The 20 Greatest Braves of All-Time

20. Joe Adcock

Adcock hit the longest recorded home runs in about half of the ballparks in the National League during his career. He was a menacing power hitter, unusually big for his era, a 6-foot-4 southern boy who was country strong. He probably could have been a professional in basketball and football.

19. Del Crandall

Crandall was good enough to be a starting catcher in the major leagues when he was 19, the only man to ever do that. Crandall was also the best defensive catcher in the National League in the 1950s and made eight All-Star teams. He had a strong arm and cut down runners as well as almost anyone in baseball in the 1950s. Unfortunately he was overshadowed by Roy Campanella, otherwise Crandall would be remembered more readily.

18. Rabbit Maranville

Rabbit Maranville was a singularly unique player. He was described as an “imp” and “a pixie,” and The Sporting News dubbed him the “Peter Pan of baseball.” But despite his phenomenal defensive ability and crowd-pleasing showmanship, he nearly drank himself out of the game in the middle of his career. Only a thoughtful gesture by Branch Rickey allowed the tiny shortstop to build a Hall of Fame career.

Maranville was famous for clowning around and for making unusual defensive plays with flair, much like Ozzie Smith, Omar Vizquel, and Elvis Andrus later. With his acrobatic defense and antics, Maranville demanded attention when he was on the diamond. One of his famous maneuvers was his waist-high basket catch on infield pop ups. He liked to spring himself into the air on double play pivots, a practice that earned him the nickname “Rabbit” from an admirer when he was in the minor leagues.

By 1925, Maranville’s stellar stints with the Boston Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates were behind him. He was beginning his first season with his third NL team, the Chicago Cubs. The manager was Bill Killefer, a friendly man who was criticized for babying his players. In early July, the Cubs ownership finally ran out of patience and fired Killefer, replacing him with Maranville. But Rabbit wasn’t ready for the responsibility, and his two months at the helm were a disaster. Maranville responded to the stress of the job by increasing his drinking, and may have even reported to the ballpark drunk on at least one occasion. In early September, he was replaced, but maintained his position on the roster. He did not play much down the stretch, and a week after the season, Chicago released Rabbit. He was picked up by Brooklyn, where he was their starting shortstop in 1926 until they released him in August. After that stomach-punch, Rabbit drank heavily in the offseason. The Cardinals signed him, but Rabbit reported to spring training in bad shape and was not invited north with the team. After 15 seasons in the majors, Maranville accepted a contract to play for Rochester in Double-A ball. Humbled, Rabbit played well in Rochester, and he gave up drinking, though it wasn’t easy. Late in the season, Cardinals’ president Rickey purchased his contract and gave Maranville a chance to play in September. The move was supposed to allow Rabbit to showcase his new sobriety, but he played well enough that Rickey asked him to come back to the Cardinals in 1928. Rickey, known as “The Mahatma,” loved to do second chances. In ‘28, Maranville won the Cardinals’ shortstop job and helped the team to the pennant. He hit .308 in the World Series, and never took a drink. He was a good starting shortstop through the age of 42, when his career was essentially ended after he broke his ankle sliding into home in a spring exhibition game. Rabbit played 23 games after the gruesome injury.

17. Joe Torre

Joe Torre is the only major leaguer to win 2,000 games as a manager and also collect 2,000 hits in his playing career. The Baseball Gods like to even things out: Torre never played a postseason game, but he managed more postseason games than anyone.

16. Johnny Logan

Logan had a large forehead, hawkish nose, and a small mouth. He had long arms and a thin waist, with big hands. He was funny in a sarcastic way and popular with his teammates. A little like Yogi Berra, he became known for his malapropisms. Once, at a banquet, Logan told the assembled audience, “It’s an honor to be on the stage with the immoral Stan Musial.” After retiring from the diamond, he worked for one season with colorful Bob Uecker on Milwaukee Brewers television broadcasts and spent decades scouting for the club. He made Milwaukee his home, and died there at the age of 86, still one of the most popular players in the history of the city. “He came to love the Brewers,” Uecker said. “He considered himself a Brewer more than he was a Brave. He would do anything for the team.”

15. Tommy Holmes

In his rookie season Holmes played with Paul Waner, the former Pittsburgh star. Waner had two great loves: alcohol and hitting a baseball. He loved talking about hitting too, and in Holmes he found an eager pupil. Waner saw potential in his young teammate, but he wanted Holmes to pull the ball more.

