MLB Franchise Four – Biggest Snubs for Each Team
Atlanta Braves – Eddie Mathews
Franchise Four: Hank Aaron, Greg Maddux, Chipper Jones, Warren Spahn
The collection of players nominated for the Atlanta Braves Franchise Four is perhaps one of the greatest collection of players in any team’s list. Three Hall of Famers and one that will likely see his name called when first eligible in 2018. Yet, this group is still missing one very prominent name.
Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978, Eddie Mathews is a Braves legend. He was Chipper Jones two or three generations before Chipper Jones, but he took a back seat in the eyes of fans during a generation that included Mantle, Maris, Aaron, Mays, and many of the luminaries of the game.
In franchise history, he ranks second only to Aaron in WAR (94.3) and home runs (493), is third in RBI (1,623) and third in hits (2,201). Mathews would play in nine All-Star games and twice finished as the runner-up in the MVP balloting.
Given that the overall votes tallied out in the Franchise Four voting were not released, it’s tough to figure out where Mathews finished. However, we know he was once again a runner-up.
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