History of the Atlanta Braves
Encyclopedia
The following is a History of the Atlanta Braves
franchise
of Major League Baseball
.
finished 92-62 in their first season
in Milwaukee, and drew a then-NL record 1.8 million fans. The success of the team was noted by many owners. Not coincidentally, the Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants
would leave their original hometowns in the next five years.
As the 1950s progressed, the reinvigorated Braves became increasingly competitive. Sluggers Eddie Mathews
and Hank Aaron drove the offense (they would hit a combined 1,226 home runs as Braves, with 850 of those coming while the franchise was in Milwaukee), while Spahn, Lew Burdette
and Bob Buhl
anchored the rotation.
, the Braves celebrated their first pennant in nine years spearheaded by Aaron's MVP season
, as he led the National League in home runs and RBI. Perhaps the most memorable of his 44 round-trippers that season came on September 23, a two-run walk-off home run
that gave the Braves a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals
and clinched the league championship. The team then went on to its first World Series
win in over 40 years, defeating the New York Yankees
of Berra
, Mantle
, and Ford
in seven games. Burdette, the Series MVP, threw three complete game victories, giving up only two earned runs.
, the Braves again won the National League pennant and jumped out to a three games to one lead in the World Series against New York once more, thanks in part to the strength of Spahn's and Burdette's pitching. But the Yankees stormed back to take the last three games, in large part to World Series MVP Bob Turley's
pitching.
saw the Braves finish the season in a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers
. Many residents of Chicago and Milwaukee were hoping for a Sox-Braves Series, as the cities are only about 75 miles (121 km) apart, but it was not to be because Milwaukee fell in a best-of-3 playoff with two straight losses to the Dodgers. The Dodgers would go on to defeat the Chicago White Sox
in the World Series
.
featured two no-hitters by Burdette and Spahn, and Milwaukee
finished seven games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates
, who ultimately were to win the World Series
that year, in second place. The 1961 season
saw a drop in the standings for the Braves
down to fourth, despite Spahn recording his 300th victory and pitching another no-hitter that year. The team's attendance also started to tail off during this time.
Aaron hit 45 home runs in 1962
, a Milwaukee career high for him, but this did not translate into wins for the Braves
, as they finished fifth. The next season
, Aaron again hit 44 home runs and notched 130 RBI, and Spahn was once again the ace of the staff, going 23-7. However, none of the other Braves produced at that level, and the team
finished in the lower half of the league, or "second division
," for the first time in its short history in Milwaukee.
The Braves were somewhat mediocre as the 1960s began, but fattened up on the expansion New York Mets
and Houston Colt .45s
. To this day, the Milwaukee Braves are the only major league team who played more than one season and never had a losing record.
-based group led by William Bartholomay
in 1962. The ink was barely dry on the deal when Bartholomay started shopping the Braves to a larger television market. Keen to attract them, the fast-growing city of Atlanta, led by Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr., constructed a new $18 million, 52,000-seat ballpark in less than one year, Atlanta Stadium
, which was officially opened in 1965 in hopes of luring an existing major league baseball and/or NFL/AFL team. After the city failed to lure the Kansas City A's
to Atlanta (the A's would move to Oakland in 1968), the Braves announced their intention to move to Atlanta for the 1965 season
. However, an injunction filed in Wisconsin kept the Braves in Milwaukee for one final year. In 1966, the Braves completed the move to Atlanta.
, 77-85 in 1967
, and 81-81 in 1968
. The 1967 season was the Braves' first losing season since 1952, their last year in Boston. In 1969
, with the onset of divisional play, the Braves
won the first-ever National League West
pennant, before being swept by the "Miracle Mets
" in the National League Championship Series
. They would not be a factor in the next decade, posting only two winning seasons between 1970 and 1981 - in some cases, fielding teams as bad as the worst Boston teams.
In the meantime, fans had to be satisfied with the achievements of Hank Aaron. In the relatively hitter-friendly confines of Atlanta Stadium ("The Launching Pad"), he actually increased his offensive production. It also produced batting champions in Rico Carty
(in 1970) and in Ralph Garr
(in 1974). By the end of the 1973 season
, Aaron had hit 713 home runs, one short of Ruth's record. Throughout the winter he received racially motivated death threats, but stood up well under the pressure. The next season
, it was only a matter of time before he set a new record. On April 4 he hit #714 in Cincinnati
, and on April 8, in front of his home fans, he finally beat Ruth's mark.
, owner of superstation
WTBS, as a means to keep the team (and one of his main programming staples) in Atlanta. The financially-strapped Turner used money already paid to the team for their broadcast rights as a down-payment. It was then that Atlanta Stadium was re-named Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
. Turner quickly gained a reputation as a quirky, hands-on baseball owner.
Turner used the Braves as a major programming draw for his fledgling cable network, making the Braves the first franchise to have a regular, nationwide audience and fanbase. WTBS marketed the team as "The Atlanta Braves: America's Team
," a nickname that still sticks in some areas of the country, especially the South
, today. Among other things, in 1976 Turner suggested the nickname "Channel" for pitcher Andy Messersmith
and jersey number 17, in order to promote the television station that aired Braves games. Major League Baseball quickly nixed the idea.
, but, because MLB passed a rule in the 1950s barring managers from holding a financial stake in their team, Turner was ordered to relinquish that position after one game (the Braves
lost 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates
to bring their losing streak to 17 games).
After three straight losing seasons, Bobby Cox
was hired for his first stint as manager of the franchise for the 1978 season
, and he promoted a 22-year-old slugger named Dale Murphy
into the starting lineup. Murphy hit 77 home runs over the next three seasons, but struggled on defense, positioned at either catcher or first base while being unable to adeptly play either. However, in 1980
, Murphy was moved to center field and demonstrated excellent range and throwing ability, while the Braves earned their first winning season since 1974.
Cox was fired after the 1981 season
and replaced with Joe Torre
, under whose leadership the Braves
attained their first divisional title since 1969. However, the Braves were swept by the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals
in the NLCS
. Strong performances from Bob Horner, Chris Chambliss
, pitcher Phil Niekro
, and short relief pitcher Gene Garber
helped the Braves, but no Brave was more acclaimed than Murphy, who won both a Most Valuable Player
and a Gold Glove
award. Murphy also won a Most Valuable Player award the following season, but the Braves began a period of decline that defined the team throughout the 1980s. Murphy, excelling in defense, hitting, and running, was consistently recognized as one of the league's best players, but the Braves averaged only 65 wins per season between 1985 and 1990. Their lowest point came in 1988, when they lost 106 games.
The 1986 season
saw the return of Bobby Cox to the Braves organization as general manager
. Also in 1986, the team stopped using their Native American-themed mascot, Chief Noc-A-Homa
.
, replacing Russ Nixon
. The Braves
would finish the year with the worst record in baseball, at 65-97, and traded Dale Murphy to the Philadelphia Phillies
after it was clear he was becoming a less dominant player. However, pitching coach Leo Mazzone
began developing young pitchers Tom Glavine
, Steve Avery
, and John Smoltz
into future stars. That same year, the Braves used the number one overall pick in the 1990 MLB Draft
to select Chipper Jones
, who would go on to become one of the best hitters in team history. Perhaps the Braves' most important move, however, was not on the field, but in the front office. Immediately after the season, John Schuerholz
was hired away from the Kansas City Royals
as general manager.
The following season
, Glavine, Avery, and Smoltz would be recognized as the best young pitchers in the league, winning 52 games among them. Meanwhile, behind position players Dave Justice
, Ron Gant
and unexpected league Most Valuable Player and batting champion Terry Pendleton
, the Braves
overcame a 39-40 start, winning 55 of their final 83 games over the last three months of the season and edging the Los Angeles Dodgers
by one game in one of baseball history's more memorable playoff races. The "Worst to First" Braves, who had not won a divisional title since 1982, captivated the city of Atlanta (and, to a larger degree, the state of Georgia and the entire southeast) during their improbable run to the flag. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates
in a very tightly contested seven-game NLCS
only to lose the World Series
, also in seven games, to the Minnesota Twins. The series, considered by many to be one of the greatest ever, was the first time a team that had finished last in its division one year went to the World Series the next; both the Twins and Braves accomplished the feat.
During the Braves' rise to prominence in the early 1990s, their long-standing ethnic nickname came under much closer scrutiny, even being protested in Minneapolis when the Braves visited the Twins for Game 1 of the 1991 World Series. The team was especially criticized for selling plastic and foam tomahawks, encouraging the so-called tomahawk chop and the accompanying war cry emitted by the fans. The war cry and tomahawk chop are similar, if not identical, to what Florida State University
fans do at their games. Initially, the war chant music was played by the Braves' organist, but in recent years, a recording of the FSU band has been used instead. This tradition can be traced back to the arrival of former Seminole Deion Sanders
, who also played for the NFL's
Atlanta Falcons
at the time (he would go on to play both sports simultaneously in San Francisco for one year).
Despite the World Series loss, the Braves' success would continue. In the 1992 season
, the Braves
returned to the NLCS
and once again defeated the Pirates
in seven games, only to lose in the World Series
to a dominating Toronto Blue Jays
team.
