In honor of my moving to the Atlanta area, I thought I would compose my "All-Time Braves Team." This team consists of players from all three cities which the Braves have called home - Boston (1900-1952), Milwaukee (1953-1965), and Atlanta (1966-present). Some choices were obvious no-brainers while others I had to think about and research a little bit. But, in the aftermath, here is what I came up with:

POSITION	PLAYER
Catcher	Del Crandall
First Base	Joe Adcock
Second Base	Tony Cuccinello
Third Base	Eddie Mathews
Shortstop	Rabbit Maranville
Left Field	Hugh Duffy
Center Field	Dale Murphy
Right Field	Hank Aaron
Left-Handed Pitcher	Warren Spahn
Right-Handed Pitcher	Phil Niekro
Left-Handed Pitcher	Tom Glavine
Right-Handed Pitcher	Greg Maddux
Bullpen Closer	Gene Garber
Manager	Bobby Cox

CATCHER - DEL CRANDALL - Del Crandall, if not one of the greatest catchers in history, was certainly one of the best of his generation. He also was one of the main reasons the Milwaukee Braves went to the World Series in 1957 and '58, winning it all against the New York Yankees in '57. A career .254 hitter, he had a dependable and productive bat while his fielding was near perfect. He won four Gold Gloves and led Senior Circuit backstops in fielding percentage four times (1956, '58, '59, and '62). Not surprisingly, Crandall was named to the National League's All-Star team eight times. He caught three no-hitters in his career - the last being Warren Spahn's first no-hitter in 1960. A baseball guru all the way, he later managed the Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners.

FIRST BASE - JOE ADCOCK - Joe Adcock, at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, was exactly what a slugging first baseman should look like - and he played the part well, too. In 1953, during his first year with the Boston Braves after a trade from Cincinnati, Adcock became the first player to ever hit a home run into the distant center field bleachers of the old Polo Grounds in New York. Later, Hank Aaron and Lou Brock were the only other players to equal the feat. Adcock hit four home runs in one game against the Brooklyn Dodgers on July 31, 1954, and set a record with 18 total bases - a record recently broken in 2002 by the Dodgers' Shawn Green. On June 8, 1961, Eddie Mathews, Aaron, Adcock, and Frank Thomas homered back-to-back-to-back-to-back. In 1959, against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Harvey Haddix, Adcock broke up a perfect game in the bottom of the 13th inning (in Milwaukee) with what was technically a three-run home run. But, he passed Aaron on the basepaths and was officially credited with an RBI double. For his career, Adcock hit .277 with 336 homers and 1,122 runs batted in. He also had a fine .994 career fielding percentage and four times led the National League first basemen in fielding percentage (1956, '60, '61, and '62.) His best years at the plate for the Braves were in 1956 (.291, 38 homers, 103 RBI) and 1961 (.285, 35 homers, 108 RBI.)

SECOND BASE - TONY CUCCINELLO - I had a hard time at first picking either Tony Cuccinello or Glenn Hubbard, the little second sacker for Atlanta in the early 1980s. Cuccinello won out over Hubbard because of his hitting. In 1936, Cuccinello hit .308 with 86 RBI in his first year for the Boston Braves (after coming over from Brooklyn.) He made the All-Star team in '38 while hitting .265 with 76 RBI. In 15 seasons, he hit .280 and ended his career in 1945 with the Chicago White Sox hitting .308 - only one point behind American League batting champion Snuffy Stirnweiss of the Yankees. Only Ted Williams (.316 in 1960) and Roberto Clemente (.312 in 1972) ever hit higher in their final seasons. Because he was 38-years-old and younger players were coming back from World War II, Cuccinello was unceremoniously released.