“See that foul line over there? I’m going to show you how to hit it,” Waner told Holmes. “Never hit the ball where three guys can catch it, not with that wind blowing in at Braves Field. Shoot for the foul lines.”

Holmes listened and hit .307 for his career at Braves Field, .302 overall. He had some of his finest seasons when the best ballplayers were off fighting World War II (Holmes had a sinus condition that kept him out of the military), but he still hit pretty damn good after the boys came back too. The Braves later rushed Holmes into the managerial role and his tenure with the club ended on a sour note when he was fired during the season over the phone.

14. Wally Berger

The first All-Star Game was a publicity stunt designed as part of the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. A newspaper editor named Arch Ward organized the event, which coincided with the 100th anniversary of Chicago becoming a city. Ward’s newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, called it the “Game of the Century.” More than 50 newspapers across the nation printed ballots and fans were encouraged to vote for their favorites. Wally Berger was elected the starting center fielder for the National League.

The first All-Star Game was played at Comiskey Park because it had more seats than Wrigley Field, and more than 49,000 people attended the spectacle. The venerable senior managers in each league, Irishmen Connie Mack and John McGraw, were handpicked to guide the “super teams.” The American League team wore their home uniforms, but the National League showed spirit and donned special uniforms with “National League” across the chest and “NL” on their caps. The uniforms didn’t help, and the Nationals lost to the American League, 4-2. Babe Ruth hit the first All-Star Game home run, and in the eighth inning with the AL ahead by two runs, Ruth earned nearly as many cheers when he raced over to catch a line drive deep at the warning track to rob Chick Hafey of extra bases.

Twenty of the 36 players selected for that first All-Star Game ended up in the Hall of Fame, as well as both managers, five of the six coaches, and two of the four umpires. But Berger was not one of them. Wally was selected for each of the first four All-Star Games, and among the players who accomplished that, he’s the only one who doesn’t have a plaque in Cooperstown.

Berger was a tall, lanky German from Chicago, with blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. When he was five years old he moved with his family to San Francisco where his father was part of the large migration of German and Irish immigrants who arrived in the Bay Area to help rebuild after the Great Earthquake. Wally grew up in the Mission District, which was teeming with activity in the 1910s. Young Wally watched Harry Heilmann and Lefty O’Doul play for the San Francisco Seals and grew to star for his high school team, before accepting $5 per game to play in semi-pro leagues.

Before he put on his first big league uniform, Wally Berger played six years in semi-pro baseball in San Francisco and in the Pacific Coast League. He was a strong, right-handed batter who pulled the ball, an excellent fastball hitter. He hit as many as 40 home runs in the minors and always hit well above .300 as he fought to get attention from big league clubs. After he hit those 40 homers in 1929 for the Los Angeles Angels, the Boston Braves bought Berger’s contract for either $40,000 or $50,000, depending on the source. Wally got none of that money, and he stewed over it.

The best rookie season ever by a position player is probably Joe Jackson’s 1911, when he batted .408 with 233 hits. Ted Williams, Albert Pujols, and Dick Allen all had excellent rookie seasons, and Mike Trout was great in his rookie year too. In 1930, angered by being paid less than what he felt he was worth, and irritated that it took so long for him to make it to the top rung, Berger punished NL pitchers to the tune of 38 homers, 119 RBIs, and a .614 slugging percentage. He set a record for home runs and RBIs by a rookie (since surpassed). His OPS of .990 remains one of the ten best ever by a rookie who appeared in at least 125 games. After the season Wally demanded a $5,000 raise from the Braves, and he got it.

As fast as his start was, Berger’s decline was nearly as rapid.  The Giants acquired him in a trade, but manager Bill Terry used Berger in a platoon role, which rankled the proud veteran. He was traded to the Reds where he was reunited with Bill McKechnie, his longtime manager in Boston. Allowed to play regularly once again, Berger hit 16 homers in 99 games. But for some reason, maybe a shoulder injury he suffered at some point, Wally was often left out of the lineup. He hit 30 homers in his first 190 games for the Reds, but even his old pal McKechnie lost faith and stopped playing him, ultimately releasing Berger early in 1940. He signed with the Phillies and batted .317 in 20 games, but was released again. Maybe his countless salary holdouts got Wally blackballed.