In 1993
, the Braves signed Cy Young Award
winning pitcher Greg Maddux
from the Chicago Cubs, leading many baseball insiders to declare the team's pitching staff the best at that time. The 1993 team
posted a franchise-best 104 wins after a dramatic pennant race with the San Francisco Giants
, who won 103 games. The Braves needed a stunning 55-19 finish to edge out the Giants, who led the Braves by nine games in the standings as late as August 11. However, the Braves fell in the NLCS
to the Philadelphia Phillies
in a six-game upset.
In 1994, in a realignment of the National League
's divisions following the 1993 expansion, the Braves moved to the Eastern Division. This realignment was the main cause of the team's heated rivalry with the New York Mets
during the mid to late 1990s.
The player's strike cut short the 1994 season
, prior to the division championships, with the Braves six games behind the Montreal Expos
with 48 games left to play.
returned strong the following strike-shortened (teams played 144 games instead of the customary 162) year
and beat the Cleveland Indians
in the World Series
. This squelched claims by many Braves critics that they were the "Buffalo Bills
of baseball" (January 1996 issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly). With this World Series victory, the Braves became the first team in Major League Baseball to win world championships in three different cities. With their strong pitching being a constant, the Braves would also appear in the 1996 and 1999 World Series (they lost both series to the New York Yankees
, however), and had a streak of division titles from 1991 to 2005 interrupted only in 1994 when the strike ended the season early. Pitching is not the only constant in the Braves organization - Cox is still the Braves' manager, while Schuerholz remained the team's GM until after the 2007 season when he was promoted to team president. Pendleton did not finish his playing career in Atlanta, but has returned to the Braves system as the hitting coach.
A 95-67 record in produced a ninth consecutive division title. However, a sweep at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals
prevented the Braves
from reaching the NLCS
. In , Atlanta
won the National League East
division yet again, swept the NLDS
against the Houston Astros
, then lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks
in the National League Championship Series
four games to one. One memorable game the Braves played that year came on September 21, when they played rival New York Mets
in the first major professional sporting event held in New York City since 9/11.
In 2002
, 2003
and 2004
, the Braves won their division again, but lost in the NLDS in all three years; 3 games to 2 to the San Francisco Giants
and Chicago Cubs
, and 3 games to 1 to the Houston Astros
.
s in the 1990s were awarded to three Braves pitchers:
, Brian McCann, Pete Orr
, Ryan Langerhans
, Jeff Francoeur
). Catcher Brian McCann, right fielder Jeff Francoeur
, and pitcher Kyle Davies all grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta. The large number of rookies to debut in 2005 were nicknamed the "Baby Braves" by fans and became an Atlanta-area sensation, helping to lead the club to a record of 90-72.
However, the season would end on a sour note as the Braves lost the National League Division Series
to the Astros
in four games. In Game 4, with the Braves leading by 5 in the eighth inning, the Astros battled back with a Lance Berkman
grand slam
and a two-out, ninth inning Brad Ausmus
home run off of Braves closer Kyle Farnsworth
. The game didn't end until the 18th inning, becoming the longest game in playoff history at 5 hours 50 minutes. Chris Burke ended the marathon with a home run off of Joey Devine
.
After the 2005 season, the Braves lost their long-time pitching coach Leo Mazzone
, who left to go to the Baltimore Orioles
. Roger McDowell
took his place in the Atlanta dugout. Unable to re-sign shortstop Rafael Furcal
, the Braves acquired shortstop Edgar Rentería
from the Boston Red Sox.
, the Braves did not perform at the level they had grown accustomed to. Due to an offensive slump, injuries to their starting rotation, and subpar bullpen performances, the Braves compiled a 6-21 record for the month of June, the worst month ever in the city of Atlanta, and just percentage points better than the Boston Braves of May 1935 (4-20).
The Braves made their move in July, going 14-10. However, the team remained in the bottom half of the NL East and trailed the Mets
by a double-digit deficit for much of the season (13 games at the all-star break
). However, despite their struggles, the Braves entered the break down by only six and a half games to the Dodgers for the NL Wild Card slot after winning seven of their last ten games.
After the break, the Braves came out with their bats swinging, setting many franchise records. They won five straight, sweeping the Padres
and taking two from the Cardinals
, tallying a total of 65 runs in that span. The 65 runs in five games is the best by the franchise since 1897, when the Boston Beaneaters totaled 78, including 25 in one game and 21 in another, from May 31-June 3; the 2006 Braves also became the first team since the 1930 New York Yankees
to score ten runs or more in five straight games. The Braves had a total of 81 hits during their five-game run and 98 hits in their last six games, going back to an 8-3 victory over Cincinnati
on July 9, the last game before the all-star break. Additionally, Chipper Jones was able to maintain a 20 game hitting streak and tie Paul Waner
's 69 year old Major League record with a 14 game extra-base hit streak. (The Sporting News Baseball Record Book, 2007, p. 29)
The Braves made their first trade of the season on July 20 to shore up the bullpen, sending Class A Rome catcher Max Ramirez to Cleveland for closer Bob Wickman
. He served as the Braves' closer for the remainder of the season, taking over for an embattled Jorge Sosa
, who was subsequently traded on the July 31 trade deadline for St. Louis minor league pitcher Rich Scalamandre.
On July 29, the Braves traded reserve third baseman/shortstop Wilson Betemit
to the Los Angeles Dodgers for reliever Danys Baez
and infielder Willy Aybar
. The move came on the night that starting third baseman Chipper Jones
went on the 15-day disabled list
with a strained oblique muscle. With Betemit gone, the Atlanta called up infielder Tony Pena Jr.
from AAA Richmond to supplement Pete Orr
.
Before the expansion of rosters on September 1, the Braves acquired Daryle Ward
from the Washington Nationals for Class A Myrtle Beach pitcher Luis Atilano
, in hopes that he would be a valuable pinch-hitter in the postseason.
However, on September 18, the New York Mets' win over the Florida Marlins
mathematically eliminated the Braves from winning the NL East, ending the Atlanta Braves eleven year reign over the NL East. On September 24, the Braves' loss to the Colorado Rockies
mathematically eliminated the Braves from winning the NL Wild Card, making 2006 the first year that the Braves would not compete in the postseason since 1990, not counting the strike-shortened 1994 season.
Also, a loss to the Mets on September 28 guaranteed the Braves their first losing season since 1990. Although the Braves won two of their last three games against the Astros, including rookie Chuck James
besting Roger Clemens
, Atlanta finished the season in third place, one game ahead of the Marlins, at 79-83.
After the season, the Atlanta coaching staff underwent a few changes. Brian Snitker
became the third base coach after Fredi Gonzalez
left to become the manager for the Florida Marlins. Chino Cadahia
replaced Pat Corrales
as bench coach and former catcher Eddie Perez became the new bullpen coach, replacing Bobby Dews
.
, who inherited the Braves after purchasing TBS in 1996, announced it was placing the team for sale. Liberty Media
began negotiations to purchase the team.
In February 2007, after more than a year of negotiations, Time Warner agreed to a deal that would sell the Braves to Liberty Media Group
(a company which owned a large amount of stock in Time Warner, Inc.
), pending approval by 75 percent of MLB owners and the Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig
. The deal includes the exchange of the Braves, and $1 billion cash, for the large block of Time Warner stock held by Liberty Media. Team President Terry McGuirk anticipated no change in the current front office structure, personnel, or day-to-day operations of the Braves. Liberty Media is not expected to take any type of "active" ownership in terms of day to day operations.
On May 16, 2007, Major League Baseball's owners approved the sale of the Braves from Time Warner to Liberty Media.
to a one year deal and picking up John Smoltz
's option in September 2006. Then they traded starting pitcher Horacio Ramírez
to the Seattle Mariners
for pitcher Rafael Soriano
, an American League reliever with a solid 2.20 ERA in 2006. They also denied arbitration to pitcher Chris Reitsma
and second baseman Marcus Giles
. Then the Braves signed utility-man Chris Woodward
to fill a spot on the bench. The biggest trade in the offseason involved first baseman Adam LaRoche
and a minor league player for Pittsburgh Pirates
closer Mike González and a minor league infielder, Brent Lillibridge
. Gonzalez, who converted 24 of 24 save opportunities in 2006, joined Soriano as a set-up man for Wickman in the bullpen. The team then signed first baseman Craig Wilson to a one year deal to platoon with Scott Thorman
. The Braves also had solid relievers in Macay McBride
, Blaine Boyer
, and Tyler Yates
. In addition, the majority of the Braves' offense, which was second in the NL in runs scored in 2006, returned in 2007. However, Mike Hampton
was sidelined for the entire 2007 season with yet another surgery. Mike González was later sidelined for the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
The Braves' bullpen and offense came through in the clutch early on, helping the Braves to a 7-1 start, their best start since winning the World Series in 1995. The team finished April with a 16-9 record, but struggled during May, finishing 14-14. The Braves also struggled during interleague play
, finishing with an NL-worst 4-11 record. On June 24, the Braves fell to .500 for the first time in the 2007 season, but rebounded by winning the next 5 games.
