When Major League Baseball announced the 2011 Gold Glove Award Recipients in the American and National Leagues, the Atlanta Braves saw their players off the final list. While no Braves player won the award this season, the team has a storied history of award winners. 12 different players have won the award, some of which received the award multiple times. What players have won the most Gold Gloves in franchise history?

1. Greg Maddux – 10

Not only did Maddux win 10 straight awards while he was a member of the Braves, he did it 10 consecutive seasons. During his trail of dominance from 1993 through 2002, Maddux was easily the best defensive pitcher in the NL. One of his teammates, Tom Glavine(notes) may have claimed some of the awards during this time with the team had Maddux been pitching in the AL.

2. Andruw Jones(notes) – 9

From 1998 through 2006, Jones was a recipient of the award during his time as the anchor in the Atlanta outfield. While Jones often took “weird” routes to fly balls, he usually got the job done, saving countless runs during his time with the team.

3. Dale Murphy – 5

One of the most beloved Braves players of all time won the Gold Glove five times. From 1982-86, he was one of the best defensive players in the league, taking the award each of those seasons.

T-4. Del Crandall – 4

Coming into the 2011 MLB season, I had stated that Crandall was still the greatest catcher in the history of the franchise. While I feel that McCann did overtake him in that category this season, it was Crandall’s ability to play solid defense that kept him ahead in the standings. He won the award every season from 1958-60, and again in 1962.

T-4. Phil Niekro – 4

The legendary Braves pitcher took home the award every season from 1978-80, and again in 1982. With all the victories on his resume, his ability to field his position is one thing that was often overlooked when his greatness is discussed.

Other players to wear the Braves colors that have won the award include; Hank Aaron (x3), Marquis Grissom (x2), Mike Hampton(notes), Terry Pendleton, Felix Millan, Joe Torre, and Clete Boyer.

Source:

Atlanta Braves History

For access to Atlanta Braves season recaps from 1990-present, a look at trades that changed Braves history, or a look at the greatest award winners in team history, go here for easier access.

More from this contributor:

All-Braves Team

Top Athletes to Return from Retirement and have an Impact

Braves 2012 Starting Rotation

Remembering Skip Caray

Rise and fall of Andruw Jones

Hobson Lopes has been a life-long Atlanta Braves fan, thanks to TBS, and can be followed on Twitter @HobsonLopes .

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By Jonathan Tjarks

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Oct 26, 2011 – While it’s not quite as prestigious as the Baseball Writers of America award that will be announced after the World Series, Atlanta Braves rookie closer Craig Kimbrel received a nice exclamation point on a dominant rookie season today when he was named the 2011 NL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News.

Voting for the award is done solely by MLB players, and 112 NL players chose Kimbrel as the league’s best rookie in the 2011 season.

In 77 late-game innings this season, the right-handed 5’11 205 pitcher was nearly unhittable, with 127 strikeouts to 32 walks and a 2.30 ERA. From June 14 through Sep. 8, he made 38 consecutive appearances without allowing a run. He tied for the NL lead in saves with 46, shattering the previous rookie record.

Many believe his heavy usage earlier in the season contributed to his late-season fade, most notably his blown save on the last night of the regular season that knocked the Braves out of the playoffs.

However, Atlanta probably wouldn’t be in that position in the first place without Kimbrel’s dominance through the vast majority of the season, which he was rewarded for today in a vote of his peers.

For the latest on the Braves’ off-season moves, check out the SBNation blog Talking Chop.

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Braves 6-5, Mets 5-1

NEW YORK — Julio Teheran gave flashes of his vast potential in earning his first big league win and the Atlanta Braves, using a lineup with Chipper Jones starting as the No. 2 hitter for the first time in 15 years, beat the New York Mets, 5-1, Thursday night to complete a sweep of a doubleheader made necessary by the threat of Hurricane Irene.

Jones had a sacrifice fly and RBI double in the nightcap and a solo homer and a double in the opener, a 6-5 victory for Atlanta. The Braves were making a quick stop in New York to play two games postponed Aug. 27-28 after being handed their first three-game sweep of the season, by the Phillies.

The Braves next head to St. Louis for a crucial series with the team they lead in the wildcard race by 71/2 games. Only several hundred fans were on hand to see the start of the twinbill at 4:10 p.m. A few thousand more sat through a misty rain in the nightcap, though the announced attendance was 25,953.

Teheran (1-1) gave a performance more in line with his minor league credentials than his first two big league starts in May. The International League’s Most Valuable Pitcher and Rookie of the Year went 15-3 for Triple-A Gwinnett, but he gave up a combined five runs in 82/3 innings for the Braves earlier this year for a 5.19 ERA.

This time, he gave up two hits to start the first and a sacrifice fly then little more in 51/3 innings.

He left after walking two with one out in the sixth but Cristhian Martinez retired two in row to end New York’s best threat.

Dan Uggla had an RBI single in the first, driving in Michael Bourn two outs after the speedster reached on Jose Reyes’ fielding error at shortstop.

Catcher David Ross had an RBI single in the fifth off Dillon Gee (12-6) and a homer in the ninth to straightaway center.

Jones drove in a run when his sinking liner was caught by a diving Jason Bay in the seventh and doubled after Bourn tripled in the ninth.

Bay hit a grand slam off Mike Minor (5-2) in the opener and had a sacrifice fly in the finale, both coming in the first inning.

The Mets had won 10 of 13 coming in and had a chance to pull to .500 in the opener but are now 70-73.

Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez tried shaking up his scuffling club, losers of five of six over all coming in, by stacking his top on-base percentage guys up front, and his squad, with Jones starting as the No. 2 batter for first time since 1996, responded in the opener.

