|
If Hank Aaron were in his prime today, the salary demands of the sport would prevent him from ever playing on the same team with another slugger. Fortunately for Aaron, he played in the days when teams could afford more than one superstar. And fortunately for Aaron, he was able to play with Eddie Mathews.
Unlike many players today, Eddie Mathews took less money to play in a city that offered him the best opportunity. While the Brooklyn Dodgers offered him a $10,000 contract, Mathews chose to play for the Boston Braves for $6,000. In his first minor league season in 1949, Mathews batted .363 with 17 homers. He upped that home run total to 32 one year later, and eventually (in 1952) was promoted to the big league club.
Mathews struggled a bit his first season, leading the National League in strikeouts, though he continued to show power with 25 homeruns. In 1953, the year the Braves moved to Milwaukee, Mathews led the league with 47 homers. Over the next six seasons, he continued to scorch the ball, and won a World Series along the way.
From 1954 - 1957, Mathews had at least 37 homers and 95 RBI each season. In the world championship season of 1957, he hit 32 dingers and 94 RBI to go along with a .292 average. The next two seasons he totaled 77 homeruns,
including the league crown in 1959 with 46.
Over his career, Mathews had at least 30 homeruns in nine seasons (a National League record), and hit at least 40 in four of those seasons. As power hitters often do, he led the league in walks four times and scored at least 95 times in ten straight years. One of the most amazing stats in his tenure with the Braves was that he and Aaron teamed up for a total of 863 homeruns. Mathews finished with 512 career homers. On the defensive side, Mathews led the National League in putouts twice and assists three times. He is also sixth among third basemen in double plays.
Mathews played one season in Atlanta after the Braves moved there in 1966 before spending short stints in Houston and Detroit. Mathews retired in 1968, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978.
|
| |
