Eddie Mathews
Eddie Mathews, a Texarkana, Texas, native, spent 17 years in the major leagues playing for the Braves in Boston, Atlanta and Milwaukee from 1952-66, the Houston Astros in 1967 and the Detroit Tigers in 1967 and '68. Playing a total of 2,391 games, Mathews had 2,315 hits, 512 homeruns, 1,453 RBIs, and a .271 batting average. He played on the 1968 Detroit Tigers and the 1957 and 1958 Milwaukee Braves World Series teams, winning two games in the 1957 series against the Yankees with homeruns in the 10th inning. Mathews made 12 All-Star Game appearances as both a third and first baseman, and in the 1959 game, he hit a first-inning homerun. After retiring, Mathews stayed close to the game managing the Atlanta Braves from 1972-74 and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978. Mathews was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2012.