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2002 Atlanta Braves Season
The 2002 Atlanta Braves season marked the franchise's 37th season in Atlanta and 132nd overall. The Braves won their eighth consecutive division title, finishing 19 games ahead of the second-place Montreal Expos. The Braves lost the 2002 Divisional Series to the eventual NL Champion San Francisco Giants, 3–2. This would be the first of four consecutive NLDS losses in as many years, and the first of three consecutive years to do so by losing the deciding Game 5 at Turner Field. 2002 marked the final year that pitchers Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz played on the same team ending the reign of what has been considered by many the greatest pitching trio of all-time. All three would be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame a decade later. Smoltz set the Braves' single season record for saves (55). Chipper Jones moved to the outfield in left field to allow for Vinny Castilla to be signed and added to the lineup at third base. Julio Franco became a regular player in the se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National League East
The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central, it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title. After having internal, informal divisions for scheduling purposes during the pre-expansion era, the division was formally created when the National League (baseball), National League (NL) (along with the American League) added two expansion teams and divided into two divisions, East and West effective for the 1969 season. The National League's geographical alignment was rather peculiar as its partitioning was really more north and south instead of east and west. Two teams in the Eastern Time Zone, the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds, were in the same division as teams on the Pacific coast. This was due to the demands of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, who refused to support expansion unless they were promised they would be kept together in the newly created East divis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine (born March 25, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball, for the Atlanta Braves (1987–2002, 2008) and New York Mets (2003–2007). With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine earned the second-highest number of win (baseball), wins as a pitcher in the National League (baseball), National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176. He was a five-time 20-game winner and two-time Cy Young Award winner, and one of only 24 pitchers (and just six left-handers) in major league history to earn 300 win club, 300 career wins. He was the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, Most Valuable Player of the 1995 World Series as the Braves beat the Cleveland Indians. In 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2014, Glavine was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, receiving 91.9% of the votes cast. Early years Glavine was b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Javy López
Javier "Javy" López Torres (born November 5, 1970) is a Puerto Rican former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves (1992–2003), Baltimore Orioles (2004–2006) and Boston Red Sox (2006). He batted and threw right-handed. He was named Ponce, Puerto Rico's Athlete of the Year from 1984 to 1987. Professional career Atlanta Braves López was signed by the Atlanta Braves in 1987 as an amateur free agent, López made his debut on September 18, 1992, against the Houston Astros. After sharing duties with Charlie O'Brien and Eddie Pérez for four seasons, he established himself as the Braves' regular catcher in 1996. The same season, he led the Braves to win the National League Championship Series, earning the series Most Valuable Player honors. He also made the National League All-Star team from 1997–98. Lopez had his best season in 2003 with a .328 batting average, 43 home runs and 109 RBI in 129 games, including a .378 on-base percentage and a . ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones (; born April 23, 1977) is a Curaçaoan former professional baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Atlanta Braves. Jones also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Jones was a strong defensive player for much of his career, winning the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for List of NL Gold Glove winners at outfield, outfielders every year from 1998 through 2007. He had a strong throwing arm in addition to his elite fielding. He was an Major League Baseball All-Star Game, MLB All-Star five times, and he won both the Hank Aaron Award and a Silver Slugger Award for List of NL Silver Slugger winners at outfield, outfielders in 2005. Jones made his MLB debut during the 1996 season with the Atlanta Braves. In the 1996 World Series, he became the youngest play ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marcus Giles
Marcus William Giles (born May 18, 1978) is an American former Major League Baseball player. He was a second baseman and batted right-handed. His older brother, Brian Giles, was an outfielder who also played in the Major Leagues. Marcus and Brian played together on the 2007 San Diego Padres. Career Giles was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 53rd round of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft and made his major league debut in . He hit a grand slam for his first career home run off Mike Hampton of the Colorado Rockies. He became the first Braves player in 24 years to have his first MLB home run be a grand slam. Despite usually having success during his opportunities in majors, he spent the next two years shuttling between Atlanta and their Triple-A affiliate in Richmond. In , his year was marred by a severe ankle sprain in May, and the death of his premature daughter, Lundyn Mae. Giles lost his second base starting job to the injury and, shortly after returning, was demoted ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rafael Furcal
