Who would be on your Mount Rushmore of Atlanta Braves players? For those who played in Atlanta. Criteria has to start with induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, which excludes active players as well as Dale Murphy and Andruw Jones.
Hank Aaron played nine seasons in Atlanta before returning to Milwaukee to finish his career. His 54.2 WAR for Atlanta ranks below Niekro, Chipper, Smoltz, Maddux, Glavine, and Andruw. But no Braves Mt. Rushmore is complete without the Hammer.
Hall of Famers Phil Niekro (89.6 WAR) and Chipper Jones (85.3) are locks to make the Atlanta Braves Mt Rushmore.
Tom Glavine or John Smoltz? Both played in Atlanta longer than Greg Maddux. Glavine chose to leave via free agency, to make more money than the Braves offered. The Braves chose to not re-sign Smoltz and Maddux when their contracts expired. For the Braves, Glavine won more games (244 to 210 for Smoltz and 194 for Maddux) but Smoltz also saved 150+ games. His 66.9 WAR with the Braves bested Maddux’ 66.2 and Glavine’s 58.6. So Smoltz joins Aaron, Niekro, and Chipper.
Honorable mentions. Most players with a 61.0 WAR are in the hall of fame. Not Andruw.
66.2 Greg Maddux HOF, retired number
61.0 Andruw Jones 10xGG 5xASG 434 HR retired number
58.6 Tom Glavine: HOF, retired number
47.3 Dale Murphy retired number
43.3 Freddie Freeman
24.6 Brian McCann
21.3 Ronald Acuna
Mount Rushmore: the entire Braves franchise.
WAR
142.5 Hank Aaron 755 HR HOF
091.8 Warren Spahn 356 wins
094.0 Eddie Mathews HOF 12xASG 512 HR
107.4 Kid Nichols 330 wins
honorable mention
089.6 Phil Niekro 268 wins
085.3 Chipper Jones HOF MVP 468 HR 8xASG
Braves swept the Rockies, and have won 6 straight. 8-2 for their last ten. Best record in the NL. Second best in all of baseball. Meanwhile the Dodgers got swept by the Giants, including their worst loss in franchise history on Saturday. They trail Arizona in the Western Division.
NEWS: yesterday M announced he is moving out on June 28th. To a nice house in Vine City, not far from W&MC. With 3 roommates, all with cats - like Matthew.
This weekend’s US Open was held at the Los Angeles Country Club. NBC’s Dan Hicks did mention the former Playboy Mansion near the 14th green, currently undergoing renovations. No mention this weekend of Howard Hughes attempting to crash land his experimental plane on a fairway. He was unable to do so, instead crashing into three nearby houses, nearly dying in the process.
The LA Country Club has a history of denying membership to celebrities.
DENISON on “our nation’s second Independence Day”.
Today is Juneteenth, a “new” federal holiday first celebrated in Texas, for when the slaves were finally freed. Certainly a worthwhile celebration. But while the government continues to add holiday after holiday, so many businesses in the real world can’t afford to take off every other Monday. If we’re not delivering metal, our customers will buy it from someone else. Doubt many restaurants are closing for Juneteenth, or stores in the mall or Home Depot, Delta Airlines, WalMart, or even Target. Golf courses aren’t closed, though some do close on every Monday, as do some small and independent businesses. Similar to MLK Day, Valentines Day, Presidents Day, St. Patricks Day, Good Friday, September 11, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Election Day, or Pearl Harbor Rembrance Day. We only get off for New Years, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Guy I know who worked for a federally sponsored program was surprised I didn’t have the day off to play golf.
Former Brave ORLANDO CEPEDA [SABR Bio] won comeback player of the year in 1966, then NL MVP in 1967. He spent his rookie signing bonus on his father's funeral. His father, Pedro Cepeda a/k/a “The Bull”, a well-known baseball player in Puerto Rico, was considered one of the best players of his generation. Called "The Babe Ruth of Puerto Rico" and “Babe Cobb”. Orlando was frequently called “Baby Bull”. His signing bonus was just $500 (about $5,695 in 2023 dollars). On 06-Apr-1973, Ron Blomberg came up to bat for the Yankees in the 1st and walked. Cepeda came up in the 2nd as Boston’s DH. He went 0 for 6.
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