LestersLegends.com

Talk about a team with an identity crisis.  They’ve been the Boston Braves, Boston Red Caps, Boston Beaneaters, Boston Doves, Boston Rustlers, back to Boston Braves, Boston Bees, back to Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves, and finally Atlanta Braves. Whew.

Face of the Franchise:

Hank Aaron
Image courtesy of Icon SMI

Manager: Bobby Cox

C – Del Crandall
1B – Fred Tenney
2B – Bobby Lowe
SS – Herman Long
3B – Eddie Matthews
OF – Dale Murphy
OF – Hank Aaron
OF – Andruw Jones
DH – Chipper Jones
Bench:  C Joe Torre, SS/2B Rabbit Maranville, OF Hugh Duffy, OF Wally Berger

SP – Warren Spahn
SP – Kid Nichols
SP – Al Spalding
SP – Greg Maddux
SP – Tom Glavine
P – Phil Niekro
P – Lew Burdette
P – Tommy Bond
P – John Clarkson
P – Jim Whitney
P – Vic Willis 
RP – John Smoltz (I could use him as a P, but he’s the best closer they’ve ever had)

Past Teams
Yankees
Red Sox
Rays
Orioles
Blue Jays
Twins
White Sox
Indians
Tigers
Royals
Angels
Rangers
Mariners
A’s
Phillies

Photo courtesy of TSN Archives/Icon SMI

The Veterans Committee is going to vote on twenty players for induction into the Hall of Fame.  There are ten players pre-1943 and ten post-1943.  Today I profile Joe Torre from that group.

The Numbers
Played 1960-1977 (18 seasons)
2209 Games
7874 At Bats
.297 Batting Average
996 Runs
2342 Hits
344 Doubles
59 Triples
252 HRs
1185 RBI
779 Walks
23 SBs

Two  200+ Hit Seasons
Two 30+ Double Seasons
One 30+ HR Seasons
Five 100+ RBI Seasons

Awards
1971 MVP
1971 Hutch Award
1971 Major League Player of the Year
1 Gold Glove
9 All-Star Game appearances
MVP Votes in 7 Seasons

Top Ten Finishes
Batting Average - 4 Times (1971 Batting Title)
On-Base % - 4 Times
Slugging % - 3 Times 
OPS - 4 Times
Games – Three Times (Led league in 1970)
At Bats – Twice
Runs – Once
Hits - 4 Times (Led league in 1971)
Total Bases - 4 Times (Led league in 1971)
Doubles – Twice
Triples – Twice
HRs – Once
RBI – 4 Times (Led league in 1971)
Extra-Base hits - 3 Times
Intentional Walks – 4 Times
Hit by Pitch – 7 Times

Hall of Fame Yardsticks:
Black Ink: Batting – 12 (192) (Average HOFer ≈ 27)
Gray Ink: Batting – 71 (336) (Average HOFer ≈ 144)
HOF Standards: Batting – 39.9 (148) (Average HOFer ≈ 50)
HOF Monitor: Batting – 96.0 (159) (Likely HOFer > 100)

Managerial Record
2151 Wins – 1848 Losses
.538 Winning %
4 World Series Rings
12 Division Titles
13 Playoff Appearances
1996 & 1998 Manager of the Year

As a player, he’s close.  His 903 games at Catcher make his above-average numbers a little more meaningful.  He won an MVP giving him a signature season.  He made a ton of All-Star games.  Unfortunatey he never made the postseason as a player.  To say he made up for it as a Manager is quite the understatement.  He was the steadying force behind the Yankee’s late nineties Dynasty.  He won four World Series and two Managers of the Year.  He was shown the door in New York only to move on to L.A. leading the Dodgers to an NL West title.  He’s clearly a no-brainer Hall of Famer when you factor in his playing days and his Manageral record.

References
Baseball-reference.com

Past Chronicles
Dick Allen
Roberto Alomar
Richie Ashburn*
Earl Averill*
Harold Baines
Dan Bancroft*
Jake Beckley*
Albert Belle
Jim Bottomley*
Pete Browning
Jim Bunning *
Bert Byleven
Joe Carter
Orlando Cepeda*
Rocky Colavito
Earle Combs*
Dave Concepcion
David Cone
Roger Connor*
Larry Corcoran
Mike Cuellar
George Davis*
Andre Dawson
Larry Doby*
Bobby Doerr*
Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager)
Dwight Evans
Rick Ferrell*
Chuck Finley
Steve Finley
Nellie Fox*
John Franco
Gary Gaetti
Steve Garvey
Lefty Gomez*
Luis Gonzalez
Dwight Gooden
Mark Grace
Bobby Grich
Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager)
Ron Guidry
Chick Hafey*
Billy Herman*
Keith Hernandez
Orel Hershiser
Whitey Herzog (Manager)
Gil Hodges
Ralph Houk (Manager)
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Travis Jackson*
Tommy John
Bob Johnson
Addie Joss*
Jim Kaat
George Kell*
Joe Kelley*
George Kelly*
Tom Kelly (Manager)
Chuck Klein*
Jerry Koosman
Bill James & Pete Palmer
Barry Larkin
Tony Lazzeri*
Freddie Lindstrom*
Mickey Lolich
Ernie Lombardi*
Fred Lynn
Sherry Magee
Roger Maris
Rube Marquard*
Billy Martin (Player/Manager)
Dennis Martinez
Edgar Martinez
Bobby Matthews
Don Mattingly
Gene Mauch (Manager)
Bill Mazeroski*
Fred McGriff
Mark McGwire
Bid McPhee
Johnny Mize*
Paul Molitor*
Jack Morris
Tony Mullane
Dale Murphy
Graig Nettles
Hal Newhouser*
Lefty O’Doul
Tony Oliva
Al Oliver
Buck O’Neill & Minnie Minoso
Dave Parker
Wes Parker
Lance Parrish
Vada Pinson
Boog Powell
Tim Raines
Willie Randolph
Pee Wee Reese*
Jim Rice
Phil Rizzuto*
Brooks Robinson*
Pete Ro$e
Amos Rusie*
Jimmy Ryan
Ron Santo
Curt Schilling
Red Schoendienst* (Player/Manager)
Ted Simmons
Enos Slaughter*
Lee Smith
Rusty Staub
Dave Stieb
Mel Stottlemyre
Harry Stovey
Sam Thompson
Luís Tiant
Alan Trammell
George Van Haltren
Arky Vaughan*
Mo Vaughn
Bobby Veach
Frank Viola
Mickey Welch*
Lou Whitaker
Bernie Williams
Vic Willis*
Maury Wills 
Hack Wilson*
Ross Youngs*
Veterans Committee Ballot
 
* Signifies actual Hall of Famer