House That Hank Built
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Atlanta Braves history: the franchise’s top five third basemen

By Fred Owens

MIAMI, FL - MAY 14: A detailed view of the third base bag before the start of the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on May 14, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Players are wearing pink to celebrate Mother's Day weekend and support breast cancer awareness. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - MAY 14: A detailed view of the third base bag before the start of the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on May 14, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Players are wearing pink to celebrate Mother's Day weekend and support breast cancer awareness. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves third baseman Bob Horner checks in at number four. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

Number four – Too big to put in a corner

The Atlanta Braves selected Bob Horner out of Arizona State one-one, On June 5, 1978. He made his Major League debut 11 days later on June 16, and went 1-3 with a homer off future Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven with Dale Murphy on in front of him.

He went on to hit 23 homers, 17 doubles, a triple, bat .266/.313/.539/.852, post a 124 OPS+ and win NL Rookie of the Year.  That’s not a bad start.

Horner played nine seasons for the Atlanta Braves years and hit less than 23 homers only twice.

On July 6, 1986, Horner became the third player in Franchise history (Bobby Lowe, Joe Adcock)  to hit four homers in a game. The Braves lost the game to Montreal 11-8, making Horner the second player in baseball to hit four in a  loss.

Horner’s game centered on offense, and today he’d probably end up in the AL and a DH.  He played enough first base to turn up on my initial list for that position and had better defensive numbers there, but finished his time with Atlanta with a career –6.6 dWAR.

His other claim: going down as one of only 21 players to begin Major League play with no minor league service time.

Number three – Another Bob

The Boston Braves had talks with Pittsburgh about acquiring both Ralph Kiner and Bob Elliott. Kiner looked like the target, and Elliot a red herring, to everyone, but as I wrote last year Boston Post Columnist Al Hirshburg said the Braves were intent on acquiring the Pirates third baseman,

They succeeded in September 1946, and Elliott proved they’d made a good choice, finishing the 1947 season batting .317/.410/.517.927, with a 147 OPS+ and won the NL MVP award, the first franchise player to do so since Johnny Evers in 1914.

Elliot continued to rake in 1948 batting .283/.423/.474/.897, good for a 143 OPS+,  .419 wOBA, 151 wRC+, and 6.6 fWAR.  He also hit the home run that started a rally to win the NL Pennant for the first time since the Miracle Braves three decades earlier.

The Braves won 93 games that season, the sixth time in franchise’s 77 year history the team passed the 90-win mark.

Elliott tried to repeat his title-clinching heroics in the World Series, belting two homers off “Rapid Robert” – Bob Feller – to win game five, and silence a shocked Cleveland crowd.

Elliot hit .333/.391/.619/.1.010 and drove in five runs.in the fall classic, but the Braves couldn’t close the deal.

He remained with the Braves through the 1951 season and finished with a .295/.398/.485/.833 line, 139 OPS+. 26.4 rWAR and 25.9 fWAR in his five-year stay. The Braves traded him to the Giants in 1952.

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