This is now the seventh franchise I have compiled an ‘All-Time’ team for. I began this endeavor in July of 2009 and have worked on many different lists and composite articles since then. At this rate perhaps I will have it done by the end of the decade, if the Lord tarries.
The Braves are a storied franchise to be sure. They began as the Boston Red Stockings in 1876 and changed their name to the Beeneaters, Doves and Rustlers before settling on the Braves in 1912.
For the most part they have just been known as the Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves. They are represented by 11 players in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown.
Only one player played in the all three cities the Braves called home professionally. Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews played in Boston, and Milwaukee before becoming the only Brave in history to be in all three.
My guidelines for the All-Franchise Teams are as follows: A player has to have been a member of that franchise for a minimum of five seasons (full or part time). He cannot appear on another of my teams in this series. They are selected primarily by offensive statistics but as founder of this series, the final call is which one I felt was most deserving.
The player’s career stats are not pertinent unless they are all with the franchise team. Only what the player did while in the Braves MLB franchise counts.
A table displaying the players statistics appears on the last slide in the show.
With all that out of the way, let us begin the show.