On July 5, Chipper Jones surpassed Dale Murphy for the Atlanta club record of 372 home runs by belting two against the Los Angeles Dodgers
. On July 31, 2007, the Braves finalized the deal to acquire slugger first baseman Mark Teixeira
and LHP Ron Mahay from the Texas Rangers
for Jarrod Saltalamacchia
and four minor-leaguers. The Braves also acquired Octavio Dotel
from the Kansas City Royals
for Kyle Davies and also traded LHP Wilfredo Ledezma
and RHP Will Startup to the San Diego Padres
for Royce Ring
. On August 19, 2007 John Smoltz passed Phil Niekro
for 1st place on the Braves' all-time strikeout list. After struggling during the second half of the 2007 season, Atlanta finished over .500 and missed the post season again. On October 12, 2007, John Schuerholz stepped aside from his General Manager position to take over as the team's president. Schuerholz's former Assistant GM Frank Wren will take over as the new Atlanta General Manager.
(who later would sign with the Dodgers). The second major move was acquiring OF Gorkys Hernandez
and RHP Jair Jurrjens
from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for SS Edgar Rentería
and cash considerations. His third move was signing LHP Tom Glavine
to a one-year contract.
The team's first new move for 2008 was acquiring OF Mark Kotsay
from the A's (to replace Jones) in exchange for RHP Joey Devine
, RHP Jamie Richmond and cash considerations. Days later, Wren traded Willy Aybar
, outfielder Tom Lindsey, and infielder Chase Fontaine to the Rays in exchange for left-hand reliever Jeff Ridgway
.
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
franchise
Major North American professional sports teams
The following is a list of teams that play in one of the six major sports leagues in the United States and Canada: Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the Canadian Football League, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, and Major League Soccer. All lists...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
1953-1959
Milwaukee went wild over the Braves, who were welcomed as genuine heroes. The Braves1953 Milwaukee Braves season
The Milwaukee Braves season saw the return of Major League Baseball to Milwaukee for the first time since , when the Milwaukee Brewers played before moving to St. Louis and becoming the Browns. With attendance and interest in Boston very low, team owner Lou Perini moved the team to Milwaukee,...
finished 92-62 in their first season
1953 Major League Baseball season
The 1953 Major League Baseball season marked the first relocation of an MLB franchise in fifty years, as the Boston Braves moved their NL franchise to Milwaukee, where they would play their home games at the new County Stadium.- External links :*...
in Milwaukee, and drew a then-NL record 1.8 million fans. The success of the team was noted by many owners. Not coincidentally, the Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
would leave their original hometowns in the next five years.
As the 1950s progressed, the reinvigorated Braves became increasingly competitive. Sluggers Eddie Mathews
Eddie Mathews
Edwin Lee "Eddie" Mathews was an American Major League Baseball third baseman. He is regarded as one of the greatest third basemen ever to play the game.-Early life:...
and Hank Aaron drove the offense (they would hit a combined 1,226 home runs as Braves, with 850 of those coming while the franchise was in Milwaukee), while Spahn, Lew Burdette
Lew Burdette
Selva Lewis Burdette, Jr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves...
and Bob Buhl
Bob Buhl
Robert Ray Buhl was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies...
anchored the rotation.
1957
In 19571957 Major League Baseball season
The 1957 Major League Baseball season involved the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants playing their final seasons as New York-based franchises before their moves to California for the following season, leaving New York without a National League team until the birth of the Mets in...
, the Braves celebrated their first pennant in nine years spearheaded by Aaron's MVP season
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
, as he led the National League in home runs and RBI. Perhaps the most memorable of his 44 round-trippers that season came on September 23, a two-run walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
that gave the Braves a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals
1957 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 76th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 66th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 87-67 during the season and finished second in the National League, eight games behind the Milwaukee Braves....
and clinched the league championship. The team then went on to its first World Series
1957 World Series
The 1957 World Series featured the defending champions, the New York Yankees , playing against the Milwaukee Braves . After finishing just one game behind the N.L. Champion Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956, the Braves came back in 1957 to win their first pennant since moving from Boston in 1953...
win in over 40 years, defeating the New York Yankees
1957 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 55th season for the team in New York, and its 57th season overall. The team finished with a record of 98-56 to win their 23rd pennant, finishing eight games ahead of the Chicago White Sox. New York was managed by Casey Stengel...
of Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
, Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
, and Ford
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...
in seven games. Burdette, the Series MVP, threw three complete game victories, giving up only two earned runs.
1958
In 19581958 Major League Baseball season
The Major League Baseball season of 1958 was the first season of play in California for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants...
, the Braves again won the National League pennant and jumped out to a three games to one lead in the World Series against New York once more, thanks in part to the strength of Spahn's and Burdette's pitching. But the Yankees stormed back to take the last three games, in large part to World Series MVP Bob Turley's
Bob Turley
Robert Lee Turley was a Major League Baseball pitcher.Turley was signed as an amateur free agent by the St. Louis Browns in . He played his first game on September 29, 1951 for the Browns and moved with them to Baltimore in...
pitching.
1959
The 1959 season1959 Major League Baseball season
-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player**Nellie Fox, Chicago White Sox **Ernie Banks, Chicago Cubs *Cy Young Award**Early Wynn, Chicago White Sox *Rookie of the Year**Bob Allison, Washington Senators...
saw the Braves finish the season in a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers
1959 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers finished in a first-place tie with the Milwaukee Braves, then won the pennant as they swept the Braves in a best-of-three playoff series. They went on to defeat the Chicago White Sox in the 1959 World Series in just their second season since leaving Brooklyn.- Offseason :*...
. Many residents of Chicago and Milwaukee were hoping for a Sox-Braves Series, as the cities are only about 75 miles (121 km) apart, but it was not to be because Milwaukee fell in a best-of-3 playoff with two straight losses to the Dodgers. The Dodgers would go on to defeat the Chicago White Sox
1959 Chicago White Sox season
The Chicago White Sox season was the team's 59th season in the major leagues, and its 60th season overall. They finished with a record 94-60, good enough to win the American League championship, five games ahead of the second place Cleveland Indians...
in the World Series
1959 World Series
The 1959 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers beating the American League champion Chicago White Sox, four games to two. It was the first pennant for the White Sox in 40 years . They would have to wait until 2005 to win another championship...
.
1960-65
The next six years were up-and-down for the Braves. The 1960 season1960 Major League Baseball season
The 1960 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. It was also the final season that a 154-game schedule was played in both the AL and the NL, before the AL began using the 162-game schedule the following season, with the NL following suit in .-Awards and...
featured two no-hitters by Burdette and Spahn, and Milwaukee
1960 Milwaukee Braves season
The 1960 Milwaukee Braves season was the eighth for the franchise in Milwaukee, and the 85th overall in the National League. The Braves finished in second place in the NL with a record of 88-66, seven games behind the NL and World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates.- Offseason :* October 13, 1959:...
finished seven games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the team's 79th season. The team finished with a record of 95-59, seven games in front of the second-place Milwaukee Braves to win their first National League championship in 33 seasons...
, who ultimately were to win the World Series
1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the New York Yankees of the American League from October 5 to October 13, 1960...
that year, in second place. The 1961 season
1961 Major League Baseball season
The New York Yankees defeated the Cincinnati Reds in five games in the World Series. The season is most well known for Yankee teammates Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle's pursuit of Babe Ruth's prestigious 34-year-old single-season home run record of 60...
saw a drop in the standings for the Braves
1961 Milwaukee Braves season
- Offseason :* October 14, 1960: Red Schoendienst was released by the Braves.* October 14, 1960: Stan Lopata was released by the Braves.* December 3, 1960: Billy Martin was purchased by the Braves from the Cincinnati Reds....
down to fourth, despite Spahn recording his 300th victory and pitching another no-hitter that year. The team's attendance also started to tail off during this time.
Aaron hit 45 home runs in 1962
1962 Major League Baseball season
This was the first 162-game schedule for the National League, as they added the Houston Colt .45s and the New York Mets to their lineup, as the NL returned to New York City, after a four-year absence...
, a Milwaukee career high for him, but this did not translate into wins for the Braves
1962 Milwaukee Braves season
- Offseason :* October 10, 1961: Merritt Ranew was drafted from the Braves by the Houston Colt .45s in the 1961 MLB expansion draft.* November 8, 1961: Ellis Burton and Lou Jackson were acquired by the Braves from the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of a minor league working agreement.* November 28,...
, as they finished fifth. The next season
1963 Major League Baseball season
The World Series winners were the Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the New York Yankees in four straight games. The Dodgers' stellar pitching staff, anchored by left-hander Sandy Koufax and right-hander Don Drysdale, was so dominant that the vaunted Yankees, despite the presence of sluggers such as...
