Eddie Mathews

Edwin Lee Mathews (October 13, 1931 – February 18, 2001) was an American professional baseball third baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball. He spent the bulk of his career with the Braves, joining the franchise in Boston and continuing through its moves to Milwaukee and Atlanta from 1952 to 1966, before finishing with the Houston Astros in 1967 and the Detroit Tigers in 1967 and 1968. He is the only player to have represented the Braves in all three cities the franchise has called home, and he played 1,944 games for the team during its 13-season tenure in Milwaukee, the prime of his career.

Regarded as one of the best third basemen ever to play the game, Mathews was an All-Star for nine seasons. He won the National League home run title in 1953 and 1959 and was the league's Most Valuable Player runner-up in both seasons. He hit 512 home runs over his major league career and won two World Series rings, with the Braves in 1957 and with the Tigers in 1968, his final season.

After his playing days, Mathews coached for the Atlanta Braves in 1971 and managed the team from 1972 to 1974. He later worked as a scout and coach for the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Oakland Athletics. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978.