20 Greatest Atlanta Braves

20

Herman Long

19

Tommy Holmes

Holmes 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.

18

Wally Berger

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.

17

Fred Tenney

16

Tommy Bond

15

Jim Whitney

14

Vic Willis

13

John Clarkson

12

Freddie Freeman

Freeman has an opportunity to be the greatest first baseman for two legendary National League franchises: the Braves and the Dodgers.

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 RBI 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 RBI, 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 defensive players. 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.

9

Tom Glavine

8

Greg Maddux

7

John Smoltz

Smoltz had difficulty throwing a baseball slow, always did. Early in his career he was a two-pitch pitcher: fastball and curve. Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine showed him how they threw the change, but every time Smoltz threw it, the pitch went too fast. Finally, Smoltz taught himself the split-finger fastball, which he was able to throw six to seven miles per hour slower than his fastball but with the same arm action. He credited the splitter with helping him win his Cy Young Award.

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 RBI in 65 postseason games, Chipper hit 13 home runs with 47 RBI 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.

4

Eddie Mathews

“I don’t think it’s being blunt. I think it’s being honest: early on in my career, people would challenge me. They thought I was a tough guy. And I’d fight them…in a bar, in the street, or wherever.” — Mathews

3

Warren Spahn

2

Kid Nichols

19th century hurler who win more than 300 games. Nichols was the most famous hurler before Cy Young.

1

Hank Aaron

Aaron had a signature routine as he prepared to face a pitcher: he carefully selected his bat from the rack and moved to the on-deck circle, where he always knelt on his left knee. Aaron liked to gently massage his bats, usually with a pine tar rag. When it was his turn, Aaron tucked his bat under one arm and slowly walked to the plate, rubbing dirt between his hands. One sports writer noted that Aaron held his bat under his arm “so casually you could have mistaken it for a walking stick.”