, Aaron again hit 44 home runs and notched 130 RBI, and Spahn was once again the ace of the staff, going 23-7. However, none of the other Braves produced at that level, and the team
1963 Milwaukee Braves season
- Offseason :* October 11, 1962: Ron Hunt was purchased from the Braves by the New York Mets.* November 26, 1962: Ellis Burton was drafted from the Braves by the Houston Colt .45s in the 1962 rule 5 draft.* November 26, 1962: 1962 first-year draft...
finished in the lower half of the league, or "second division
First division (baseball)
First division is a term that has had various meanings, at various times, in the sport of baseball, but originally referred to the rankings within a league...
," for the first time in its short history in Milwaukee.
The Braves were somewhat mediocre as the 1960s began, but fattened up on the expansion New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and Houston Colt .45s
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. To this day, the Milwaukee Braves are the only major league team who played more than one season and never had a losing record.
Move to Atlanta
Perini sold the Braves to a ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based group led by William Bartholomay
William Bartholomay
William C. Bartholomay is a Chicago executive who made his living in the insurance industry. In 1962 he was the leader of a consortioum who bought the Milwaukee Braves, a National League Baseball franchise, from the previous Braves owner Lou Perini....
in 1962. The ink was barely dry on the deal when Bartholomay started shopping the Braves to a larger television market. Keen to attract them, the fast-growing city of Atlanta, led by Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr., constructed a new $18 million, 52,000-seat ballpark in less than one year, Atlanta Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:...
, which was officially opened in 1965 in hopes of luring an existing major league baseball and/or NFL/AFL team. After the city failed to lure the Kansas City A's
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
to Atlanta (the A's would move to Oakland in 1968), the Braves announced their intention to move to Atlanta for the 1965 season
1965 Major League Baseball season
The 1965 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. The Houston Colt .45s became the Astros, as they moved from Colts Stadium to the new Astrodome, becoming the first team to play their home games indoors, rather than outdoors. It was also the final season...
. However, an injunction filed in Wisconsin kept the Braves in Milwaukee for one final year. In 1966, the Braves completed the move to Atlanta.
1966-1975
The Braves were a .500 team in their first few years in Atlanta – 85-77 in 19661966 Major League Baseball season
The 1966 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. The Braves play their first season in Atlanta, following their relocation from Milwaukee. Three new stadiums opened that season. On April 12, the Braves ushered in Atlanta Stadium with the Pittsburgh...
, 77-85 in 1967
1967 Major League Baseball season
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Boston Red Sox four games to three in the 64th World Series, which was the first World Series appearance for the Red Sox in 21 years. Following the season, the Kansas City Athletics relocated to Oakland.-Awards and honors:...
, and 81-81 in 1968
1968 Major League Baseball season
The Athletics played their first season in Oakland this year, following the team's relocation from Kansas City. It was also the last season of play before each of the two leagues were split into divisions for the following season.-The Year of the Pitcher:...
. The 1967 season was the Braves' first losing season since 1952, their last year in Boston. In 1969
1969 Major League Baseball season
The 1969 Major League Baseball season was celebrated as the 100th anniversary of professional baseball, honoring the first professional touring baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings. A special silhouetted batter logo was created by Jerry Dior to commemorate the anniversary, and is still used...
, with the onset of divisional play, the Braves
1969 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves season was a season in American baseball. The National League had been split into two divisions before the season, with the Braves somewhat incongruously being assigned to the National League West...
won the first-ever National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
pennant, before being swept by the "Miracle Mets
1969 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the eighth season for the Mets franchise, which played its home games at Shea Stadium. Managed by Gil Hodges, the team went 100-62, finishing first in the newly-established National League East by eight games over the Chicago Cubs...
" in the National League Championship Series
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
. They would not be a factor in the next decade, posting only two winning seasons between 1970 and 1981 - in some cases, fielding teams as bad as the worst Boston teams.
In the meantime, fans had to be satisfied with the achievements of Hank Aaron. In the relatively hitter-friendly confines of Atlanta Stadium ("The Launching Pad"), he actually increased his offensive production. It also produced batting champions in Rico Carty
Rico Carty
Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty is a former professional baseball player. Nicknamed Beeg Boy, he played mostly as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from to...
(in 1970) and in Ralph Garr
Ralph Garr
Ralph Allen Garr is a former Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox and California Angels. He batted left-handed and threw right...
(in 1974). By the end of the 1973 season
1973 Major League Baseball season
The 1973 Major League Baseball season was the first season of play for the designated hitter in the American League. The Kansas City Royals moved their home games from Municipal Stadium to the new Royals Stadium, adjacent to the Chiefs' football facility, Arrowhead Stadium...
, Aaron had hit 713 home runs, one short of Ruth's record. Throughout the winter he received racially motivated death threats, but stood up well under the pressure. The next season
1974 Major League Baseball season
The 1974 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. The Oakland Athletics won their third consecutive World Series, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers four games to one....
, it was only a matter of time before he set a new record. On April 4 he hit #714 in Cincinnati
1974 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Reds finishing in second place in the National League West with a record of 98-64, four games behind the NL West and pennant-winning Los Angeles Dodgers...
, and on April 8, in front of his home fans, he finally beat Ruth's mark.
Ted Turner era begins
In 1976, the team was purchased by media magnate Ted TurnerTed Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
, owner of superstation
Superstation
Superstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...
WTBS, as a means to keep the team (and one of his main programming staples) in Atlanta. The financially-strapped Turner used money already paid to the team for their broadcast rights as a down-payment. It was then that Atlanta Stadium was re-named Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:...
. Turner quickly gained a reputation as a quirky, hands-on baseball owner.
Turner used the Braves as a major programming draw for his fledgling cable network, making the Braves the first franchise to have a regular, nationwide audience and fanbase. WTBS marketed the team as "The Atlanta Braves: America's Team
America's Team
The term America's Team is a popular nickname in American sports that refers to the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. The nickname originated with the team's 1978 highlight film, where the narrator opens with the following introduction: The term is recognized and often used by media...
," a nickname that still sticks in some areas of the country, especially the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, today. Among other things, in 1976 Turner suggested the nickname "Channel" for pitcher Andy Messersmith
Andy Messersmith
John Alexander "Andy" Messersmith is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was the 12th overall pick of the 1966 amateur draft by the California Angels...
and jersey number 17, in order to promote the television station that aired Braves games. Major League Baseball quickly nixed the idea.
1976-1989
On May 11, 1977, Turner appointed himself managerManager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
, but, because MLB passed a rule in the 1950s barring managers from holding a financial stake in their team, Turner was ordered to relinquish that position after one game (the Braves
1977 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves season was the 107th season for the franchise. The team finished in last place in the six-team National League West, 37 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :...
lost 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates
1977 Pittsburgh Pirates season
- Offseason :* November 5, 1976: Manny Sanguillén was traded by the Pirates to the Oakland Athletics for manager Chuck Tanner.* December 10, 1976: Richie Zisk and Silvio Martínez were traded by the Pirates to the Chicago White Sox for Goose Gossage and Terry Forster.* March 15, 1977: Rick Langford,...
to bring their losing streak to 17 games).
After three straight losing seasons, Bobby Cox
Bobby Cox
Robert Joseph "Bobby" Cox is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. He first led the Atlanta Braves from 1978 to 1981, and then managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982 to 1985. He later rejoined the Braves in 1985 as a general manager...
was hired for his first stint as manager of the franchise for the 1978 season
1969 Major League Baseball season
The 1969 Major League Baseball season was celebrated as the 100th anniversary of professional baseball, honoring the first professional touring baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings. A special silhouetted batter logo was created by Jerry Dior to commemorate the anniversary, and is still used...
, and he promoted a 22-year-old slugger named Dale Murphy
Dale Murphy
Dale Bryan Murphy is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman. During an 18-year baseball career, 1976–1993, he played for three different teams, but is noted for his time with the Atlanta Braves...
into the starting lineup. Murphy hit 77 home runs over the next three seasons, but struggled on defense, positioned at either catcher or first base while being unable to adeptly play either. However, in 1980
1980 Major League Baseball season
-Major league baseball final standings:-Postseason:The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Kansas City Royals in 6 games to win their first ever World Series Championship.*American League Championship Series: Frank White, MVP...
, Murphy was moved to center field and demonstrated excellent range and throwing ability, while the Braves earned their first winning season since 1974.
Cox was fired after the 1981 season
1981 Major League Baseball season
-First half:-Second half:-Overall record:-Statistical leaders:-Postseason:NOTE: Due to a strike in mid-season, the season was divided into a first half and a second half...
and replaced with Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
, under whose leadership the Braves
1982 Atlanta Braves season
- Offseason :* October 5, 1981: Gaylord Perry was released by the Braves.* March 23, 1982: Brian Asselstine was released by the Braves.During the offseason, the Braves acquired manager Joe Torre from the New York Mets in hopes of bringing the Braves their first postseason appearance since 1969.-...
attained their first divisional title since 1969. However, the Braves were swept by the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals
1982 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 1982 season was the team's 101st season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 91st season in the National League. Making up for the previous year's near-miss, the Cardinals went 92-70 during the season and won their first-ever National League East Division title by three games...
in the NLCS
1982 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series was played between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves from October 6 to October 10.-Background:...
