It was only appropriate that Eddie Mathews died the same day as Dale Earnhardt Sr. With the sports world losing two greats in one day, Mathews was able to go quietly.
He may very well have been the greatest left-handed power hitter in history, yet he was always in the shadow of someone or something bigger than himself. He was eloquent, yet humble. He played in the shadow of Hank Aaron for more than a decade when he might have been a franchise cornerstone on any other team.
But Mathews stuck with the Braves, playing for them in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta. He played in the era before free agency so he was not likely to leave the Braves. But you would have to think that he was an ideal model for today’s free-agent players. He may or may not have wanted to be in Aaron’s shadow, but he stayed and produced one of the greatest power-hitting duos in history. Better than Maris and Mantle. Better than Ruth and Gehrig. Better than anyone around today, Mathews and Aaron had longevity and consistency.
Numbers point out a lot, but the simple fact that they are the only teammates in the exclusive 500 home-run club screams the loudest. That could never happen today with the free agency, ridiculous contracts and greed among players.
I guess Mathews was just a rare breed–a great hitter and a great man.
Many professionals today take for granted all that they are given. I think that they all should pause and look back on the way Mathews quietly became one of the greats.
To young people today he is unknown, but that does not take away his place in history. He was the sweet swinging lefty who was a manager’s dream. Two legends passing in one day is terrible, especially when one deserved so much more than what he was given.