THIRD BASE - EDDIE MATHEWS - Yes, Chipper Jones (even though he's in left field now) merits strong consideration. And, Bob Horner does, too. But, at third base, Eddie Mathews still gets the nod. With 512 career home runs, Mathews was one of the greatest sluggers the game has ever known. Twice he led the National League in home runs (in 1953 with 47 and in 1959 with 46) and four times he hit 40-plus in a season. He was a nine-time All-Star and he also had a .271 career average with 1,453 RBI and 1,509 runs scored. Five times he had 100-plus RBI in a season and, on eight occasions, he scored 100-plus runs. In the field, he carried a smooth glove and a strong arm. He led National League third baseman with a .968 fielding percentage in 1963. His number "41" is retired by the Braves and Mathews was the only man to play in all three cities (Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta) that the Braves have called home.

SHORTSTOP - RABBIT MARANVILLE - While I don't think that Rabbit Maranville belongs in the Hall of Fame, I still like him as the best shortstop that the Braves franchise has ever had. He was considered to be a great glove man between second and third base, with a lifetime fielding percentage of .952 in 23 seasons. Five times, he led the National League's shortstops in fielding percentage (in 1916, '23, '24, '30, and '32.) In 1914, he helped the Boston Braves to an upset victory in the World Series over Connie Mack's vaunted Philadelphia Athletics by hitting .308 with three RBI in the Series. He was a fan favorite according to history books and was quite a character and prankster. I don't see how his measly .258 batting average and a measly career total of 28 home runs belong in Cooperstown, N.Y., but others disagree with me. I suppose that's the way it should be since I never saw the man play.

LEFT FIELD - HUGH DUFFY - I also considered putting Tommy Holmes, Rico Carty, or Ralph Garr in this position. Holmes hit .302 in 11 years in Boston, with a .352 average and league-leading totals in doubles (47), hits (224), homers (28), and slugging percentage (.577) in 1945. That season, he also had 117 RBI and a 37-game hitting streak which stood as an NL record until Pete Rose hit in 44 straight games in 1978. Carty led the National League in hitting (.366) and on-base percentage (.456) while with Atlanta in 1970. Garr won a batting title with Atlanta in 1974, leading the league with a .353 mark along with 214 hits and 17 triples. But, Duffy hit .440 for Boston in 1894 with 18 home runs and 145 RBI during the dead-ball era - a Triple Crown season. That's enough to make him my starting left fielder for the Braves. Duffy also was a career .324 hitter in 17 seasons, his most productive years spent with Boston.

CENTER FIELD - DALE MURPHY - This was a no-brainer. Murphy, a devout Mormon, won back-to-back National League MVP awards in 1982 and '83. In '82, he led the Atlanta Braves to their first playoff berth since 1969 after hitting .281 with 36 home runs and a league-leading 109 RBI. The Braves began the '82 season with 13 straight wins and hung on to win the West Division before losing to the eventual world champion St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs. In 1983, "Murph" won the MVP again after hitting .302 with 36 homers and a league-leading 121 RBI. He also became a member of the "30/30 Club," stealing 30 bases that season. He led the National League in homers in 1984 (36) and '85 (37). His career high was 44 homers in 1987. For his career, Murphy hit 398 home runs with 1,266 RBI and a .265 batting average. A converted catcher/first baseman, Murphy won five Gold Gloves in center and was a seven-time NL All-Star. He had eight seasons in a row with at least 20 or more homers and, of the Braves' 1,557 games in the 1980s, Murphy played in 1,537 of them - a testament of his work ethic and durability. In the '80s, Murphy ranked as the majors' second-leading home run hitter (308), second-leading RBI man (929), and owned the decade's fifth-highest hit total (1,553). His number "3" is retired by the Braves and nobody was a better player during his prime years - on or off the field.

