The Atlanta Braves are a Major League Baseball team having their base in Atlanta, Georgia, since 1966. The team competes in the Eastern Division of the National League. The Braves have the honor of winning their division title 14 consecutive times beginning with 1991 and ending in 2005, omitting the strike-shortened 1994 season in which no division champions were officially crowned. Overall, the Braves have been successful in winning 16 divisional titles, nine National League pennants, and three World Series championships (1914, 1957, and 1995). The Braves have the distinction of being one of the only two remaining charter members left in the National League along with the Chicago Cubs.
History
Boston
1871-1913
The Cincinnati Base Ball Club was the sponsor of the first professional baseball team in 1869. After the 1870 season, It was dissolved through voting. Cincinnati Red Stockings player-manager Harry Wright along with his brother George and two other Cincinnati players moved to Boston, Massachusetts. They formed the nucleus of the Boston Red Stockings, a charter member of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players.
1914: Miracle:
Two years later, The Braves were successful in setting up one of the most memorable seasons in baseball history. The Braves were on pace for a last place finish after a dismal 4-18 start. They lost both games of a doubleheader to the Brooklyn Dodgers on July 4,1914. After losing consecutively, the Braves were in last place with their record at 26-40. They were 15 games behind the league-leading New York Giants. However, the Braves won 41 games and lost 12 games from July 4-September 7. The Braves moved into first place after beating the New York Giants on September 7th and September 8th.
1915-1953
The Braves contended for most of 1915 and 1916. Only two non-losing records were posted by Braves from 1917 to 1932. Judge Emil Fuchs bought the team in 1923 to bring his longtime friend, pitching great Christy Mathewson back into the game. However, Mathewson died in 1925, leaving Fuchs in control of the team.Fuchs was committed to building a winner but It took awhile to overcome the damage from the years prior to his arrival. Under manager Bill McKechnie, the Braves finally managed to compete 1933 and 1934.
Fuch was facing financial crisis at that time due to the Great Depression. Fuchs worked out a deal with the New York Yankees as he was looking for a way to get more fans and more money. He was successful in acquiring Babe Ruth, who had ironically started his career with the Red Sox. Ruth was mad made vice president of the team with a share of the Braves’ profits by Fuchs.
1990s: Successes and Stars
In the middle of the 1990 season, Cox returned to the dugout as manager. He replaced Russ Nixon. The year was finished with the worst record in baseball by the Braves. They traded Dale Murphy to the Philadelphia Phillies (http://ticketnest.com/sports-tickets/Philadelphia-Phillies/index.php) after it was clear he was becoming a less dominant player. However, young pitchers Tom Glavine, Steve Avery, and John Smoltz started getting training by pitching coach Leo Mazzone. That same year, the Braves used the number one overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft to select Chipper Jones, who would become a star player.
The Braves made the most important move in the front office. John Schuerholz was hired away from the Kansas City Royals as general manager immediately after the season.
The following season, Glavine, Avery, and Smoltz were successful in earning the recognition as the best young pitchers in the league. They wong 52 games between them.
Meanwhile, the Braves were successful in overcoming a slow start behind position players Dave Justice, Ron Gant and unexpected league Most Valuable Player and batting champion Terry Pendleton. They won 8 of their last 9, edging the Los Angeles Dodgers by one game in one of baseball history’s more memorable playoff races. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in a tightly contested seven-game NLCS only to lose the World Series, also in seven games, to the Minnesota Twins.
Many consider this series to be one of the greatest ever. It 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 have the honor of accomplishing the feat.
2005: A New Generation
In 2005, the Braves were the victorious of the Eastern Division championship. They won this 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.
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. It became an Atlanta-area sensation. This helped them to lead the club to a record of 90-72.
For more information about Atlanta Braves visit: http://ticketnest.com/sports-tickets/Atlanta-Braves/index.php
Steve is a staff writer for Ticket Nest ( www.ticketnest.com ) and enjoys writing about his travel, theater and concert experiences. He can be reached at steve@ticketnest.com
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