Berger was 35, old for a ballplayer, but acceptable for a sailor, when he enlisted in the Navy in World War II. He spent three years as a baseball coach at the Naval Air Training Station in San Diego. He scouted for a few years after leaving the Navy, but never again swung a bat in anger on a ballfield. His 199 home runs for the Boston Braves were the most hit for that franchise in that city, and his 241 homers in the 1930s trailed only Mel Ott among National Leaguers.

13. Freddie Freeman

Freeman was offered a full scholarship to play college baseball and when he was drafted 78th in the MLB Draft, most observers thought he’d choose to forgo the professional ranks and take the free ride. But Freeman decided to sign with the Braves at the age of 17. Three years later he was in the big leagues. Before his 24th birthday and three years before he could be a free agent, Freeman chose to ink an eight-year deal with Atlanta, even though it was certain to be under market value within 12 months. He’s always marched to his own tune, a maverick attitude that’s made him popular with Atlanta fans. He’s going to have a more valuable career than Anthony Rizzo, and has a chance to win a batting title and also move into the top 25 all-time at his position. In 2020, Freeman contracted Covid-19, but while that seemed difficult at the time, he recovered and had a fantastic short season, winning the NL Most Valuable Player Award.

12. Vic Willis

“Willis threw overhanded, from way over his head, using every inch of his vast height, reinforced by a lofty hill. The ball, therefore, came down on a lightning slant, and you never knew when it would cave you in.” — The Sporting News

11. Dale Murphy

Murphy had his first huge season in 1982, hit 36 home runs and was named MVP. He was better the next season, hit 36 homers again and led the league in RBIs again, he also stole 30 bases. He was named MVP again, too. An amazing thing happened: Murphy had basically the same season again in 1984, 1985, and 1987. He kept winning Gold Gloves and he won two home run crowns, but they didn’t give him the MVP because, well enough already, right? But for six years from 1982 to 1987, Murphy was as good as anyone had been in a very long time. He averaged 110 runs, 36 homers, 105 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, and 306 total bases, while being the best center fielder in baseball, or pretty damn close. Murph missed only three games in those six years.

10. Andruw Jones

Jones is the most recent of the three great center fielders who played for the Braves, the other two being Wally Berger and Dale Murphy. All three won home run titles, all three were excellent center fielders. Each of them was a right-handed power hitter, and they were each tall, strong athletes. All of them, Wally & Murph & The Curacao Kid, spent their last few years bouncing to other teams. All three experienced a sharp drop off in their early 30s, and as a consequence, none of the three are in the Hall of Fame, despite being three of the best candidates at their position.

When he was 27, Jones consulted Willie Mays, hoping to finally break through at the plate. Mays worked with Jones to widen his stance and pull the inside pitch. The next season Jones hit 27 home runs before the All-Star break and 51 for the season. He became the first player to reach 300 home runs before his 30th birthday, and Andruw did it when he was 28.

You could win some money at the bar with this one: Which player holds the Braves’ record for most home runs in a season? Of course it’s Andruw Jones, but most people will guess Chipper or Murphy or Hank Aaron or Eddie Mathews or Fred McGriff, or maybe even Bob Horner. Some smarty pants might remember Joe Adcock, Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson, but they’ll be wrong and you’ll get a free drink.

9. Tom Glavine

An avid golfer, Glavine took the adage “Drive for show, putt for dough,” and applied it to pitching. Glavine was never the hardest thrower on any pitching staff he was on, but he could locate all of his pitches on the edge of the plate. He was known for his circle change, a pitch that dipped out of the strike zone at the last second.

8. Greg Maddux

Utilizing location, command, and deception, Maddux was the most brilliant pitcher of his era. Others threw harder and others were more thrilling, but Maddux was the most brilliant. From 1993 to 1995, he might have been as dialed-in as any pitcher ever. Encompassing his last 13 starts in 1993 and the entirety of 1994 and 1995, Maddux made 66 starts in the regular season, this was his entré to Atlanta. In those 66 starts, Maddux allowed two earned runs or less in 58 of them. He had 62 quality starts (at least six innings and three earned runs or less) out of the 66 total starts. The league ERA over those three years was 4.14, or about 2 ½ runs higher than Maddux.

7. John Smoltz

When he was a kid growing up in the Detroit suburbs, Smoltz and his family had a motorhome, one of those long, wobbly campers with bunk beds and so on. One summer the Smoltz family took it to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, even though the camper wasn’t perfectly sound. “There was an [electrical] short in the camper,” Smoltz remembered, “and my parents told all of us kids to be sure to wear shoes on the metal floor.” But Smoltz forgot, and one day he touched a metal handrail with wet feet and a bolt of electricity shot through his little body. He was fine, but later, Smoltz’s mom insisted that the incident was the reason John had such a magic arm.

