Atlanta Braves Opening Day countdown: 36, Sarge
Many players passed through the Atlanta Braves in the 1970s and 1980s, but few saw their star shine brightest with a tomahawk on their chest. Today is an example of one who did.
The Atlanta Braves have seen multiple players come through for a short time and make an impact. That sort of transient behavior happened in the times when the team wasn’t very good as well, but it was rare that a player’s best season happened as he passed through Atlanta in that time. That was exactly the case with Gary Matthews.
The 17th overall pick of the 1968 draft out of high school in San Fernando, California, Matthews followed a typical development path and made his major league debut at 21, making a big splash in 21 games, hitting .290/.357/.532 with 4 home runs for the Giants to give a taste of what was to come.
Matthews took over in left field for the Giants in 1973, and his rookie season was impressive, to say the least. He hit .300/.367/.444 with 22 doubles, 10 triples, 12 home runs, and 17 steals on his way to winning the NL Rookie of the Year award. He reached free agency in 1976, and the Atlanta Braves signed him to a 5-year deal.
Matthews’ talented right-handed bat immediately paid dividends, and he even moved to center field part-way through his second season with the Braves. His third year with the club was the season that would be his best, though.
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In spite of a talented career that saw Matthews hit 234 home runs and steal 183 bases with a .281 career average over 16 seasons, he only made one All-Star team, in 1979. That season, he clubbed a career-high 27 home runs for the Braves while slashing .304/.363/.502 and also providing 34 doubles and 18 stolen bases.
Matthews had a solid 1980 season with the Atlanta Braves before he was traded entering the final year of his contract for pitcher Bob Walk before the 1981 season. He would go on to be a big part of two playoff runs for the Phillies before finishing his career with the Cubs and then finally with the Mariners.
Sarge’s ability to rise to the moment was evident in his postseason performance. In 75 playoff plate appearances, Matthews hit .323/.413/.677 with 7 home runs, winning the 1983 NLCS MVP for the Phillies.
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Matthews had a son who also had an extended big league career, also as a transient player, though his primary value on the field was his defense in the outfield. Many times, Atlanta Braves fans clamored for a potential signing of “Little Sarge”, but when he was with the team in spring of 2004, he couldn’t crack the roster. That said, both father and son technically could say they wore a Braves jersey.