braves bits

Braves Bits takes you through the 150 Years of the Braves giving the reader bits and pieces of the franchise’s rich history. Every year there was something new. Here are the first thirty years.

1876.  April 22- First game played in the National League. The Red Stockings beat the Athletics 6-5……….1878. The Red Stockings win their second straight pennant……….1879. Tommy Bond wins forty-three games for the Red Stockings……...1881. Rookie “Grasshopper” Jim Whitney works a record 552 ⅓ innings and leads the league with thirty-one victories and fifty-seven complete games. He also lost thirty-three games………. 1883.The franchise name was changed to the Beaneaters……….1884. Charley” Old Hoss” Radbourn pitched the last 27 games of the season, winning twenty-six. Radbourn finished the season 59-12, throwing for 678 ⅔ innings, with 73 complete games and a 1.38 ERA for the year……….1888. President Ulysses S Grant attended a game between the New York Gothams (now the SF Giants) and the Boston Beaneaters.......... Perennial 30-game winner, John Clarkson is purchased from the White Stockings for $10,000……….1889. complete games in seventy-two starts ……….1894. Hugh Duffy records an untouchable Beaneaters fall short of winning the pennant on the last day of the season. Clarkson records a 49-19 record, pitching 68 complete games in seventy-two games started and finishes with a 2.73 ERA. John Clarkson of the Beaneaters in the 3rd inning pitched the first known immaculate inning. facing Jim Fogarty, Sam Thompson, and Sid Farrar.……….1890. Frank Selee begins his 12-year tenure as manager of Beaneaters……READ MORE

1891. Beaneaters rebound to win the pennant, led by Clarkson and sophomore sensation “Kid” Nichols who won thirty-five games apiece. Bobby Lowe became the first Brave to get six hits in a game……...1892. The National League season expanded to 154 games. Boston released Clarkson, but Nichols and newcomer Stivetts led the Beaneaters to a repeat pennant with thirty-five wins apiece. Stivetts pitched the first no-hitter in Braves franchise history……….1893. Boston wins the third straight pennant. John Clarkson wins forty-nine games and pitches 68 .438 batting average. Mike “King” Kelly died of pneumonia at age thirty-six. This important person to the franchise was the most popular player in the 19th century. Hugh Duffy has the finest year in franchise history……….1897. After a three-year downslide, the Beaneaters bounced back to win the pennant and record the highest winning percentage in franchise history of .705...a record that probably will not be matched……….1898. Boston wins its eighth pennant in the National Leagues twenty-three-year history. Vic Willis led the staff with twenty-seven wins and pitched the second no-hitter in franchise history……….1901. Marked the so-called beginning of modern-day baseball. Kid Nichols, Bobby Lowe, “Slidin’ Billy” Hamilton all played the last season with the team……….1903. The first modern World Series was played in 1903 without the Boston Beaneaters who would start to rapidly decline for the next eleven years, with the five-eighth place and three-seventh place finishes……….

1876.  April 22- First game played in the National League. The Red Stockings beat the Athletics 6-5……….1878. The Red Stockings win their second straight pennant……….1879. Tommy Bond wins forty-three games for the Red Stockings……...1881. Rookie “Grasshopper” Jim Whitney works a record 552 ⅓ innings and leads the league with thirty-one victories and fifty-seven complete games. He also lost thirty-three games………. 1883. The franchise name was changed to the Beaneaters……….1884. Charley” Old Hoss” Radbourn pitched the last 27 games of the season, winning twenty-six. Radbourn finished the season 59-12, throwing for 678 ⅔ innings, with 73 complete games and a 1.38 ERA for the year……….1888. President Ulysses S Grant attended a game between the New York Gothams (now the SF Giants) and the Boston Beaneaters.......... Perennial 30-game winner, John Clarkson is purchased from the White Stockings for $10,000……….1889. complete games in seventy-two starts ……….1894. Hugh Duffy records an untouchable Beaneaters fall short of winning the pennant on the last day of the season. Clarkson records a 49-19 record, pitching 68 complete games in seventy-two games started and finishes with a 2.73 ERA. John Clarkson of the Beaneaters in the 3rd inning pitched the first known immaculate inning. facing Jim Fogarty, Sam Thompson, and Sid Farrar.