Eddie Mathews | |
---|---|
Third baseman / Manager | |
Born: Texarkana, Texas, U.S. | October 13, 1931|
Died: February 18, 2001 La Jolla, California, U.S. | (aged 69)|
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 15, 1952, for the Boston Braves | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 27, 1968, for the Detroit Tigers | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .271 |
Hits | 2,315 |
Home runs | 512 |
Runs batted in | 1,453 |
Managerial record | 149–161 |
Winning % | .481 |
Teams | |
As player
As manager As coach | |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Member of the National | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 1978 |
Vote | 79.4% (fifth ballot) |
Edwin Lee Mathews (October 13, 1931 – February 18, 2001) was an American professional baseball third baseman.[1] He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 17 seasons for the Boston / Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1952–1966); Houston Astros (1967) and Detroit Tigers (1967–68).[1] Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978,[2] he is the only player to have represented the Braves in the three cities they have called home.[2] He played 1,944 games for the Braves during their 13-season tenure in Milwaukee—the prime of Mathews' career.
Mathews is regarded as one of the best third basemen ever to play the game.[3][4] He was an All-Star for nine seasons.[5] He won the National League (NL) home run title in 1953 and 1959 and was the NL Most Valuable Player runner-up both of those seasons. He hit 512 home runs during his major league career. Mathews coached for the Atlanta Braves in 1971, and he was the team's manager from 1972 to 1974.[6] Later, he was a scout and coach for the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Oakland Athletics.[6]