Before they retired Greg Maddux’s No. 31, the Braves had retired the uniform numbers of five other players, four of whom are members of the Hall of Fame. The five:
3
Dale Murphy, OF
Number retired: 1994
The Braves’ first-round draft pick (fifth overall) in 1974, Murphy won back-to-back National League MVP awards in 1982 and 1983. He averaged nearly 30 home runs and 90 RBIs for 11 seasons from 1980-90. He was a All-Star seven times and won five Gold Gloves. He played in 740 consecutive games from Sept. 26, 1981 through July 8, 1986. He holds Atlanta Braves records in 13 categories, including home runs (371), RBIs (1,143), hits (1,901), runs (1,103) and games (1,926). He played with the Braves from 1976-90.
21
Warren Spahn, LHP
Number retired: 1965
Entered Hall of Fame: 1973
He’s baseball’s all-time winningest left-hander and fifth overall with 363 victories. He won 20 or more games a National League-record 13 times. He led the NL in wins eight times and complete games nine times, both major-league records. He was an All-Star 14 times, won the 1957 Cy Young award and finished second in Cy Young voting three times. He threw two no-hitters, including his first on Sept. 16, 1960 at the age of 39 in a 4-0 win over the Phillies. He played with the Braves in 1942 and from 1946-64.
35
Phil Niekro, RHP
Number retired: 1984
Entered Hall of Fame: 1997
“Knucksie” won 318 games over a career that spanned 24 seasons, including 19 in Atlanta. He ranks 14th all-time in wins, fifth in innings pitched (5,404⅓), and eighth in strikeouts (3,342). He won 20 games in a season three times for the Braves, including 23 in 1969. A knuckleballer, he was as durable as they come, pitching until the age of 48. He threw 300 or more innings four times, including 342 in 1979. He was a five-time All-Star and won five Gold Gloves. He played with the Braves from 1964-83 and 1987.
41
Eddie Mathews, 3B
Number retired: 1969
Entered Hall of Fame: 1978
He is the only player in franchise history to play for Braves in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta. He averaged more than 30 home runs per year in his 17-year career. He holds club records for RBIs in a season since 1900 (135) and career walks (1,444). He was an All-Star nine times and played in three World Series. He led the majors in home runs in 1953 and 1959 and finished with 512, 493 with the Braves. He played with the Braves from 1952-66.
44
Hank Aaron, OF
Number retired: 1975
Entered Hall of Fame: 1982
He broke Babe Ruth’s record for all-time home runs with 715 on April 8, 1974. He finished with 755 home runs (733 with the Braves), second all-time to Barry Bonds, but he is baseball’s all-time leader in RBIs (2,297), extra-base hits (1,477) and total bases (6,856). He was All-Star 24 times, won the 1957 National League MVP award, won a batting title in 1956 and won three Gold Gloves. In 1970, he got his 3,000th hit, making him the first major-leaguer to reach 3,000 hits and 500 homers. He hit 20 or more home runs in 20 consecutive seasons. He played with the Braves from 1954-74.
About the Author
