The Atlanta Braves are a storied baseball franchise that began as the Boston Red Sox in 1871. Like the Red Sox, the eventual Braves were one of the first two major league charter franchises along with the Chicago Cubs. The franchise changed its name to the Braves in 1912 and moved from Boston to Milwaukee in 1953 and then to Atlanta in 1966. Inspired by the informative Leo Wells on Sports blog, we list highlights from the team’s years below. in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta.
The Boston Years: 1871-1953
The Braves became one of the National League franchises in 1876 and won pennants in 1877 and 1878.
In 1914, after a long streak of mediocrity, the team turned around its last place standing by going 41-12 from July to September. They swept the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series for the first official World Series sweep.
In 1935, the franchise acquired an aging Babe Ruth. Ruth’s batting pleased the team’s fans. But his diminished baserunning and fielding caused internal conflict.
In 1953, after buying out his partners in the team, Lou Perini, who had taken over the team in 1935, moved it to Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Years: 1953-1966
In his first season in Milwaukee, the team produced a 92-62 record, drawing 1.8 million fans; a National League record at the time. The success of the team after the relocation would cause other teams to consider relocation.
In 1957, the team won another pennant under the pitching of Warren Spahn, Lew Burdette, and Bob Buhl, and the hitting of Eddie Matthews and Hank Aaron, who finished the season as National League MVPs.
In 1962, Perini sold the franchise to a group headed by William Bartholomay, a move that would lead to the team’s relocation to Atlanta.
During their time as the Milwaukee Braves, the team remains the only major league team to play more than one season and never have a record below .500.
The Atlanta Years: 1966–present
In 1969, the team won its first National League West Division title in Atlanta.
At the start of the 1974 season, Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth’s opening day home run record against Cincinnati at Cincinnati, and then broke the record on April 8 against the Dodgers at Atlanta.
Ted Turner bought the franchise in 1976.
After years of division success that never produced pennants, the team beat the Indians to win the 1995 World Series.
In 2005, Liberty Media, a major Time Warner shareholder, purchased the franchise from Time Warner.
Throughout its recent history in Atlanta, the excellent hitting of players like Dale Murphy, Terry Pendleton and Chipper Jones has been reflected in the excellent pitching of players like Tome Glavine, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux, who combined to win six awards. Cy Young during the 1990s