……….1890. Frank Selee begins his 12-year tenure as manager of Beaneaters……….1891. Beaneaters rebound to win the pennant, led by Clarkson and sophomore sensation “Kid” Nichols who won thirty-five games apiece. Bobby Lowe became the first Brave to get six hits in a game……...1892. The National League season expanded to 154 games. Boston released Clarkson, but Nichols and newcomer Stivetts led the Beaneaters to a repeat pennant with thirty-five wins apiece. Stivetts pitched the first no-hitter in Braves franchise history……….1893. Boston wins the third straight pennant. John Clarkson wins forty-nine games and pitches 68 .438 batting average. Mike “King” Kelly died of pneumonia at age thirty-six. This important person to the franchise was the most popular player in the 19th century. Hugh Duffy has the finest year in franchise history……….1897. After a three-year downslide, the Beaneaters bounced back to win the pennant and record the highest winning percentage in franchise history of .705...a record that probably will not be matched……….1898. Boston wins its eighth pennant in the National Leagues twenty-three-year history. Vic Willis led the staff with twenty-seven wins and pitched the second no-hitter in franchise history……….1901. Marked the so-called beginning of modern-day baseball. Kid Nichols, Bobby Lowe, “Slidin’ Billy” Hamilton all played the last season with the team……….1903. The first modern World Series was played in 1903 without the Boston Beaneaters who would start to rapidly decline for the next eleven years, with the five-eighth place and three-seventh place finishes……….1911. Cy Young records his last three wins with the Boston Braves to end his career with 511 victories……….1912. The Braves and the Giants set two modern-day records. The Giants stole eleven bases in the contest and the Giants and Braves combined for seventeen runs in the ninth inning……….1913. George Tweedy Stallings took over the faltering Braves in 1913, taking over a team averaging 104 losses and an unimaginable 55 ½ out of first place a year. He was the eighth manager in seven seasons……….1914. The greatest comeback in professional sports occurred in Boston, with a new team name and an unwillingness to accept anything less than a World Series championship, as the “Miracle Braves” stormed back from dead last on July 18 to win the pennant by 10 ½ games. Johnny Evers wins the Chambers (MVP) Award……….1915. An overflow (capacity 40,000) estimated crowd of 56,000 witnessed the first game played in Braves Field, with the Braves winning the inaugural game 3-1……….1917. World War 1 enlistments, injuries, and a lack of pitching and offense left the Braves listless, and fans would have to live with mediocre Braves teams landing in the lower half of the standings for decades……….1918. Art Nehf pitched twenty shutout innings and lost in the twenty-first frame two to one……….1919. Olympian Jim Thorpe played one year for the Braves and hit a career-best .327……….1920. Braves and Brooklyn Robins go 26 innings in the longest game ever played ending in a 1-1 tie. ……...1923. Christy Mathewson is hired to serve as president for the Braves……….1925. Two significant events occurred in 1925. Catcher Pancho Snyder of the Giants became the first left-field fence buster in Braves Field in twelve years, and Christy Mathewson died at forty-five years of age of tuberculosis……….1927. The Braves lost in eighteen innings 7-2 and 4-3 in twenty-two innings, in a seventy-two-hour span……….1928. Rogers Hornsby’s managerial skills couldn’t lead the Braves to higher than a seventh-place finish, but he showed why he was one of the premier hitters in the league finishing the year with a .387 average and the National League batting title……….1930. Heralded as the next Babe Ruth, Wally Berger tamed the unfriendly long-distance to the outfield fences, hitting five game-winning home runs against the Giants and ended the year with thirty-eight home runs, a rookie record that stood for fifty-seven years……….1931. Wally Berger changed from street clothes when asked to pinch-hit in the last inning and delivered the “7100.00” home run……….1935. The Braves paid Babe Ruth $25,000 for one year hoping he would help draw fans. Ruth hit six home runs for the year, three on May 25th a week before he retired. The Braves finished the year 61 ½ games out of first place……….1937. Two rookies, Jim Turner and Lou Fette won twenty games……….1942. Jim Torbin hits three home runs and pitches Braves to a 6-5 victory……….1944. Red Barrett beat Cincinnati 2-0, throwing an efficient fifty-eight pitches in seventy-five minutes……….1946. Boston drew 30,000 fans for the first night game in franchise history……….1947. Third baseman Bob Elliot won National League MVP……….1948. “Spahn and Sain and Pray for Rain.” Braves win their first pennant since 1914. Spahn pitched a masterful 14 inning two-hit shutout in a 2-1 down the stretch win in September. Alvin Dark becomes the first Brave in franchise history to win the Rookie of the Year Award……….1950. At age thirty-three, Sam Jethroe became the oldest Rookie of the year in MLB history, a record that still stands………. 1951. The Braves earned the distinction of winning the first Major League game broadcast in color winning 8-1 against Brooklyn………. 1952. Eddie Matthews, the 20-year-old rookie, hit three home runs in the last game the Braves would ever play in Boston. On September 21, the Braves played their last game at Braves Field, losing to the Dodgers 8-2 before 8,822 fans, the second-largest crowd of the year. The attendance for the year was a miserable 281,278. The Braves were done in Boston ……….1953. The Braves move to Milwaukee is the first major franchise shift in professional sports. The home opener is standing-room-only with 34,357 in attendance. The Braves finish the year second in the division. Bill Bruton hit two bases-loaded triples in one game.