The Braves franchise has had its up and downs since its inception in 1876. The Braves have won three World Series since then and at least one player from each of those teams is represented on this All-Defensive team. I wonder if that is a coincidence?
The Braves have had some great defensive players from Andruw Jones and Dale Murphy in the outfield to Glenn Hubbard, Felix Milan, and current shortstop Yunel Escobar in the infield. Not all of these players were able to make the list, and trust me picking nine players from the past 134 years was quite difficult, but these are the best defensive players at their positions.
Some positions were easy to pick and some were extremely difficult, and defensive metrics did not exist even twenty years ago so the decisions were based on the stats that were available, word of mouth from articles about the players, and other research.
Between Andruw Jones and Greg Maddux alone the Braves have 20 Gold Gloves. The two most recent additions to the All-Defensive team were dynamic as a hitter and pitcher, but they always took pride in being the best in the game defensively as well. The name of the game is runs, and having a centerfielder like Andruw Jones certainly helps limit the amount of runs a team will score on you.
Some names on this list are known for their bats and their defense is actually under the radar despite being in the Hall-of-Fame. The Gold Glove award did not exist before 1957 so some of these players were not given the respect they deserve for the strong defensive careers they had.
Defense is not exactly what the Braves have been known for throughout their existence, that would have to be pitching, but there have been some top notch talents with the glove in a Braves uniform. Some won Gold Gloves and some did not, but this list has the nine best defensive players at their respective positions that the Braves have ever had.
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