Eduardo Rafael Pérez is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball catcher. Since 2007, he has served as a coach for the Atlanta Braves. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Milwaukee Brewers. During his tenure with the Braves, Pérez was notable for being the personal catcher for Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux and for being named the Most Valuable Player of the 1999 National League Championship Series.
Mark Charles Teixeira, nicknamed "Tex", is an American retired professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and New York Yankees. Before his professional career, he played college baseball at Georgia Tech, where in 2000 he won the Dick Howser Trophy as the national collegiate baseball player of the year. One of the most prolific switch hitters in MLB history, Teixeira was an integral part of the Yankees' 27th World Series championship in 2009, leading the American League (AL) in home runs and runs batted in (RBI) while finishing second in the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) balloting. Teixeira was a three-time All-Star, won five Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards, and holds the major-league record for most games with a home run from both sides of the plate, with 14. He was the fifth switch hitter in MLB history to reach 400 home runs.
Robert José Watson was an American professional baseball player, coach and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder from 1966 to 1984, most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros where he was a two-time All-Star player. Watson had a .295 batting average over a career that also saw him play for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and the Atlanta Braves.
Carlos Argelis Gómez Peña, nicknamed Go-Go, is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays. Gómez is a two-time MLB All-Star and a Gold Glove Award winner.
The 1998 Major League Baseball season ended with the New York Yankees sweeping the San Diego Padres in the World Series, after they had won a then AL record 114 regular season games. The Yankees finished with 125 wins for the season, which remains the MLB record.
Francisco Cervelli is a Venezuelan former professional baseball catcher and former catching coach for the San Diego Padres. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, and Miami Marlins from 2008 through 2020.
Cole Tyler Flowers is an American former professional baseball catcher. Flowers was drafted by the Braves in the 33rd round of the 2005 MLB draft. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox from 2009, when he made his MLB debut, to 2015 and for the Atlanta Braves from 2016 to 2020.
Travis Emmanuel d'Arnaud is an American professional baseball catcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Tampa Bay Rays. He made his MLB debut in 2013.
The 2011 Atlanta Braves season was the Braves' 46th season in Atlanta, and the 141st overall. For the first time since the 1990 season, Bobby Cox did not manage the club, having retired following the 2010 season. He was succeeded by Fredi González, the former third-base coach for the Braves between 2003 and 2006. After entering the playoffs with their first franchise Wild Card berth in 2010, the Braves attempted to return to the postseason for a second consecutive season. Entering the final month of the regular season with a record of 80–55 and an 8+1⁄2-game lead in the Wild Card standings, the Braves went 9–18 in September to finish the season with a record of 89–73. This September collapse caused the team to fall one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the Wild Card race after the final scheduled game of the season, which consequently eliminated them from postseason contention. On July 12, 2016, ESPN named the 2011 Braves collapse as the 25th worst collapse in sports history.
Martín Benjamín Maldonado is a Puerto Rican professional baseball catcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, and Chicago Cubs.
Gary Sánchez Herrera is a Dominican professional baseball catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, and San Diego Padres.
John Ryan Murphy is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
James Thomas McCann is an American professional baseball catcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Mets.
Robert Edward Grossman is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago White Sox. After attending high school in Texas, Grossman was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the sixth round in 2008. He made his MLB debut with the Astros in 2013. He won the 2023 World Series with the Rangers.
Max Robert Stassi is an American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Oakland Athletics drafted him in the fourth round of the 2009 MLB draft. In 2013, Stassi made his MLB debut with the Houston Astros. The Astros traded Stassi to the Los Angeles Angels in 2019.
James Evan Gattis is an American former professional baseball designated hitter and catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros. Gattis has also earned the nickname of El Oso Blanco or The White Bear, due to his raw power capabilities when playing for the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. While with Atlanta, he played catcher and occasionally left field.
Garrett Patrick Stubbs is an American professional baseball catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros. Stubbs attended the University of Southern California (USC), and played college baseball for the USC Trojans. While there, he won the 2015 Johnny Bench Award as the nation's best collegiate catcher.
Nicholas Blake Solak is an American professional baseball second baseman and outfielder in the Seattle Mariners organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers. Solak attended Naperville North High School in Naperville, Illinois, and the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.
The 2019 Atlanta Braves season was the Braves' 54th season in Atlanta, 149th overall, and third season at SunTrust Park. The Braves clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive year on September 14. They clinched their second consecutive National League East championship on September 20 but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS. On October 9, they became the first team to allow 10 runs in the first inning of an MLB playoff game, essentially clinching their tenth straight postseason series loss.
The 2022 Houston Astros season was the 61st season for the Houston Astros, a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 58th as the Astros, 10th in both the American League and American League West, and 23rd at Minute Maid Park. The Astros entered the season as both the defending AL and AL West champions, and they looked to avenge their 2021 World Series loss to the Atlanta Braves in six games.
