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Atlanta Braves history: top five franchise shortstops

By Fred Owens

Former Atlanta Braves’ shortstop Rafael Furcal checks in at number five on the list of Braves’ franchise shortstops. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Former Atlanta Braves’ shortstop Rafael Furcal checks in at number five on the list of Braves’ franchise shortstops. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Former Atlanta Braves shortstop Jeff Blauser ranks number four on the list of all-time franchise shortstops. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport /

Number four – A bat that owned a glove

The Atlanta Braves selected Jeff Blauser with the fourth pick in the first round of the 1984 June draft. Three years and one month later, he made his Major League debut against the Cardinals.

Blauser’s bat carried him to the Majors and kept him there despite some shaky, often groan-worthy, defense. As a result, the Braves often replaced him for defensive purposes late in the game.  His bat was special enough that no one minded his occasional errors.

From 1989 through 1997, Blauser batted .269/.358/.418/.776 with a 107 OPS+; only Cal Ripken and Barry Larkin hit more homers, and of shortstops with at least 900 games, only Larkin posted a better OPS

Blauser had multi home-run-games for the Braves and particularly liked hitting at Wrigley field where he launched 18 of his 122 career homers, eleven of those as a Brave.

  • On August 26, 1989, Blauser homered off the Cubs’ Rick Sutcliffe in the top of the fourth and backed that up with another solo homer in the top of the eighth off Dean Wilkins
  • On May 7, 1889, He homered off Cubs starter Mike Harkey, in the top of the fourth, then tied the game with a two-run shot of Mitch Williams in the ninth to tie the game.
  • On July 12, 1992, Blauser hit two solo homers off the Cubs’ Frank Castillo and a three-run homer off Paul Assenmacher in the top of the tenth to with the game.
  • On May 7, 1993, Hit hit a solo homer in the top of the first off Rockies’ starter, Butch Henry, then hit a two-run homer off Jeff Parrett in the fifth inning, breaking a 5-5 tie.

Blauser also hit an inside-the-park homer off the Cardinals Bob McClure on August 23, 1992.

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Blauser’s 1993 season – his first as Atlanta Braves starting shortstop, proved the best of his career. He batted .305/.401/.436/.837 with a 125 OPS+, making him the first Braves shortstop since Al Dark in 1948 to finish with a .300 average or better. 

In the season, Blauser:

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