6. Chipper Jones

Jones had a lot in common with Mickey Mantle, one of only two switch-hitters who hit more home runs than Chipper. Both Mickey and Chipper were born in the south, originally shortstops, and both were influenced heavily by their fathers. Both players had serious knee injuries early in their career. Bobby Cox, who played with Mantle, saw the similarities. “Chipper didn’t steal many bases after his knee injury,” Cox said, “but he ran like Mickey, had that same gait, the way his shoulders were when he ran, and of course he hit for power both ways like Mick.” Both Chipper and Mickey played a lot in October. Mantle hit 18 homers with 40 RBIs and batted .257 in 65 postseason games, Chipper hit 13 homers with 47 RBIs and batted .287 in 93 postseason games. Both Chipper and Mick were famous for off-field shenanigans.

5. Phil Niekro

Three men changed Niekro’s life: his father Joe Sr., Paul Richards, and Bob Uecker. Mr. Niekro taught both of his sons (including little brother Joe Jr.) how to throw a knuckleball. Richards was general manager of the Braves when he decided Niekro should be a starting pitcher. Phil tossed a two-hit shutout in his first start after Richards tabbed him for the rotation. And Uecker was the catcher who proved someone could catch Niekro’s knuckler, saving Phil from being banished forever to the minor leagues.

Joe Niekro Sr. was the son of a coal miner in eastern Ohio. He played baseball for a few semi-pro teams and learned the knuckleball from an old pitcher whose name has been lost to history. That man must have known a thing or two, because Joe Sr. pitched for years in Ohio and relied heavily on his knuckler. Phil and Joe were taught the pitch in their backyard and the old man’s tutelage ended up providing both men with a livelihood for decades. Phil and Junior won 539 games, a record for brothers.

4. Eddie Mathews

Mathews was a natural with the bat, and he was capable against big league pitching at a very early age. While he was playing for the Atlanta Crackers in the minors in the early 1950s, Mathews was observed by Ty Cobb, who fell in love with the big kid. “I’ve only known three or four perfect swings in my time,” said Cobb. “This lad has one of them.”

3. Warren Spahn

Spahn nearly missed his chance to win his first big league game. As a soldier in the Army’s 9th Armored Division in World War II, Spahn fought across Europe and at the Battle of the Bulge he took two bullets, one grazing his head. He lived through hell, missing three-plus years. The war understably had a lasting impact on him. A teammate would say of a still 20-something Spahn: “He was born old.” Old was when Spahn was at his best: he didn’t win his first game until he was 25, won an incredible 255 games after his 30th birthday, and 75 games in his 40s. He won a total of 404 games in professional baseball and threw his last pitch for money when he was 46 years old.

2. Kid Nichols

The first of many aces in the history of the Braves, Nichols helped the Boston Beaneaters (as they were known) to six National League pennants in his first eight seasons. He was small, only 135-145 pounds for much of his career, but he relied on an excellent fastball in a career that stretched from 1890 to 1906. After he retired from baseball, Nichols became a championship bowler.

1. Henry Aaron

The pitchers in the National League had no idea how to get Aaron out with their best stuff near the plate. He pummeled their fastball, he handled the breaking stuff. He could cover the outside and inside parts of the plate. Pitchers were flummoxed. So they started wasting pitches out of the zone, and those pitches didn’t have much on them. What do you do if you see a fastball ten miles per hour slower thrown at your knuckles or six inches above the letters? You can let it go, or you can do what young Henry did: punish it. Aaron feasted on throwaway pitches, slop the pitchers were hoping he might flail at. Once the league saw he would swing at their weak stuff out of the zone, they stopped it, and went back to Plan A, which never worked either, of course. Teammate Joe Adcock said, “Sneaking a fastball past Henry was like trying to sneak the sunrise past a rooster.”

Gradually, Henry developed into “Bad Henry” and finally Hank. That is, as he matured, Aaron became a pull-hitting power-hitter. When the Braves moved south and Aaron saw the dimensions in Atlanta’s ballpark, it didn’t require a high baseball IQ to realize what he needed to do. He averaged 37 homers per season in the nine seasons in Atlanta, as opposed to 33 in Milwaukee when he was younger and in his prime. Aaron was always trying to gain an edge, to take what pitchers gave him. That’s why he’s one of the ten greatest players in history.