……….1954. Starter Bobby Thomson breaks his ankle opening the door for rookie Henry Aaron to crack the starting lineup. Aaron wears jersey #5 for his rookie season. Eddie Matthews is on the first-ever cover of Sports Illustrated.……….1956. The Pennant race is one of the best in National League history. Braves finish one game out of first and draw two million for the third straight year. Hank Aaron won the National League batting title with a .328 average……….1957. The Braves win the National League pennant and capture the World Series championship. Fred Haney was named Manager of the Year. Lou Burdette first pitcher in thirty-seven years to win three games in the World Series……….1958. Joe Adcock hits four home runs and a double and sets a record for eighteen total bases in a single game that held up for forty-four years before it was broken in 2002.Braves win their second pennant in back-to-back years and lose the World Series to the Yankees in six games……….1959. Braves tie Dodgers at season’s end and are swept in three game playoff series. Henry Aaron captures the batting title with a .355 average. Joe Adcock breaks up Harvey Haddix’s no-hitter in the 13th inning and defeats the Pirates with a homer (later ruled a double.) ……….1960. Warren Spahn and Lou Burdette both pitched no-hitters. Braves finish second in division……….1961. Warren Spahn pitched his second no-hitter, won his 300th game, led the league in wins (21) and complete games (21). Four Braves: Adcock, Aaron, Mathews, and Thomas hit four straight home runs in an inning..........1962.Hank Aaron hit forty-five home runs……….1963. At the age of forty-two, Warren Spahn finished third in wins (23), behind youngsters Koufax and Marichal. Milwaukee attendance was 773,018……….1965. A new ballpark and a city of 1.5 million excited fans would have to wait another year for their team to come South. A court injunction blocked the Braves’ move from Milwaukee until 1966. The Braves bats were determined to go out with a big bang. A National League record six Braves (Hank Aaron, Felipe Alou, Eddie Mathews, Joe Torre, Mack Jones, and Gene Oliver) hit twenty or more home runs……1966. On April 12, 1966, the Braves christened their new stadium, Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. threw out the ceremonial first pitch, in their first opening day in Atlanta playing before a near-capacity crowd of 50,671 with a gritty pitching performance by Tony Cloninger who went thirteen innings in a 3-2 loss to the Pirates. Joe Torre hits first-ever Atlanta home run (s) on opening night. Tony Cloninger became the only pitcher in Major League history to hit two grand slam home runs in a single game. Denny Lemaster pitched a three-hitter and beat Sandy Koufax 2-1……….1968. The Braves signed sixty-two-year-old Satchel Paige in order to help him reach the five-year service time required to qualify for his pension. Paige contacted twenty clubs; only Atlanta answered……….1969. Phil Niekro had his first twenty-game season and led the Braves to their first Western Division title. 1970. Rico Carty won the National League batting crown with a Major League-best .366.……….1971. Hank Aaron hits his 600th career home run……….1973. The Braves set a record with three players (Hank Aaron, Dave Johnson, and Darrell Evans) hitting forty or more homers in the same season……….1974. Hank Aaron passes the immortal Babe Ruth to become the home-run champion of the world with 715 before 53,775 delirious screaming fans. The Braves’ special promotion “Frisbee night'', held on June 29, 1974, became a disaster as fans littered the field the entire game. Ralph Garr ………. 1976. Ted Turner buys the Braves from the LaSalle Corporation for $10 million. Bill Lucas becomes the first African American General Manager in Major League Baseball……….1978. Bobby Cox was appointed manager of the Braves and Gene Garber struck out Pete Rose in the ninth inning to end his forty-three-game hitting streak……….1979. Bill Lucas, the first African American general manager in baseball, dies of an unexpected heart attack. Phil Niekro throws six wild pitches in a single game ……….1982. Hank Aaron inducted into the Hall of Fame with 97.8 % of the vote using a roster that includes seven rookies, the Braves led by first-year manager Joe Torre and National League’s Most Valuable win the Western Division Championship, Braves catcher, Bruce Benedict, he set an MLB record by throwing out three baserunners in one inning.……….1983. Dale Murphy wins the second consecutive MVP award……….1985. About the only excitement of the season was Rick Camp’s pinch-hit home run in the sixteenth inning and the Braves stretching the game into the nineteenth frame, only to lose 16-13. The fireworks set off at 4:01 A.M. were a big hit and caused a lot of excitement in the neighborhood. John Smoltz was traded to the Braves from the Detroit Tigers……...1988. In his first full season with the Braves, Tom Glavine recorded a 7-17 record. Dale Murphy was awarded the Roberto Clemente Award………. 