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The following is my list of the top ten figures in Atlanta Braves history. Notice I said Atlanta Braves, in 1966 the Milwaukee Braves officially became the Atlanta Braves, I only used players and staff from that point on. Legends such as slugger Eddie Mathews and pitcher Warren Spahn weren't eligible to be included.
10. Bobby Cox/John Schuerholz
I know it seems like cheating to have these guys share a spot in the rankings, but can anyone honestly think of one without other? Together they oversaw a dominant run of baseball that will probably never be rivaled.
9. Steve Avery
Injuries really curtailed Avery's career, but he was a vital cog in the rotations of the early 90's. He was also a clutch post-season performer, finishing with a 2.90 ERA in 77.2 innings of work.
8. Andruw Jones
It's unfortunate that Andruw's last season with the Braves was so abysmal. The lingering taste of that atrocious performance shouldn't stop Braves' fans from remember just how great a player Andruw was in his prime. In 11 years with Atlanta Jones hit 368 home runs, drove in 1117 runs and won ten gold gloves.
7. John Smoltz
Despite leaving for Boston, Smoltz will always be a fan favorite. A warrior on the mound, he once dropped his arm-slot mid-season because the pain was too great to pitch any other way. The future Hall of Famer and former Cy Young winner was a lights out reliever and an ace starter rolled into one package. His ability to pitch in the post-season is legendary.
6. Phil Niekro
The rubber armed Niekro won 318 games in a career with mostly mediocre teams. In 18 seasons with the Braves he threw 222 complete games and finished in the top-6 in Cy Young voting five times.
5. Dale Murphy
Murph won back-to-back MVP trophy for his dominating '82-'83 seasons. An all-around performer Murphy hit for power, took walks and was a superb defender in the outfield. He finished his Atlanta career with 371 home runs.
4. Tom Glavine
Glavine carved out a terrific hall of fame career using his pinpoint control and supreme durability. Five times he was in the top 3 in Cy Young voting, winning the award twice. He won at least 20 games for the Braves five times. He also pitched the clinching game in the World Series victory over the Cleveland Indians.
3. Chipper Jones
Jones is the face of the franchise and will go down as one of the best switch hitters and third basemen in baseball history. Chipper has finished in the top 20 in MVP voting 12 of the last 14 years. Last season he won his first batting title and his bat has shown no sign of slowing down.
2. Greg Maddux
Maddux is quite possibly the greatest right-handed pitcher of our generation. In his prime he won four straight Cy Youngs and displayed a mastery of his craft that only a select few pitchers in baseball history can compare to.
1. Hank Aaron
Any list of Braves players that doesn't have Aaron at the top wouldn't be worth the digital paper that is was electronically typed on. Hank Aaron remains one of the most iconic figures in baseball, A remarkably consistent hitter, he was always one of the sport's most dangerous bats.
Comments
Awesome list! Can't argue with any of these choices.
Hmmm...a top 10 Braves list with no Rafael Ramirez...
Brian -
Thanks man, it was a fun list to put together.
Hawks Examiner -
I did think about Rafael Ramirez and if the list were a little longer he'd probably be on it; but narrowing it down to only 10 guys is tough. Javy Lopez, David Justice, Bob Horner, and Fred McGriff were others that I considered.
As a child, my Father would occasionally take me to a Milwaukee Braves game at County Stadium. I remember seeing Aaron, Eddie Matthews, Warren Spahn, etc., but my most vivid memory is one of the Braves playing the LA Dodgers, with Sandy Koulfax on the mound. The Dodgers won, with Sandy hitting the winning Home Run. Thought you might enjoy the story.
Man, you absolutely blew it without Eddie Matthews on the list. Eddie over Steve Avery any day.
Either you are not a Braves fan or you did this off the top of your head and left off a couple important names. Eddie Matthews and Warren Spahn are easily in the top 5 Braves of all time.
Did you guys even bother to read the first paragraph of the article? I clearly stated that I was only using players that played the majority of their careers as Atlanta Braves. Both Warren Spahn and Eddie Matthews played for the Boston/Milwaukee Braves - I even made it a point to explain in the first paragraph that those two particular players were exempt from my list.
Now obviously, both were terrific ballplayers - but neither were Atlanta Braves all-time greats.
Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta Braves
Brought up to the major leagues in 1952, Eddie Mathews hit 25 home runs, including three in one game. In 1953 the Braves moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he batted .302, hit 47 home runs, and drove in 135 runs. For nine straight seasons he hit at least 30 home runs, including leading the National League twice (1953, 1959).
As one of 1954's superstars in American sports, Mathews was chosen for the cover of the first-ever issue of Sports Illustrated magazine. Around this time, Ty Cobb said of Mathews: "I've only known three or four perfect swings in my time. This lad has one of them."
Mathews was a powerful pull-hitter, and for many years of his career teams would implement the "Mathews shift" when he came to bat. The second baseman would shift well to his left, toward first base, and the shortstop would come to the second base side of the bag, leaving a gaping hole between second and third base. Mathews delighted in occasionally punching t
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