Eddie Mathews

Edwin Lee Mathews hit 47 home runs at 21, made the cover of the first issue of Sports Illustrated at 22, and spent the next decade and a half hitting baseballs over fences and hitting anyone who threw at him or his teammates. Ty Cobb, who watched Mathews as an old man, said, "I've only known three or four perfect swings in my time. This lad has one of them." Mathews hit 512 career home runs, led the National League twice, and was the only player to suit up for the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta. He and Hank Aaron combined for 863 home runs as teammates, more than Ruth and Gehrig. "I'm just a beat-up old third baseman," Mathews said at his Hall of Fame induction in 1978. The BBWAA elected him on 79.4 percent of the ballot.

Texarkana

Mathews was born on October 13, 1931, in Texarkana, Texas. His father worked for Western Union as a telegraph operator and played semipro sports. The family moved to Santa Barbara, California, when Mathews was young, and both parents threw themselves into his baseball development. His mother pitched to him during childhood practice sessions. Mathews attended Santa Barbara High School, where the baseball field now bears his name, and the Boston Braves signed him immediately after his graduation on June 13, 1949, for a $6,000 bonus.

Mathews hit .363 with 17 home runs in 63 games for the Class D Hi-Toms in 1949, then smashed 32 home runs for Double-A Atlanta in 1950. He made his major league debut on April 15, 1952, at 20, and hit 25 home runs as a rookie for the Boston Braves. The following year, with the franchise relocated to Milwaukee, Mathews exploded for 47 home runs, a single-season record for a third baseman that stood for roughly 30 years. He finished second in MVP voting behind Roy Campanella.

Milwaukee

On August 16, 1954, Mathews appeared on the cover of the first issue of Sports Illustrated, photographed at Milwaukee County Stadium alongside catcher Wes Westrum and umpire Augie Donatelli. Aaron arrived that same season, and for the next 12 years the two formed the most productive power combination in National League history. Mathews hit 40 home runs in 1954, 41 in 1955, and 37 in 1956, reaching 30 or more in nine consecutive seasons.

The 1957 Braves won the World Series. Mathews hit a home run in the 10th inning that scored two to win Game 4, doubled in the first two runs of Game 7, and fielded the final out himself, backhanding a grounder and stepping on third base to force Jerry Coleman. Warren Spahn said of Mathews in a fight with Frank Robinson, "Eddie hit him with three punches that not even Muhammad Ali could have stopped." Mathews was as combative off the field as on it, and his willingness to protect teammates defined his reputation as much as the home runs did.

Mathews hit 46 home runs in 1959, leading the league for the second time, and finished second in MVP voting behind Ernie Banks. A torn shoulder ligament in 1962 ended his streak of nine consecutive 30-homer seasons. On August 20, 1965, Mathews and Aaron combined for their 773rd home run as teammates, passing the record of 772 set by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

Three Cities

Mathews was the last Boston Brave still on an active roster when the franchise moved to Atlanta in 1966. The Braves traded him to Houston after that season, and on July 14, 1967, Mathews hit his 500th career home run off Juan Marichal at Candlestick Park, becoming the seventh member of the 500-homer club and the third National Leaguer after Mel Ott and Willie Mays. Detroit acquired him in August 1967, and Mathews finished his playing career with the 1968 Tigers, who won the World Series against the Cardinals.

The Braves retired Mathews's number 41 in 1969 and hired him as a coach. Mathews replaced Luman Harris as manager in August 1972 and managed the team through July 1974, compiling a 149-161 record. During the 1974 season Mathews was ordered to bench Aaron in Cincinnati so Aaron could break Babe Ruth's home run record at home, but Commissioner Bowie Kuhn overruled the plan and threatened serious consequences. Aaron hit number 715 at home on April 8, 1974, with Mathews managing. Mathews was fired three months later with a 50-49 record. Aaron called the firing "a blow to me."

Mathews scouted and coached for the Rangers, Brewers, and Athletics after his managerial career ended. A 1996 boating accident crushed his pelvis and left his health permanently diminished. Mathews died on February 18, 2001, in La Jolla, California, of pneumonia and respiratory failure, at 69. The Atlanta Braves wore patches with his number 41 on their jerseys for the rest of the season.