. Strong performances from Bob Horner, Chris Chambliss
Chris Chambliss
Carroll Christopher Chambliss is a former Major League Baseball player who played from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves...
, pitcher Phil Niekro
Phil Niekro
Philip Henry Niekro , nicknamed "Knucksie" because of his usage and skill level with the knuckleball, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997....
, and short relief pitcher Gene Garber
Gene Garber
Henry Eugene Garber is a former sidearm relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the amateur draft, and pitched for the Pirates, the Kansas City Royals, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Atlanta Braves.Upon his retirement in , his...
helped the Braves, but no Brave was more acclaimed than Murphy, who won both a Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
and a Gold Glove
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
award. Murphy also won a Most Valuable Player award the following season, but the Braves began a period of decline that defined the team throughout the 1980s. Murphy, excelling in defense, hitting, and running, was consistently recognized as one of the league's best players, but the Braves averaged only 65 wins per season between 1985 and 1990. Their lowest point came in 1988, when they lost 106 games.
The 1986 season
1986 Major League Baseball season
-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player**Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox **Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies *Cy Young Award**Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox **Mike Scott, Houston Astros *Rookie of the Year...
saw the return of Bobby Cox to the Braves organization as general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
. Also in 1986, the team stopped using their Native American-themed mascot, Chief Noc-A-Homa
Chief Noc-A-Homa
Chief Noc-A-Homa was the original mascot of the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves from 1950s until 1986. The name was used for the "screaming Indian" sleeve patch worn on Braves jerseys...
.
1990-94
Cox returned to the dugout as manager in the middle of the 1990 season1990 Major League Baseball season
-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player**Rickey Henderson, Oakland Athletics **Barry Bonds, Pittsburgh Pirates *Cy Young Award**Bob Welch, Oakland Athletics **Doug Drabek, Pittsburgh Pirates *Rookie of the Year...
, replacing Russ Nixon
Russ Nixon
Russell Eugene Nixon is a former catcher, coach and manager in American Major League Baseball. A veteran of 55 years in professional baseball, Nixon has managed at virtually every level of the sport, from the lowest minor league to MLB assignments with the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves...
. The Braves
1990 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves season of 1990 was the team's 25th in Atlanta, and the 115th in franchise history as a member of the National League. The Braves won 65 and lost 97, en route to their sixth place finish in the NL West, 26 games behind the World Champion Cincinnati Reds...
would finish the year with the worst record in baseball, at 65-97, and traded Dale Murphy to the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
after it was clear he was becoming a less dominant player. However, pitching coach Leo Mazzone
Leo Mazzone
Leo David Mazzone is a former pitcher in minor league baseball and coach in Major League Baseball. He began working with the Atlanta Braves' organization in 1979.-Early life:...
began developing young pitchers Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
, Steve Avery
Steve Avery
Steven Thomas Avery is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was a young star with the Atlanta Braves in the early 1990s.-Young Gun:...
, and John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
into future stars. That same year, the Braves used the number one overall pick in the 1990 MLB Draft
1990 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1990 Major League Baseball draft.-Background:The draft went a record 101 rounds, surpassing 1989's total of 88, and included a record 1,487 selections. The Astros led all clubs with 100 selections. Seattle was second with 75,...
to select Chipper Jones
Chipper Jones
Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. is a Major League baseball player for the National League's Atlanta Braves. Although initially a shortstop, he has spent most of his career as the starting third baseman for the Braves...
, who would go on to become one of the best hitters in team history. Perhaps the Braves' most important move, however, was not on the field, but in the front office. Immediately after the season, John Schuerholz
John Schuerholz
John Schuerholz is the President of the Atlanta Braves of the National League. Before joining Atlanta, he spent twenty-two years with the Kansas City Royals organization, including nine as the club's General Manager. Among the teams he has built are the 1985 Royals and 1995 Braves, both world...
was hired away from the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
as general manager.
The following season
1991 Major League Baseball season
-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player**Cal Ripken, Jr., Baltimore Orioles, SS **Terry Pendleton, Atlanta Braves, 3B *Cy Young Award**Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox **Tom Glavine, Atlanta Braves *Rookie of the Year...
, Glavine, Avery, and Smoltz would be recognized as the best young pitchers in the league, winning 52 games among them. Meanwhile, behind position players Dave Justice
David Justice
David Christopher Justice is a former outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , and Oakland Athletics .-Early life:David was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Robert and Nettie Justice...
, Ron Gant
Ron Gant
Ronald Edwin "Ron" Gant is a former American Major League outfielder and second baseman earlier on who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cincinnati Reds , St...
and unexpected league Most Valuable Player and batting champion Terry Pendleton
Terry Pendleton
Terry Lee Pendleton is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball, and a former hitting coach and current first base coach of the Atlanta Braves. He played primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, but he also spent time with the Florida Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, and Kansas...
, the Braves
1991 Atlanta Braves season
In 1991, the Atlanta Braves became the first team in the National League to go from last place one year to first place the next. This feat was also accomplished by the 1991 Minnesota Twins...
overcame a 39-40 start, winning 55 of their final 83 games over the last three months of the season and edging the Los Angeles Dodgers
1991 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1991 season featured an exciting National League Western Division race between the Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves. The Braves edged out the Dodgers to win the division by one game...
by one game in one of baseball history's more memorable playoff races. The "Worst to First" Braves, who had not won a divisional title since 1982, captivated the city of Atlanta (and, to a larger degree, the state of Georgia and the entire southeast) during their improbable run to the flag. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates
1991 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1991 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 110th in franchise history. For the second consecutive season, the Pirates won the National League East Division Title...
in a very tightly contested seven-game NLCS
1991 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1991 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaThe Pirates proved they would be tough to eliminate early when they stifled the Braves offense behind 1990 Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek and won the first game 5–1...
only to lose the World Series
1991 World Series
The 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
, also in seven games, to the Minnesota Twins. The series, considered by many to be one of the greatest ever, was the first time a team that had finished last in its division one year went to the World Series the next; both the Twins and Braves accomplished the feat.
During the Braves' rise to prominence in the early 1990s, their long-standing ethnic nickname came under much closer scrutiny, even being protested in Minneapolis when the Braves visited the Twins for Game 1 of the 1991 World Series. The team was especially criticized for selling plastic and foam tomahawks, encouraging the so-called tomahawk chop and the accompanying war cry emitted by the fans. The war cry and tomahawk chop are similar, if not identical, to what Florida State University
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a...
fans do at their games. Initially, the war chant music was played by the Braves' organist, but in recent years, a recording of the FSU band has been used instead. This tradition can be traced back to the arrival of former Seminole Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
, who also played for the NFL's
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
at the time (he would go on to play both sports simultaneously in San Francisco for one year).
Despite the World Series loss, the Braves' success would continue. In the 1992 season
1992 Major League Baseball season
The 1992 MLB season saw a resergence in pitching dominance. On average, 1 out of every 7 games pitched that season was a shutout; in 2,106 MLB regular-season games, 298 shutouts were pitched . Two teams pitched at least 20 shutouts each; the Atlanta Braves led the Majors with 24 and the Pittsburgh...
, the Braves
1992 Atlanta Braves season
The 1992 Atlanta Braves season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Braves finishing first in the National League West with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses, clinching their second straight division title....
returned to the NLCS
1992 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 6, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaA rather uneventful opening to what would prove to be a memorable series, Game 1 was an easy win for the Braves. Atlanta scored four early runs, highlighted by Jeff Blauser's fifth-inning homer, and coasted to...
and once again defeated the Pirates
1992 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1992 Pittsburgh Pirates season saw the Pirates finish first in the National League East with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses. It was the third consecutive division title for the team. The Pirates once again fell short in the postseason, losing a riveting seven-game National League...
in seven games, only to lose in the World Series
1992 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 17, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaBraves fans had plenty to worry about in regard to both starting pitchers. Tom Glavine's post-season career had been less than stellar, including giving up eight runs in the second inning of Game 6 of the NLCS...
to a dominating Toronto Blue Jays
1992 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays played their 16th season in Major League Baseball. Toronto finished first in the American League East for the 4th time with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses, closing the season with an attendance record of 4,028,318...
team.
In 1993
1993 Major League Baseball season
The 1993 Major League Baseball season was also the final season of two division play in each league, before the Central Division was added the following season, giving both the NL and AL three divisions each....
, the Braves signed Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winning pitcher Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
from the Chicago Cubs, leading many baseball insiders to declare the team's pitching staff the best at that time. The 1993 team
1993 Atlanta Braves season
The 1993 Atlanta Braves season saw the Braves finish in first place in the National League West with a record of 104 wins and 58 losses. In the waning weeks of the season, they engaged in a dramatic and exciting battle for the division title against the San Francisco Giants, who finished in second...
posted a franchise-best 104 wins after a dramatic pennant race with the San Francisco Giants
1993 San Francisco Giants season
The 1993 Giants season was their 111th in Major League Baseball and their 36th in San Francisco. In the offseason, Barry Bonds left the Pirates to sign a lucrative free agent contract worth a then-record $43.75 million over 6 years with the Giants, with whom his father spent the first 7 years of...
