Eddie Mathews played for one team in three cities: Boston, Milwaukee, Atlanta.

Eddie Mathews hit 512 home runs, 493 for the Braves 1952-1966. His career totals for the Braves are associated with the three character abbreviation ATL. However, his season team identifiers are:

1952 BSN

1953-1965 MLN

1966 ATL.

Since 1903 Eddie Mathews is the only player to play for the same team in three different cities. The Athletics is only other team to play in three cities:

Philadelphia 1903-1954

Kansas City 1955-1967

Oakland 1968-2019.

Reggie Jackson played his first 35 games for the the 1967 Kansas City Athletics; he hit one home run for them.

The best known hitters on the 1954 Philadelphia Athletics with their age and home runs:

Gus Zernial 31, 14

Vic Power 26, 8

Elmer Valo 33, 1

Pitchers age, wins:

Arnie Portocarerro 22, 9

Art Ditmar 25, 1

Bobby Schantz 28, 1

None of them came close to joining Reggie Jackson and pitcher Catfish Hunter on the 1968 Oakland Athletics.

Hall of Fame third baseman Eddie Mathews appears to be the one and only person since 1903 to play for the same team in three cities. And he played for the Braves straight through. He didn't go away and come back.

Which raises a question: who was the best player who played for the Braves only in Milwaukee? Lefty pitcher Warren Spahn started in Boston but did not pitch in Atlanta. Hank Aaron never played in Boston. It's a 13 year period, so it's possible that someone had a substantial Milwaukee Braves only career. But who?

FYI: Eddie Mathews only three home run game came late in his rookie season for the Boston Braves and were his final three as a member of the Boston Braves. Mathews hit home run 500 for the Houston Astros July 14, 1967 off Juan Marichal in San Francisco. Mathews left the Braves 7 home runs short of 500.

Before 1949 Season: Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent.

December 31, 1966: Traded by the Atlanta Braves with a player to be named later and Arnold Umbach to the Houston Astros for Bob Bruce and Dave Nicholson. The Atlanta Braves sent Sandy Alomar (February 25, 1967) to the Houston Astros to complete the trade.

500th Home Run. Saturday, July 27, 2019

Eddie Mathews was the 7th to reach 500 home runs, two months after Mickey Mantle, exactly one year before Hank Aaron. Mathews and Aaron could have reached 500 home runs as Braves, if Braves management had not inexplicably traded Mathews between the 1966 and 1967 seasons.

Best players who played for only one team.  Friday, June 26, 2015