Pair of Atlanta Braves legends added to Atlanta Sports HOF
A pair of legendary names in Braves history will each add another piece of hardware to their respective trophy cases come February.
Atlanta Braves legends Andruw Jones and Leo Mazzone have been selected for induction into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, it was announced on Friday.
Jones, who remains among the greatest defensive center fielders in baseball history, played in Atlanta from his big league debut in 1996 through the 2007 season. During his time with the Braves he won 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards and ended his career with over 400 home runs.
Mazzone was the Braves pitching coach for 15 years (1990-2005), becoming a key piece of Atlanta’s record consecutive post season run. During his tenure, Mazzone’s pitching staffs collected a total of six Cy Young Awards as individuals. Besides the strike shortened season of 1994, his pitchers only missed the post season once during his Atlanta career (1990).
With his name on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, Jones is eligible for baseball’s greatest honor starting with the 2018 class.
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Speaking of hall of fame, Mazzone’s “big three” (Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz) have all entered the baseball hall since retirement. ESPN once named Mazzone the top assistant coach in the history of sports.
Jones and Mazzone will join Georgia Tech legends Joe Hamilton and John Hyder, along with former Falcons running back Gerald Riggs as part of a five member 2018 hall of fame class.
This is a terrific honor for two great men and former Atlanta Braves members. They will always be in our hearts!
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The official induction ceremony will take place in on Friday, February 16 at the Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta. The event is set to begin at 6:00 p.m.