, who won 103 games. The Braves needed a stunning 55-19 finish to edge out the Giants, who led the Braves by nine games in the standings as late as August 11. However, the Braves fell in the NLCS
1993 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 6, 1993 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaCurt Schilling began the series spectacularly by striking out the first five hitters he faced. The game would be back and forth and low-scoring. A wild-pitch by Atlanta starter Steve Avery allowed Philadelphia to a...
to the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in a six-game upset.
In 1994, in a realignment of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's divisions following the 1993 expansion, the Braves moved to the Eastern Division. This realignment was the main cause of the team's heated rivalry with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
during the mid to late 1990s.
The player's strike cut short the 1994 season
1994 Major League Baseball season
The 1994 Major League Baseball season ended with the infamous players strike ending the season on August 11, 1994.-Strike:As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ended prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason was played...
, prior to the division championships, with the Braves six games behind the Montreal Expos
1994 Montreal Expos season
The Montreal Expos finished the season with the best record in Major League Baseball. The Expos had 74 wins compared to 40 losses. The 1994 Major League Baseball strike forced an end to the season and any postseason aspirations that the franchise had...
with 48 games left to play.
1995-2004
The Braves1995 Atlanta Braves season
The 1995 Atlanta Braves season was the 125th season in the history of the franchise and 30th season in the city of Atlanta. The team finished the strike-shortened season with a record of 90–54, the best in the National League, en route to winning the World Series. For the sixth straight season,...
returned strong the following strike-shortened (teams played 144 games instead of the customary 162) year
1995 Major League Baseball season
Due to the 1994 Major League Baseball strike which carried into the 1995 season, a shortened 144 game schedule commenced on April 25, when the Florida Marlins played host to the Los Angeles Dodgers.-Regular season:...
and beat the Cleveland Indians
1995 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians season was the Major League Baseball season that led to the Indians returning to the World Series for the first time since . In a season that started late by 18 games - giving it just a 144 games - the Indians finished in first place in the American League Central Division...
in the World Series
1995 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
. This squelched claims by many Braves critics that they were the "Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of baseball" (January 1996 issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly). With this World Series victory, the Braves became the first team in Major League Baseball to win world championships in three different cities. With their strong pitching being a constant, the Braves would also appear in the 1996 and 1999 World Series (they lost both series to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, however), and had a streak of division titles from 1991 to 2005 interrupted only in 1994 when the strike ended the season early. Pitching is not the only constant in the Braves organization - Cox is still the Braves' manager, while Schuerholz remained the team's GM until after the 2007 season when he was promoted to team president. Pendleton did not finish his playing career in Atlanta, but has returned to the Braves system as the hitting coach.
A 95-67 record in produced a ninth consecutive division title. However, a sweep at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals
2000 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2000 season was the team's 119th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 109th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 95-67 during the season and won the National League Central division by ten games over the Cincinnati Reds...
prevented the Braves
2000 Atlanta Braves season
The 2000 season would mark the first time since 1990 that the Braves did not appear in the National League Championship Series. One of the highlights of the season was that the All-Star Game was held at Turner Field in Atlanta.-Offseason:...
from reaching the NLCS
2000 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 11, 2000 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Mets jumped on Cardinals starter Darryl Kile right from the outset. Rookie Timo Pérez led off the game with a double into the right field corner, and following a walk to Edgardo Alfonzo, scored on a double by Mike Piazza...
. In , Atlanta
2001 Atlanta Braves season
The 2001 Atlanta Braves season saw the team finish first in the NL East Division with an 88-74 record - the worst among playoff teams in 2001, and also the worst for the Braves since 1990 , when they had the worst record in baseball.The Braves swept the favored Houston Astros in the NLDS before...
won the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
division yet again, swept the NLDS
2001 National League Division Series
-Arizona Diamondbacks vs. St. Louis Cardinals:-Houston vs. Atlanta:The Atlanta Braves won their tenth straight division title, despite having the worst record among playoff teams. With that record, 2001 was also the Braves' worst season since 1990, when they had the worst record in baseball...
against the Houston Astros
2001 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 2001 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros successfully attempting to win the National League Central.-Offseason:*January 2, 2001: Charlie Hayes was signed as a Free Agent with the Houston Astros....
, then lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks
2001 Arizona Diamondbacks season
The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, in their fourth year of existence, looked to improve on their 2000 season. They had to contend in what was a strong National League West Division....
in the National League Championship Series
2001 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 16, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaThe 2001 NLCS began with an excellent pitching matchup of multiple-Cy Young Award winners Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux. Reggie Sanders plated a run in the first with a single to give Arizona a 1–0 lead. Meanwhile, Johnson...
four games to one. One memorable game the Braves played that year came on September 21, when they played rival New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in the first major professional sporting event held in New York City since 9/11.
In 2002
2002 Major League Baseball season
The Major League Baseball season finished with the Anaheim Angels defeating the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.-Major league baseball final standings:...
, 2003
2003 Major League Baseball season
*World Series MVP: Josh Beckett**American League Championship Series MVP: Mariano Rivera**National League Championship Series MVP: Iván Rodríguez*All-Star Game, July 15 at U.S...
and 2004
2004 Major League Baseball season
* Playoff MVPs** Manny Ramírez ** David Ortiz ** Albert Pujols * All-Star Game, July 13 at Minute Maid Park: American League, 9-4; Alfonso Soriano, MVP-References:* *...
, the Braves won their division again, but lost in the NLDS in all three years; 3 games to 2 to the San Francisco Giants
2002 San Francisco Giants season
The 2002 San Francisco Giants season was the 120th in franchise history, and the franchise's 45th season in San Francisco. The season ended with the Giants winning the National League pennant but losing to the Anaheim Angels in the 2002 World Series....
and Chicago Cubs
2003 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 2003 season was the 131st season for the Cubs. The Cubs went 88-74 during the season and won the National League Central Division for the first time since the division's formation in 1994, and the team's first division title since their 1989 NL East title...
, and 3 games to 1 to the Houston Astros
2004 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 2004 season was a season in which the Astros endured various changes. The biggest change was at the managerial level. Despite a 44-44 record, Jimy Williams was replaced by Phil Garner. Roger Clemens would win the NL Cy Young Award and become the fourth pitcher to win the Cy...
.
Cy Young dominance
Six National League Cy Young AwardCy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
s in the 1990s were awarded to three Braves pitchers:
- In 1991, left-handed pitcher Tom GlavineTom GlavineThomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
received his first award. - Right-handed pitcher Greg MadduxGreg MadduxGregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
won three in a row with the Braves, from 1993 through 1995. His first award came in 1992 with the Cubs. - In 1996, right-handed pitcher John SmoltzJohn SmoltzJohn Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
received his only Cy Young award. - In 1998, Glavine won his second.
2005: A new generation
In 2005, the Braves won the Eastern Division championship for the eleventh consecutive year from 1995 to 2005. This followed winning the Western Division championship three times from 1991 to 1993, prior to the 1994 player's strike. The 2005 title marked the first time any MLB team made the postseason with more than 4 rookies who each had more than 100 ABs (Wilson BetemitWilson Betemit
Wilson Betemit is a Dominican professional baseball infielder. He is 6'2" and weighs 220 pounds...
, Brian McCann, Pete Orr
Pete Orr
Peterson Thomas "Pete" Orr is a Canadian professional baseball infielder who is currently in the Philadelphia Phillies organziation.-College:Orr attended Galveston Community College in Galveston, Texas...
, Ryan Langerhans
Ryan Langerhans
Ryan David Langerhans is an American Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Langerhans was drafted in the third round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves...
, Jeff Francoeur
Jeff Francoeur
Jeffrey Braden Francoeur , nicknamed "Frenchy", is a Major League Baseball right fielder who now plays for the Kansas City Royals. Francoeur is known for a strong throwing arm.-Minor league career:...
). Catcher Brian McCann, right fielder Jeff Francoeur
Jeff Francoeur
Jeffrey Braden Francoeur , nicknamed "Frenchy", is a Major League Baseball right fielder who now plays for the Kansas City Royals. Francoeur is known for a strong throwing arm.-Minor league career:...
, and pitcher Kyle Davies all grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta. The large number of rookies to debut in 2005 were nicknamed the "Baby Braves" by fans and became an Atlanta-area sensation, helping to lead the club to a record of 90-72.
However, the season would end on a sour note as the Braves lost the National League Division Series
2005 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 4:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriIt was a matchup between Jake Peavy and eventual 2005 Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter. In the bottom of the first, Jim Edmonds's one-out solo homer put the Cardinals up 1–0...
to the Astros
2005 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 2005 season was a season in which the Houston Astros qualified for the postseason for the second consecutive season. The Astros overcame a sluggish 15-30 start to claim the wild card playoff spot, and would go on to win the National League pennant to advance to the World Series...
in four games. In Game 4, with the Braves leading by 5 in the eighth inning, the Astros battled back with a Lance Berkman
Lance Berkman
William Lance Berkman is an American professional baseball outfielder and right fielder with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball....
grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
and a two-out, ninth inning Brad Ausmus
Brad Ausmus
Bradley David "Brad" Ausmus is a former All Star catcher in Major League Baseball, and currently a special assistant for the San Diego Padres....
home run off of Braves closer Kyle Farnsworth
Kyle Farnsworth
Kyle Lynn Farnsworth is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently the closer for the Tampa Bay Rays.-High school and college:...
