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Atlanta Braves Opening Day countdown: 33, collection

By Benjamin Chase

14 Oct 1995: Pitcher Steve Avery #33 of the Atlanta Braves winds up for the pitch during game four of the NLCS against the Cincinnati Reds at Fulton Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves defeated the Reds 6-0.. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart /Allsport
14 Oct 1995: Pitcher Steve Avery #33 of the Atlanta Braves winds up for the pitch during game four of the NLCS against the Cincinnati Reds at Fulton Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves defeated the Reds 6-0.. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart /Allsport /
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ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 19: A.J. Minter #33 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at SunTrust Park on September 19, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

The Atlanta Braves have had a number of interesting players that have worn the number 33. Let’s look at a few!

While there is one notable statistic with the #33 associated with it in Atlanta Braves franchise history, more intriguing is the collection of players that have worn the jersey over the franchise’s history, and we’ll highlight a few here.

First, we’ll start with the statistical mention.

Big loser

We’ve already discussed the 49 victories that John Clarkson recorded in 1889. In a different era of pitching, it was not uncommon for a pitcher to make 60-70 starts in a year and get a decision in every one of them.

Jim Whitney, also known as “Grasshopper Jim” broke into professional baseball with the Boston Red Stockings in 1881 and made 66 appearances, 63 of them starts. He led the league in those categories, as well as 57 complete games, 552 1/3 innings, and 31 wins.

The number we’re recounting here, however, is probably the least desirable of the 10 statistical categories that Whitney led the National League in for the 1881 season as he was credited with 33 losses.

To say that’s a franchise record that will never be broken is an understatement. The Atlanta Braves have not even had a starter even make 33 starts in a season since 2015, which just gives an indication of how different the environment is now around the game.

Whitney was a fairly accomplished hitter when he wasn’t on the hill, and in 1882, he’d sport a .323/.382/.510 line. Overall, he hit .270/.316/.393 while a member of the Boston club, hitting 13 home runs over 1,603 plate appearances. He never had a season again like the 1881 year, but he did win 133 games with Boston over 5 years, tossing 2,263 2/3 innings with a 2.49 ERA.

Let’s take a look now at some of the intriguing players who have worn #33 for the Atlanta Braves franchise, starting with a pair of big-time arms in the 1940s and 1950s that were actually traded for one another…

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