Red Sox fans are familiar with curses — or at least the notion that one may have once existed. But the Atlanta Braves might currently have a situation on their hands.

With the release of infielder Julio Lugo on Friday, the 36-year-old becomes the latest casualty of a seemingly cursed locker in the Atlanta clubhouse.

For years, any player who has sat in the locker next to where Greg Maddux used to sit has been gone by the following year, starting with Jeff Blauser when Turner Field opened in 1997, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

This season, four Braves have reportedly used locker, only to then find themselves shipped out of Atlanta in some way.

Joe Mather was released, Cristhian Martinez was demoted and Jordan Schafer was traded to the Astros before Lugo, who had been occupying the locker, was released.

Bret Boone, Robert Fick, Wally Joyner, Ken Caminiti, Albie Lopez, Damian Moss, Chris Seelbach and Joe Nelson are reportedly among the other players to use the locker in recent years before making a quick exit from the organization.

Kenshin Kawakami is the only player to last longer than one year, although he’s now down at Double-A Mississippi, where he has a 2-4 record to go with a 8.10 ERA in 15 games (6 starts) this season.

Maddux left the Braves following the 2003 season and signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs, another organization that knows a thing or two about hexes.

The most alarming aspect of the apparent curse, though, is that the Braves have yet to win a World Series title since it supposedly originated. Atlanta’s last World Series victory came in 1995, when they defeated the Cleveland Indians in six games.

By Scott Coleman

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Aug 31, 2011 – Matt Diaz is an Atlanta Braves once again. After a six month hiatus from the club, general manager Frank Wren has made a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates to bring the lovable outfielder back to the Braves. The trade will include cash considerations as well from Pittsburgh, and they will receive a player-to-be-named-later.

Diaz earned $2 million dollars this season and is also under contract for the 2012 season for $2 million as well.

For a team that has struggled all season to hit left-handed pitching, Diaz will be a huge asset as both an occasional starter and pinch-hitter for Fredi Gonzalez’s club. Julio Lugo is currently the Braves’ best right-handed pinch-hitting option of the bench and, well, that hasn’t exactly worked out very well.

Diaz has struggled this season in Pittsburgh, though his career numbers cannot be overlooked. He has an incredible split-line of .329/.369/.511 against left-handed pitchers in his career. That will help.

Expect Diaz, who has been widely-regarded as one of the best teammates in all of baseball, to fit in immediately with his “new” teammates. He was a fan favorite from 2007-2010 with the team and a big ovation should be expected tonight at Turner Field. He is batting sixth and will be in right field.

Welcome back, Matty. It just didn’t seem right without you on the roster.

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Brian McCann homered twice and the Atlanta Braves beat the Chicago Cubs 8-3 Thursday. 

McCann hit a three-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the seventh for his eighth career multi-homer game. Michael Bourn had a career high-tying four hits, scored two runs, and drove in a run.

Marlon Byrd homered and Tyler Colvin added a triple and a run for the Cubs, who committed four errors.

Brandon Beachy (7-2) won his fourth straight decision, recovering from a shaky start to pitch six innings. He allowed six hits, two earned runs and struck out eight. 

Matt Garza (6-10) allowed six runs — three earned — and eight hits over five innings. He struck out six. 

The Braves took three of four from the Cubs and have won 16 of their last 21 games. Atlanta won its NL-high 38th road game. 

Garza was coming off one of his best starts of the season in a 3-0 win over St. Louis last Saturday. 

After Bourn led off the game with a single, Martin Prado reached when Garza dropped a flip from Carlos Pena at first. Garza then fell behind McCann, who homered into a stiff wind in right-center and put the Braves ahead 3-0 before Garza had retired a batter. 

Prado reached on errors twice in the game, doubled, walked and scored two runs. 

The Cubs cut into the lead on Darwin Barney’s groundout in the bottom of the first. In the second, Byrd brought Cubs within a run with a homer to left. Colvin tripled into the right-field corner and scored on Geovany Soto’s dribbler, tying the game at 3. 

The Braves grabbed the lead right back with two runs in the third with help from the Cubs. Castro committed his NL-high 22nd error of the season and Garza walked Dan Uggla with the bases full. Freddie Freeman’s RBI single drove in the other run. 

The Braves tacked on a run in the fifth on Jason Heyward’s sacrifice fly and another on McCann’s solo shot in the seventh. McCann leads NL catchers with 22 home runs on the season. 

Bourn drove in a run in the eighth with his fourth single of the game, giving him his sixth career four-hit game. Bourn’s 160 hits are second in the NL to Castro’s 167. 

The Cubs have committed 108 errors this season, most in the majors. Four of Atlanta’s runs were unearned. 

NOTES: Cubs OF Alfonso Soriano was given a day off on Thursday after he was hit in the right forearm by a pitch during Wednesday’s game. Manager Mike Quade said Soriano was available for pinch-hitting duty and is expected to return to the lineup on Friday. . Braves RHP Tommy Hanson left the team and returned to Atlanta to have his ailing shoulder re-evaluated by team doctors. Hanson has been on the disabled list since Aug. 7 because of right rotator cuff tendinitis. . Manager Fredi Gonzalez said the Braves are “closely monitoring” Hurricane Irene and the effect it might have on this weekend’s series in New York against the Mets. . The Braves open a three-game series at New York on Friday, pitting RHP Tim Hudson against Mets lefty Chris Capuano. Hudson has won eight of his last nine decisions. . The Cubs will make the short trip north to face the first-place Brewers in Milwaukee this weekend, with Chicago RHP Rodrigo Lopez squaring off against LHP Randy Wolf in Friday’s opener. . Chicago’s Aramis Ramirez doubled in the eighth, his 700th career extra-base hit, and extended his hitting streak to 14 games.