Rafael Antoni Furcal (born October 24, 1977) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Miami Marlins. With St. Louis, he won the 2011 World Series over the Texas Rangers. Early life Furcal grew up in Loma de Cabrera, a small village in the Dominican Republic near the Dajabón River and the border with Haiti. His father, Silvino, drove a taxi, and his mother, Aura, was a schoolteacher. Furcal had three older brothers, José, Manuel, and Lorenzo, and a sister. Silvino Furcal was a standout outfielder during an era when Dominican ballplayers did not get much recognition from Major League scouts. Silvino introduced his sons to baseball and Rafael credited his father with teaching him how to enjoy the game. Until his death in 2010, Silvino would often call Rafael to give him advice after games. Manuel Furcal pitched in the Seattle Mariners organization ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Odalis Pérez
Odalis Amadol Pérez (June 11, 1977 – March 10, 2022) was a Dominican professional baseball starting pitcher. He played with the Atlanta Braves (–), the Los Angeles Dodgers (–), the Kansas City Royals (2006–), and the Washington Nationals (). Personal life Pérez was a 1995 graduate of Damian David Ortiz High School in his homeland. He had a son, Odalis Jr. Pérez, participated in community baseball clinics for the Dodgers and the Manny Mota International Foundation and also visited schools in Los Angeles area as part of the Dodger Jams program. Professional career Atlanta Braves Pérez joined the Braves in September 1998, going 0–1. He won a game for the Braves in the 1998 postseason, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to earn a playoff win without having won a regular season game. On May 2, 1999, Pérez got his first regular-season victory pitching 5.2 innings and allowing two earned runs with seven strikeouts, as Atlanta rolled to a 5–3 victory over the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brian Jordan
Brian O'Neal Jordan (born March 29, 1967) is an American former professional baseball and football player. Jordan played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons as a safety from 1989 to 1991, and played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Texas Rangers as an outfielder from 1992 to 2006. Jordan was an MLB All-Star in 1999. Baseball and football Jordan was a sports star at Milford Mill High School in Baltimore, Maryland, and he graduated from the University of Richmond. He was selected in the first round of the 1988 MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. In the 1989 NFL draft, he was taken in the seventh round by the Buffalo Bills but was cut in training camp. While he played in the Cardinals' minor league system, Jordan also played defensive back for the Falcons from 1989 to 1991. He had five interceptions and four sacks in his brief NFL career. He led Atlanta in tackles and was voted as a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball for eight teams from 1988 to 2009. After his playing career, he became a sports agent. For most of his career, Sheffield played right field, though he has also played left field, third base, shortstop, and a handful of games at first base. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and the New York Mets. Sheffield was a first-round pick of the Brewers, who selected him sixth overall in the amateur draft after a standout prep career at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Florida. He batted and threw right-handed. Sheffield hit his 500th home run on April 17, 2009. As of his last game, Sheffield ranked second among all active players in walks (1,475), third in runs (1,636), fourth in RBIs (1,676), fifth in hits (2,689) and home runs (509), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Julio Franco
Julio César Franco Robles (born August 23, 1958)Franco's birth date is in question. Many of his early bios and cards have his birthday listed in 1954, and on the roster of the Quintana Roo Tigres, his birthday is listed in 1961. is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder and coach. He spent most of his playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB), entering the major leagues in and last appearing in , at which time he was the oldest active big league player. During that stretch, Franco also spent two seasons playing in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and one season playing in the KBO. While Franco was an All-Star and posted above-average hitting statistics throughout his career, he is best known for being the oldest regular position player in MLB history and the oldest player to hit a home run in Major League history, having hit his last home run on May 4, 2007 at 48 years and 254 days old. Franco was the all-time hits leader among Dominican-born players until ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vinny Castilla
Vinicio "Vinny" Castilla Soria (; born July 4, 1967) is a Mexican former Major League Baseball third baseman who played his best years with the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves. Previously, he played with the Atlanta Braves (1991–1992, 2002–2003), Colorado Rockies (1993–1999, 2004, 2006), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000–2001), Houston Astros (2001), Washington Nationals (2005), and San Diego Padres (2006). He currently serves as a special assistant to the Rockies GM Bill Schmidt. Baseball career (1991–2006) Atlanta Braves (1991–1992) The Atlanta Braves purchased Castilla's contract from the Saraperos de Saltillo out of the Mexican League in 1990. He made his MLB debut as a shortstop for the Braves on September 9, 1991. For the 1992 season he only appeared in eight games. Colorado Rockies (1993–1999) In November 1992 he was selected by the Rockies in the expansion draft. For the 1993 season he played regularly hitting nine home runs, nine triples (8th in the le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chipper Jones
Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones Jr. (born April 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012. The Braves chose Jones with the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB draft. He was also a member of their 1995 World Series championship team that beat the Cleveland Indians. An eight-time All-Star, Jones won the 1999 National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Award and the 1999 and 2000 NL Silver Slugger Award for third basemen. He was the MLB batting champion in 2008 after hitting .364. Jones ended his career in 2012 with a .303 career batting average, 468 home runs, and 1,623 runs batted in (RBIs) and holds the Braves team record for career on-base percentage (.402); Jones ranks third on the Braves career home run list. Jones is the only switch hitter in MLB history with a career batting average above .300 and more than 300 home runs. He ranks second behind Eddie Murray for career ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