RIGHT FIELD - HANK AARON - Another no-brainer. Aaron is the major league career home run king with 755 long balls. A 21-time All-Star, Aaron also ranks first in RBI (2,297), extra-base hits (1,477), and total bases (6,856). He is second behind Ty Cobb and tied with Babe Ruth for runs scored (2,174). He had a .305 career batting average and 3,771 hits. He was part of the 1957 world champion Milwaukee Braves, hitting .393 with three homers in the World Series against the Yankees. He led the NL twice in hitting, four times in home runs, and four times in RBI. Of course, his number "44" is retired by the Braves and he remains in the club's front office. "Hammerin' Hank" left a lasting legacy on the game and he was one of the greatest players ever to play. He could do it all. There's not much I can say about Aaron which hasn't already been said, so I'll leave it at that.

LEFTY STARTER - WARREN SPAHN - Yet another easy choice. Spahn is the winningest lefty in major league history with 363 victories against just 245 losses. He had 13 seasons with 20-plus victories and, on eight occasions, he led the Senior Circuit in wins. From 1956 to '61, he never failed to win at least 20 games for Milwaukee. He pitched two no-hitters in his career - the last in 1961 against the Giants at age 40. You can read further about Spahn elsewhere on this website. Simply put, there was not a better pitcher in the history of the Braves. Certainly, there was never a bigger winner among major league lefties than Spahn.

LEFTY STARTER - TOM GLAVINE - Before Tom Glavine is finished with his career, he most certainly will post numbers impressive enough to be enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame. That's assuming that his credentials aren't already impressive enough to merit enshrinement. Glavine (before the 2002 season with Atlanta) had a 224-132 record and has won two National League Cy Young Awards in 1991 and '98. In 1991, he helped the Braves go from worst to first (and a near World Series championship) after going 20-11 with a 2.55 ERA. In '98, Glavine was 20-6 with a 2.47 ERA. Five times he has won 20 or more games in a season and he probably will do it again in 2002. He and flamethrower Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamomdbacks are the current cream of the crop among major league lefties.

RIGHTY STARTER - PHIL NIEKRO - Phil Niekro (along with Hoyt Wilhelm) was the master of the knuckleball and he was known as "Knucksie" throughout his 24-year career spent mostly with the Braves. In 1967, after being converted from a reliever to a starter, Niekro led the National League with a microscopic 1.87 ERA. In 1969, he helped Atlanta to the NL Western Division championship with a 23-13 record. In 1974 and '79, he led the Senior Circuit in victories with 20 and 21, respectively. In 1977, he led the National League in strikeouts with 262 whiffs and, in '82 at the age of 43, Niekro helped the Braves win the NL West again by going 17-4 and leading the National League with an .810 winning percentage. A five-time All-Star, Niekro won 318 and lost 274. The Braves have retired his number "35."

RIGHTY STARTER - GREG MADDUX - Greg Maddux is the other half of a potent 1-2 punch for the Braves these days on the mound. He and Tom Glavine have formed a formidable duo since 1993, when Maddux came over from the Cubs. He won four straight Cy Young Awards from 1992 to '95 and his career record was a glossy 257-146 before the 2002 campaign began. His career is 2.84 and he has supreme command of the strike zone as evidenced by his 760 walks in 3,551 innings of work prior to 2002. Maddux is a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame when he retires and he is a thinking man's pitcher. Nobody is as crafty.

BULLPEN SPECIALIST - GENE GARBER - Gene Garber might be best known for helping stop Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak in 1978. But, he should also be known for being one of the best relievers in major league history. He had 218 saves in his 19-year career - 10 of which he spent in Atlanta. In 1982, he helped the Braves win the NL West with 30 saves and a 2.34 ERA out of the bullpen. He made the NL All-Star team that year. In 1973 when he was with the Kansas City Royals, Garber started eight games but he would never start another. That's because he was most effective coming out of the bullpen, where he became one of the best firemen in baseball.

MANAGER - BOBBY COX - Current manager Bobby Cox has led the Braves to 10 divisions titles in the last 11 years and managed them to the World Series title against the Cleveland Indians in 1995. On five occasions (1991, '92, '95, '96, and '99), the Braves have reached the World Series under Cox's direction.

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