. The game didn't end until the 18th inning, becoming the longest game in playoff history at 5 hours 50 minutes. Chris Burke ended the marathon with a home run off of Joey Devine
Joey Devine
Joseph Neal "Joey" Devine is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics.-Atlanta Braves:...
.
After the 2005 season, the Braves lost their long-time pitching coach Leo Mazzone
Leo Mazzone
Leo David Mazzone is a former pitcher in minor league baseball and coach in Major League Baseball. He began working with the Atlanta Braves' organization in 1979.-Early life:...
, who left to go to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. Roger McDowell
Roger McDowell
Roger Alan McDowell is the pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves and was a right-handed relief pitcher for twelve seasons in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1996. He played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League and the Texas Rangers and...
took his place in the Atlanta dugout. Unable to re-sign shortstop Rafael Furcal
Rafael Furcal
Rafael Antonio Furcal , is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent.-Early career:...
, the Braves acquired shortstop Edgar Rentería
Edgar Rentería
Edgar Enrique Rentería Herazo , nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby," is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop. He throws and bats right-handed. Previously, he has played for the Florida Marlins, the St...
from the Boston Red Sox.
2006: Struggles
In 20062006 Major League Baseball season
In , the Major League Baseball season ended with the National League's St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series with the lowest regular season victory total in history. The American League continued its domination at the All-Star Game by winning its fourth straight game; the A.L. has won nine...
, the Braves did not perform at the level they had grown accustomed to. Due to an offensive slump, injuries to their starting rotation, and subpar bullpen performances, the Braves compiled a 6-21 record for the month of June, the worst month ever in the city of Atlanta, and just percentage points better than the Boston Braves of May 1935 (4-20).
The Braves made their move in July, going 14-10. However, the team remained in the bottom half of the NL East and trailed the Mets
2006 New York Mets season
The New York Mets' 2006 season was the 45th regular season for the Mets. They went 97-65 and won the NL East. They were managed by Willie Randolph. They played home games at Shea Stadium. They used the marketing slogan of "The Team. The Time...
by a double-digit deficit for much of the season (13 games at the all-star break
2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 2006 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh,...
). However, despite their struggles, the Braves entered the break down by only six and a half games to the Dodgers for the NL Wild Card slot after winning seven of their last ten games.
After the break, the Braves came out with their bats swinging, setting many franchise records. They won five straight, sweeping the Padres
2006 San Diego Padres season
The 2006 San Diego Padres season captured their second consecutive National League West crown, with a record of 88-74, and for the first time in franchise history back-to-back postseason appearances, and three consecutive winning seasons...
and taking two from the Cardinals
2006 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2006 season was the team's 125th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 115th season in the National League. The season started out with a bang, as the team raced out to a 31-16 record by late May...
, tallying a total of 65 runs in that span. The 65 runs in five games is the best by the franchise since 1897, when the Boston Beaneaters totaled 78, including 25 in one game and 21 in another, from May 31-June 3; the 2006 Braves also became the first team since the 1930 New York Yankees
1930 New York Yankees season
The 1930 New York Yankees season was their 28th season. The team finished with a record of 86-68, finishing 16 games behind the Philadelphia Athletics. New York was managed by Bob Shawkey...
to score ten runs or more in five straight games. The Braves had a total of 81 hits during their five-game run and 98 hits in their last six games, going back to an 8-3 victory over Cincinnati
2006 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 2006 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Reds making a bid to win the NL Central division, although just falling short, finishing in third place. The Reds had a final record of 80–82 and were managed by Jerry Narron.-Season summary:In the offseason...
on July 9, the last game before the all-star break. Additionally, Chipper Jones was able to maintain a 20 game hitting streak and tie Paul Waner
Paul Waner
Paul Glee Waner , nicknamed "Big Poison", was a German-American Major League Baseball right fielder.-Pittsburgh Pirates:...
's 69 year old Major League record with a 14 game extra-base hit streak. (The Sporting News Baseball Record Book, 2007, p. 29)
The Braves made their first trade of the season on July 20 to shore up the bullpen, sending Class A Rome catcher Max Ramirez to Cleveland for closer Bob Wickman
Bob Wickman
Robert Joe Wickman is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Wickman played for the New York Yankees , Milwaukee Brewers , Cleveland Indians , Atlanta Braves , and Arizona Diamondbacks . He batted and threw right-handed...
. He served as the Braves' closer for the remainder of the season, taking over for an embattled Jorge Sosa
Jorge Sosa
Jorge Bolivar Sosa is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. Sosa stands at 6'2" tall and reportedly weighs 218 pounds...
, who was subsequently traded on the July 31 trade deadline for St. Louis minor league pitcher Rich Scalamandre.
On July 29, the Braves traded reserve third baseman/shortstop Wilson Betemit
Wilson Betemit
Wilson Betemit is a Dominican professional baseball infielder. He is 6'2" and weighs 220 pounds...
to the Los Angeles Dodgers for reliever Danys Baez
Danys Báez
Danys Báez González is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Báez has previously played for the Cleveland Indians , Tampa Bay Devil Rays , Los Angeles Dodgers , Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles , and Philadelphia Phillies .-Cleveland Indians:Báez was signed by the Cleveland...
and infielder Willy Aybar
Willy Aybar
Willy Del Jesus Aybar is an infielder who currently plays for the Yuma Scorpions in the North American League. Aybar has previously played in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Tampa Bay Rays...
. The move came on the night that starting third baseman Chipper Jones
Chipper Jones
Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. is a Major League baseball player for the National League's Atlanta Braves. Although initially a shortstop, he has spent most of his career as the starting third baseman for the Braves...
went on the 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
with a strained oblique muscle. With Betemit gone, the Atlanta called up infielder Tony Pena Jr.
Tony Francisco Peña (baseball player)
Tony Francisco Peña is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization. Pena played shortstop until the 2009 season, when he converted to pitching.-Family:...
from AAA Richmond to supplement Pete Orr
Pete Orr
Peterson Thomas "Pete" Orr is a Canadian professional baseball infielder who is currently in the Philadelphia Phillies organziation.-College:Orr attended Galveston Community College in Galveston, Texas...
.
Before the expansion of rosters on September 1, the Braves acquired Daryle Ward
Daryle Ward
Daryle Lamar Ward is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and plays in the Minor League farm system. He has not played in the Majors since 2008. He bats and throws left-handed. The 6-foot-2, 240 pound Ward was drafted by the Detroit Tigers...
from the Washington Nationals for Class A Myrtle Beach pitcher Luis Atilano
Luis Atilano
Luis A. Atilano is a Puerto Rican professional baseball player. He is a right-handed pitcher for the Washington Nationals...
, in hopes that he would be a valuable pinch-hitter in the postseason.
However, on September 18, the New York Mets' win over the Florida Marlins
2006 Florida Marlins season
The 2006 Florida Marlins season was the 14th in Marlins franchise history; an American Major League Baseball team based in Miami Gardens, Florida. They finished the season in fourth place in the National League East Division...
mathematically eliminated the Braves from winning the NL East, ending the Atlanta Braves eleven year reign over the NL East. On September 24, the Braves' loss to the Colorado Rockies
2006 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 2006 season was the 14th for the Rockies. They competed in the National League West finishing with a record of 76-86 and tied for 4th place in the division. Clint Hurdle was the manager...
mathematically eliminated the Braves from winning the NL Wild Card, making 2006 the first year that the Braves would not compete in the postseason since 1990, not counting the strike-shortened 1994 season.
Also, a loss to the Mets on September 28 guaranteed the Braves their first losing season since 1990. Although the Braves won two of their last three games against the Astros, including rookie Chuck James
Chuck James
Charles Hamilton "Chuck" James is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins.-Atlanta Braves:...
besting Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
, Atlanta finished the season in third place, one game ahead of the Marlins, at 79-83.
After the season, the Atlanta coaching staff underwent a few changes. Brian Snitker
Brian Snitker
Brian G. Snitker is the current Atlanta Braves third base coach. He was named to that position on October 3, 2006, replacing Fredi González, who left to join the Florida Marlins as manager...
became the third base coach after Fredi Gonzalez
Fredi González
Fredi Jesus González is the current manager of the Atlanta Braves in Major League Baseball. Gonzalez is also the former manager of the Florida Marlins 2007–2010. For the four years prior to 2007, he was third base coach for the Atlanta Braves.-Biography:Gonzalez grew up in Miami, Florida, where he...
left to become the manager for the Florida Marlins. Chino Cadahia
Chino Cadahia
Aurelio "Chino" Cadahia is the current bench coach for the Kansas City Royals.Cadahia joined the Kansas City Royals in 2011 after spending the last 15 seasons in the Braves' organization, including the last four seasons as the bench coach for the Major League club...
replaced Pat Corrales
Pat Corrales
Patrick Corrales , is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who played from 1964–1973, primarily for the Cincinnati Reds, but also for the Philadelphia Phillies, St...
as bench coach and former catcher Eddie Perez became the new bullpen coach, replacing Bobby Dews
Bobby Dews
Robert Walter Dews, Jr., known professionally as Bobby Dews, is a former infielder in Minor League Baseball and coach in Major League Baseball....
