Mathews broke in with the Braves in 1952, their last year in Boston, and played with them through 1966, their first year in Atlanta. In between, he enjoyed the good wishes of the burghers of Milwaukee, and only Hank Aaron performed better in front of the County Stadium crowds. Even playing in a pitchers' park, he put up a terrific 10-year string of hitting, 1953-62, combined with strong fielding and good speed. Mathews didn't hit for a very high average, topping .300 just twice, but drew about 100 walks a year and hit more than 30 homers. He never won the MVP, but finished second in the voting twice, 1953 and 1959. Oddly, the Braves didn't win in either year. He did not draw many votes in either pennant year, 1957 or 1958, finishing 8th in 1957 while Aaron won. He led the league in homers twice, his good MVP voting years. Mathews was the best third baseman in the game until Mike Schmidt came along, although he wasn't always recognized as such. He was a prototype of the modern third baseman, with power and good defense, but he threw in the complete package. He wasn't always a sportswriter's favorite, but he was one of the all-time greats.
