The Top 16 franchise-making trades in Atlanta Braves history
By Fred Owens
14. The Big Bat Veteran
1948 – JEFF HEATH / ST. LOUIS BROWNS
"“He was a mixture of gentleness and brute strength, angel and devil, but withal an exciting fellow for what he might have been as well as for what he was.” Howard Preston, Cleveland News"
Devil or Angel: Always a fine player
Jeff Heath played 10.5 years for the Cleveland Indians before moving to the Washington Senators and the St. Louis Browns before joining the Braves for cash considerations.
Heath always hit well; with the Browns, he batted .251/.366/.485/.850 and hit 27 home runs, including one in every American League park. The Braves lineup needed that and the Browns had enough of the ‘devil’ part of Heath.
As part of a left-field platoon, he hit 20 homers and 26 doubles, while striking out 46 times and walking 51. He batted .319/.404/.582/.986, with a 165 ERA+ in 364 AB, good for a .445 wOBA, 167 wRC+ and 4.8 fWAR.
After the Braves clinched the title and looked set to play Heath’s old team in the World Series, Heath decided he needed to rest in order to kick his former team’s tail.
Five days before the end of the season, he asked manager Bill Southworth for a day off, but the request was denied.
That turned out to be a fateful decision. The account of a former teammate tells us that at a point during the ensuing game, Heath hesitated when trying to score – with disastrous results:
". . . he approached home plate, unsure whether he should slide . . .When he did slide, he did so awkwardly . . . The result was a compound fracture and a hospital stay for Jeff in Brooklyn’s Swedish Hospital."
That ended Heath’s season and effectively ended his career…and the Indians ended up taking the 1948 World Series over Boston.
The Braves liked Heath’s involvement in the community and his work in creating the Jimmy Fund so much they offered him a minor league managing job, but he declined.
Heath then moved to Seattle, played a season for the Pacific Coast League Rainiers and later became a broadcaster. Heath passed away in December 1975.
Next: The 1957 Milwaukee Braves needed a boost on offense at second base. They made a call to the New York Giants, got the offense they needed and a large serving of leadership as well.