Eddie Mathews (1978)


Date of Birth: 10/13/1931
Date of Death: 2/18/2001
Birthplace: Texarkana, Texas

Eddie Mathews was a top baseball player in high school before signing with the Boston Braves in 1949. He spent three years in the minor leagues before being called up to the Braves in 1952.

Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves

In 1952, his first season with the Braves, Mathews had a batting average of only .242 but he hit 23 doubles and 25 home runs. Mathews had a strong second year with the Braves, finishing the 1953 season with career highs in doubles, home runs, and RBIs, and he led the NL in home runs. In 157 games, he had 175 hits, 31 doubles, 47 home runs, 135 RBIs, 83 strikeouts to 99 walks, and a .302 batting average.

Mathews continued to play well in 1954 and 1955. He finished the 1954 season with 138 hits, 21 doubles, 40 home runs, 103 RBIs, and a .290 batting average in 138 games. He walked 113 times, while striking out just 61 times. In 1955, he led the NL in walks with 109 (to 98 strikeouts). That year, he batted .289 with 144 hits, 23 doubles, 41 home runs, and 101 RBIs in 141 games. A good defensive player, Mathews led NL third basemen in assists in 1955 with 280.

Mathews numbers dropped slightly in 1956, when he had 150 hits, 21 doubles, 37 home runs, 95 RBIs, and a .272 batting average in 151 games. He had similar numbers in 1957, but his batting average rose to .292. He again led NL third basemen in assists that year with 299. He repeated that feat in 1958, with 351 assists.

Mathews struggled offensively in 1958, batting just .251 with 137 hits, 18 doubles, 31 home runs, and 77 RBIs in 149 games. He came back strong in 1959, leading the NL in home runs with 46. He had career highs in hits with 182 and batting average with .306.

In 1960, Mathews' batting average dropped to .277. He finished the season with 152 hits, 19 doubles, 39 home runs, 124 RBIs, and 113 strikeouts to 111 walks in 153 games. Defensively, he led NL third basemen in putouts with 141.

Mathews led the NL in walks in 1961 with 93 (to 95 strikeouts). He finished the season with 175 hits, 23 doubles, 32 home runs, 91 RBIs, and a career high batting average of .306. He again led NL third basemen in putouts with 168. The following year, he once again led the NL in walks, this time with 101 walks to 90 strikeouts. His batting average, however, dropped to .265 in 1962.

In 1963, Mathews played in a career high 158 games. He again led the NL in walks with a career high 124. He struck out 119 times. He had a .263 batting average with 144 hits, 27 doubles, 23 home runs, and 84 RBIs. He led the NL in on-base percentage with .399.

Mathews struggled in his last three seasons with the Braves. His batting average dropped to .233 in 1964, .251 in 1965, and .250 in 1966.

Final Years as a Player

In 1967, Mathews was traded to the Houston Astros, but after 101 games with them, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers. He finished the season with 103 hits, 16 doubles, 16 home runs, 57 RBIs, and a .236 batting average. He played in just 31 games with the Tigers in his last season.

MLB Records

  • Led the NL in home runs (2 times)
  • Led the NL in walks (4 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Mathews in 17 seasons (1952-1968) in the major leagues include:

  • 6 seasons with 150 or more hits, with a high of 182 in 1959
  • 14 seasons with over 20 home runs, with highs of 46 in 1959 and 47 in 1953
  • 5 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 135 in 1953
  • 3 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .306 in 1959 and 1961

Career batting statistics for Mathews include:

  • 2,391 games played
  • 2,315 hits
  • 512 home runs
  • 1,453 RBIs
  • 1,487 strikeouts to 1,444 walks
  • .271 batting average
  • .376 on-base percentage
  • .885 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Mathews at third base include:

  • 2,181 games played
  • 4,322 assists
  • 369 double plays
  • 2,049 putouts
  • 293 errors
  • .956 fielding percentage

Post Playing Career

Mathews returned to major league baseball in 1971 as a coach for the Braves. The following year, he became their manager, a position he held until 1974. His record as a manager was 149 wins to 161 losses.

Mathews was hired as a minor league instructor with the Oakland Athletics in 1982.

Mathews was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978 on the fifth ballot with 79.4% of the vote.

Mathews died of complications from pneumonia on February 18, 2001.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Eddie Mathews
ESPN - Eddie Mathews
Baseball Reference - Eddie Mathews

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