Eddie Mathews
⭐ Hall of Fame 1978
Born: 10/13/1931 in Texarkana, TX, USA
Died: 2/18/2001 in La Jolla, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1952-04-15 | Final Game: 1968-09-27
Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 190 lbs
Full name: Edwin Lee Mathews
Biography
Eddie Mathews, born in 1931, was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball whose career spanned from April 15, 1952, to September 27, 1968. Renowned for his powerful hitting and exceptional defensive skills, Mathews became one of the game's premier sluggers during his time. Over the course of 2,391 games, he amassed 2,315 hits, including 512 home runs, and drove in 1,453 runs, boasting a career batting average of .271. In addition to his offensive prowess, Mathews demonstrated speed on the basepaths, finishing his career with 68 stolen bases.
Mathews was selected to the All-Star Game 12 times, reflecting his consistent excellence and popularity with fans and peers alike. His impact on the game was further solidified when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978. Playing primarily for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves during the 1950s and 1960s, he was a key figure in the franchise's success and helped the team capture the World Series championship in 1957. Mathews' contributions to baseball extend beyond his statistics; he was known for his fierce competitiveness and leadership, leaving a lasting legacy in the sport.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2391 | 8537 | 1509 | 2315 | 354 | 72 | 512 | 1453 | 68 | 1444 | 1487 | 0.271 | 0.376 | 0.509 | 0.885 | 45555.2 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | BSN | NL | 145 | 528 | 80 | 128 | 23 | 5 | 25 | 58 | 6 | 59 | 115 | 0.242 | 915.0 |
| 1953 | ATL | NL | 157 | 579 | 110 | 175 | 31 | 8 | 47 | 135 | 1 | 99 | 83 | 0.302 | 5021.2 |
| 1954 | ATL | NL | 138 | 476 | 96 | 138 | 21 | 4 | 40 | 103 | 10 | 113 | 61 | 0.290 | 4384.8 |
| 1955 | ATL | NL | 141 | 499 | 108 | 144 | 23 | 5 | 41 | 101 | 3 | 109 | 98 | 0.289 | 4291.2 |
| 1956 | ATL | NL | 151 | 552 | 103 | 150 | 21 | 2 | 37 | 95 | 6 | 91 | 86 | 0.272 | 2690.7 |
| 1957 | ATL | NL | 148 | 572 | 109 | 167 | 28 | 9 | 32 | 94 | 3 | 90 | 79 | 0.292 | 3569.2 |
| 1958 | ATL | NL | 149 | 546 | 97 | 137 | 18 | 1 | 31 | 77 | 5 | 85 | 85 | 0.251 | 1480.0 |
| 1959 | ATL | NL | 148 | 594 | 118 | 182 | 16 | 8 | 46 | 114 | 2 | 80 | 71 | 0.306 | 4550.2 |
| 1960 | ATL | NL | 153 | 548 | 108 | 152 | 19 | 7 | 39 | 124 | 7 | 111 | 113 | 0.277 | 4010.1 |
| 1961 | ATL | NL | 152 | 572 | 103 | 175 | 23 | 6 | 32 | 91 | 12 | 93 | 95 | 0.306 | 3615.3 |
| 1962 | ATL | NL | 152 | 536 | 106 | 142 | 25 | 6 | 29 | 90 | 4 | 101 | 90 | 0.265 | 2625.1 |
| 1963 | ATL | NL | 158 | 547 | 82 | 144 | 27 | 4 | 23 | 84 | 3 | 124 | 119 | 0.263 | 3294.8 |
| 1964 | ATL | NL | 141 | 502 | 83 | 117 | 19 | 1 | 23 | 74 | 2 | 85 | 100 | 0.233 | 1167.1 |
| 1965 | ATL | NL | 156 | 546 | 77 | 137 | 23 | 0 | 32 | 95 | 1 | 73 | 110 | 0.251 | 2061.3 |
| 1966 | ATL | NL | 134 | 452 | 72 | 113 | 21 | 4 | 16 | 53 | 1 | 63 | 82 | 0.250 | 1061.0 |
| 1967 | DET | AL | 36 | 108 | 14 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 15 | 23 | 0.231 | 259.2 |
| 1967 | HOU | NL | 101 | 328 | 39 | 78 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 38 | 2 | 48 | 65 | 0.238 | 259.2 |
| 1968 | DET | AL | 31 | 52 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 0.212 | 31.7 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 50 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 17 | 0.200 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | WS | DET | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.333 |
| 1958 | WS | ML1 | 7 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 0.160 |
| 1957 | WS | ML1 | 7 | 22 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 0.227 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 112 | 100 | 833 | 62 | 12 | 75 |
| 3B | 2181 | 1843 | 2049 | 4322 | 293 | 369 |
| OF | 52 | 52 | 84 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | BSN | 3B | 142 | 0 | 160 | 259 | 19 | 21 |
| 1953 | ML1 | 3B | 157 | 0 | 154 | 311 | 30 | 33 |
| 1954 | ML1 | 3B | 127 | 126 | 112 | 254 | 13 | 28 |
| 1954 | ML1 | OF | 10 | 10 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1955 | ML1 | 3B | 137 | 137 | 140 | 280 | 21 | 23 |
| 1956 | ML1 | 3B | 150 | 149 | 133 | 287 | 25 | 22 |
| 1957 | ML1 | 3B | 147 | 147 | 131 | 299 | 16 | 27 |
| 1958 | ML1 | 3B | 149 | 149 | 116 | 351 | 22 | 24 |
| 1959 | ML1 | 3B | 148 | 148 | 144 | 305 | 18 | 21 |
| 1960 | ML1 | 3B | 153 | 153 | 141 | 280 | 22 | 23 |
| 1961 | ML1 | 3B | 151 | 151 | 168 | 281 | 18 | 30 |
| 1962 | ML1 | 1B | 7 | 7 | 67 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 1962 | ML1 | 3B | 140 | 140 | 141 | 283 | 16 | 22 |
| 1963 | ML1 | 3B | 121 | 115 | 113 | 276 | 13 | 23 |
| 1963 | ML1 | OF | 42 | 42 | 63 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 1964 | ML1 | 1B | 7 | 7 | 54 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| 1964 | ML1 | 3B | 128 | 123 | 130 | 247 | 15 | 19 |
| 1965 | ML1 | 3B | 153 | 146 | 113 | 301 | 19 | 19 |
| 1966 | ATL | 3B | 127 | 115 | 114 | 237 | 20 | 31 |
| 1967 | DET | 1B | 13 | 12 | 106 | 12 | 1 | 9 |
| 1967 | DET | 3B | 21 | 19 | 14 | 28 | 3 | 0 |
| 1967 | HOU | 1B | 79 | 68 | 572 | 40 | 8 | 50 |
| 1967 | HOU | 3B | 24 | 20 | 22 | 33 | 3 | 3 |
| 1968 | DET | 1B | 6 | 6 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 1968 | DET | 3B | 6 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 112 |
| Third Base | 2180 |
| Left Field | 52 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1959 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1957 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1955 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 20th | 8.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1962 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 29th | 1.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1961 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 17th | 7.0 | 224 | 0 |
| 1960 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 10th | 52.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1959 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 2nd | 189.0 | 336 | 5 |
| 1957 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 8th | 45.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1955 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 18th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1954 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 19th | 5.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1953 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 2nd | 216.0 | 336 | 3 |
| 1952 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 21th | 13.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1952 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 3rd | 1.0 | 24 | 1 |