope we have a great playoff," Cox said. "That's more important for sure."

Smoltz is the only holdover from the 1991 team, which started the streak of division titles. Allowing himself to reminisce for just a moment, Cox said he wished that all his former players could still be around to share No. 2,000.

"That's what I miss, the guys who were here before," Cox said. "You know, once they're gone, they're gone. You don't see 'em much anymore."

Cox's latest win was like so many others. The Braves fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, fought back to tie it up and went ahead with a four-run seventh.

Andruw Jones doubled in the go-ahead run, and 46-year-old Julio Franco - one of Cox's favorite players - drove in another with a pinch-hit single. Finally, Marcus Giles stroked a hard grounder that barely got under the glove of Mets shortstop Kaz Matsui and nearly rolled to the wall for a two-run triple.

"It's just a privilege to be a part of it," Giles said. "A lot of people are going to be sitting home tonight, watching TV ... and saying, 'Geez, Bobby Cox has 2,000 wins.' I can say I was on the field for it."

Cox planned to celebrate with a quiet dinner at home, accompanied by his wife and dogs. For now, he has no plans to walk away from the job he does so well.

"You can never look too far ahead in the game of baseball," he said. "You never know what the future has in store."