.
Sale to Liberty Media
In December 2005, team owner Time WarnerTime Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
, who inherited the Braves after purchasing TBS in 1996, announced it was placing the team for sale. Liberty Media
Liberty Media
Liberty Media Corporation is an American media conglomerate and the control is exercised by company Chairman John C. Malone, who owns a majority of the voting shares....
began negotiations to purchase the team.
In February 2007, after more than a year of negotiations, Time Warner agreed to a deal that would sell the Braves to Liberty Media Group
Liberty Media
Liberty Media Corporation is an American media conglomerate and the control is exercised by company Chairman John C. Malone, who owns a majority of the voting shares....
(a company which owned a large amount of stock in Time Warner, Inc.
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
), pending approval by 75 percent of MLB owners and the Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
. The deal includes the exchange of the Braves, and $1 billion cash, for the large block of Time Warner stock held by Liberty Media. Team President Terry McGuirk anticipated no change in the current front office structure, personnel, or day-to-day operations of the Braves. Liberty Media is not expected to take any type of "active" ownership in terms of day to day operations.
On May 16, 2007, Major League Baseball's owners approved the sale of the Braves from Time Warner to Liberty Media.
2007: A good start....
The Braves made their first moves by re-signing Bob WickmanBob Wickman
Robert Joe Wickman is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Wickman played for the New York Yankees , Milwaukee Brewers , Cleveland Indians , Atlanta Braves , and Arizona Diamondbacks . He batted and threw right-handed...
to a one year deal and picking up John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
's option in September 2006. Then they traded starting pitcher Horacio Ramírez
Horacio Ramírez
Horacio Ramírez is a Major League Baseball pitcher. His parents emigrated from Jalostotitlan, Jalisco, Mexico.-Career:...
to the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
for pitcher Rafael Soriano
Rafael Soriano
Rafael Soriano is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the New York Yankees. He bats and throws right-handed...
, an American League reliever with a solid 2.20 ERA in 2006. They also denied arbitration to pitcher Chris Reitsma
Chris Reitsma
Christopher Michael Reitsma is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played seven seasons in the majors, from until , with the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, and Seattle Mariners.-Red Sox and Reds:...
and second baseman Marcus Giles
Marcus Giles
Marcus William Giles is a former Major League Baseball player. He played second base and batted right-handed. His older brother, Brian Giles, was an outfielder who also played in the Major Leagues.-Career:...
. Then the Braves signed utility-man Chris Woodward
Chris Woodward
Christopher Michael Woodward is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent.-Toronto Blue Jays:...
to fill a spot on the bench. The biggest trade in the offseason involved first baseman Adam LaRoche
Adam LaRoche
David Adam LaRoche , is a Major League Baseball first baseman. In 2011, the Washington Nationals signed him to a two-year deal...
and a minor league player for Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
closer Mike González and a minor league infielder, Brent Lillibridge
Brent Lillibridge
Brent Stuart Lillibridge is a Major League Baseball position player for the Chicago White Sox...
. Gonzalez, who converted 24 of 24 save opportunities in 2006, joined Soriano as a set-up man for Wickman in the bullpen. The team then signed first baseman Craig Wilson to a one year deal to platoon with Scott Thorman
Scott Thorman
Scott Robert Thorman is a professional baseball first baseman. Thorman was drafted in the first round, 30th overall in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves...
. The Braves also had solid relievers in Macay McBride
Macay McBride
Joseph Macay McBride is a former Major League baseball relief pitcher.- High school :McBride attended Screven County High School in Sylvania, Georgia, and made his mark as a power pitcher with a fastball in the low 90s...
, Blaine Boyer
Blaine Boyer
Blaine Thomas Boyer is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets.-Baseball career:...
, and Tyler Yates
Tyler Yates
Tyler Kali Yates is a right-handed pitcher in Minor League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization....
. In addition, the majority of the Braves' offense, which was second in the NL in runs scored in 2006, returned in 2007. However, Mike Hampton
Mike Hampton
Michael William Hampton is a left-handed former Major League Baseball pitcher. During his career, Hampton was well known for being one of the best hitting pitchers of his time, as well as for his large contract and frequent injuries.-Early career:Mike Hampton was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in...
was sidelined for the entire 2007 season with yet another surgery. Mike González was later sidelined for the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
The Braves' bullpen and offense came through in the clutch early on, helping the Braves to a 7-1 start, their best start since winning the World Series in 1995. The team finished April with a 16-9 record, but struggled during May, finishing 14-14. The Braves also struggled during interleague play
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
, finishing with an NL-worst 4-11 record. On June 24, the Braves fell to .500 for the first time in the 2007 season, but rebounded by winning the next 5 games.
On July 5, Chipper Jones surpassed Dale Murphy for the Atlanta club record of 372 home runs by belting two against the Los Angeles Dodgers
2007 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers' 2007 season started off promisingly with the Dodgers holding the Western Division lead for most of the first half of the season. However, the team faded down the stretch and finished the season in fourth place. Two of the teams big free agent signings, pitchers Jason...
. On July 31, 2007, the Braves finalized the deal to acquire slugger first baseman Mark Teixeira
Mark Teixeira
Mark Charles Teixeira , nicknamed "Tex" is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Mostly a first baseman, he has also played third base and in the outfield...
and LHP Ron Mahay from the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
for Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Jarrod Scott Saltalamacchia , nicknamed "Salty" is an American professional baseball catcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.His last name is the longest in Major League Baseball history...
and four minor-leaguers. The Braves also acquired Octavio Dotel
Octavio Dotel
Octavio Eduardo Dotel is a Domincan professional baseball pitcher who is currently a Free Agent....
from the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
for Kyle Davies and also traded LHP Wilfredo Ledezma
Wilfredo Ledezma
Wilfredo Jose Ledezma is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He has previously played for the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals, and Pittsburgh Pirates...
and RHP Will Startup to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
for Royce Ring
Royce Ring
Roger Royce Ring is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Schools:Ring graduated from Monte Vista High School and attended San Diego State University where he was a star closer....
. On August 19, 2007 John Smoltz passed Phil Niekro
Phil Niekro
Philip Henry Niekro , nicknamed "Knucksie" because of his usage and skill level with the knuckleball, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997....
for 1st place on the Braves' all-time strikeout list. After struggling during the second half of the 2007 season, Atlanta finished over .500 and missed the post season again. On October 12, 2007, John Schuerholz stepped aside from his General Manager position to take over as the team's president. Schuerholz's former Assistant GM Frank Wren will take over as the new Atlanta General Manager.
2008 off-season moves
Wren's first major transaction was the announcement that the team would not re-sign center fielder Andruw JonesAndruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
(who later would sign with the Dodgers). The second major move was acquiring OF Gorkys Hernandez
Gorkys Hernández
Gorkys Gustavo Hernández is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization currently assigned to their triple A Indianapolis Indians of the International League....
and RHP Jair Jurrjens
Jair Jurrjens
-Childhood:Jurrjens grew in a quiet neighborhood called ´Kura Piedra´ pronounced in Dutch as ´Steenkoraal or Stenenkoraal´, and was always active in baseball. His older brother, Carl Jr., also played baseball.Jurrjens speaks English, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamentu....
from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for SS Edgar Rentería
Edgar Rentería
Edgar Enrique Rentería Herazo , nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby," is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop. He throws and bats right-handed. Previously, he has played for the Florida Marlins, the St...
and cash considerations. His third move was signing LHP Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
to a one-year contract.
The team's first new move for 2008 was acquiring OF Mark Kotsay
Mark Kotsay
Mark Steven Kotsay is an American professional baseball outfielder with the San Diego Padres...
from the A's (to replace Jones) in exchange for RHP Joey Devine
Joey Devine
Joseph Neal "Joey" Devine is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics.-Atlanta Braves:...
, RHP Jamie Richmond and cash considerations. Days later, Wren traded Willy Aybar
Willy Aybar
Willy Del Jesus Aybar is an infielder who currently plays for the Yuma Scorpions in the North American League. Aybar has previously played in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Tampa Bay Rays...
, outfielder Tom Lindsey, and infielder Chase Fontaine to the Rays in exchange for left-hand reliever Jeff Ridgway
Jeff Ridgway
Jeffrey Allen Ridgway is a Major League Baseball player who is currently in the Washington Nationals organization. A pitcher, Ridgway made his Major League Baseball debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on September 17, .In 2007, Ridgway had an ERA of 189.00...
.