1990. Bobby Cox is rehired by Ted Turner as Braves Manager. John Schuerholz was hired by the Braves and succeeded Cox as general manager. ..……….1991. “Worst to First.” The Braves won the National League Pennant led by Manager of the Year Bobby Cox, John Schuerholz, Executive of the Year, Cy Young winner Tom Glavine, MVP, Terry Pendleton, Steve Avery NLCS MVP, and a cast of others. Francisco Cabrera’s pinch-hit two-run single and Sid Bream’s slide. Atlanta lost game seven to Jack Morris and the Toronto Blue Jays in what was one of the most exciting and dramatic World Series ever played……….1992. Everyone loves a winner. The Braves won the West by eight games and smashed previous attendance records with 3,077,400 coming through the turnstiles, a stark contrast from 1990 when they couldn’t even draw a million fans. On a Saturday night in July 1992, Otis Nixon made the “Catch”, one of the most unforgettable defensive plays in Braves history.……….1993. Braves become the first National League team to win three division titles in a row. Schuerholz acquired Fred McGriff in mid-July, and he lit a fire under his team with six homers in August. The Braves drew a phenomenal franchise record of 3,884,720 fans for the year……..1994. Kent Mercker no-hits the Dodgers……….1995. A year to remember for the ages. The Braves finished the strike-shortened season with a best in the National League 90-54 record. It was the 125th year franchise anniversary. Led to the World Series by Greg Maddux’s fourth consecutive Cy Young, Tom Glavine’s two victories, and David Justice’s game-winning home run in game six, the Braves have been crowned the World Series champions……..1996. Nineteen-year-old Andrux Jones homers in his first two at-bats against the Yankees in the World Series. The Braves won the National League pennant and after going up 2-0 against the Yankees in the World Series, unexpectedly lost four straight to end their season……1997. The Braves played their first season in Turner Field and won their third straight divisional title, with forty games over .500 finishing with a 101-61 record. They lost the National League playoff series to the Florida Marlins.……..1998. The Braves won the N.L. East by eighteen games over the New York Mets and then swept the Cubs in the N.L. Division Series. In one of the biggest upsets in N.L.C.S. play, the Braves pitching faltered as they were eliminated by the San Diego Padres 4-2……1999. The Braves won their fifth consecutive division title with a 103-59 record and six-game lead over the New York Mets. The Braves appeared in the World Series for the fifth time during the 1990s. In World Series action, the Braves were swept by the New York Yankees. Chipper Jones earned the MVP award with a .310 average, 110 RBIs, and forty-five home runs……...2000. The Major League All-Star Game was held at Turner Field in Atlanta. Bobby Cox managed the National League in the seventy-first midsummer classic, played before 51,323 fans, and was won by the American League 6-3. In 2000, the Braves won their sixth consecutive title and were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 in the N.L.D.S. Rafael Furcal won the Rookie of the Year Award……….2001. Recording the worst record of any of the division champions, the Braves won their seventh consecutive title by two games over the Philadelphia Phillies with a 88-74 season. The Braves didn’t have a twenty-game winner on their staff. The Braves swept the favored Houston Astros in the NLDS before losing to the eventual World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS 4-1, in which Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling notably dominated Atlanta's offense……….2002. The Braves won their 8th consecutive division title, finishing nineteen games ahead of the second-place Montreal Expos. The Braves lost the 2002 Divisional Series to the eventual NL Champion San Francisco Giants, three games to two. 2002 marked the final year that pitchers Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz played on the same team ending the reign of what has been considered by many the greatest pitching trio of all time. John Smoltz recorded both a twenty-win season and a fifty-save season ……….2003. The Braves won their ninth consecutive division title, finishing ten games ahead of the second-place Florida Marlins. The Braves lost the 2003 Divisional Series to the Chicago Cubs, three games to two. Rafael Furcal pulled off an unassisted triple play……….2004. The Braves won their tenth consecutive division title under Manager of the Year Bobby Cox, finishing ten games ahead of the second-place Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves lost the 2004 Divisional Series to the Houston Astros, three games to two……….2005. The Braves won their eleventh consecutive division title under Manager of the Year Bobby Cox, finishing two games ahead of the second-place Philadelphia Phillies. Atlanta lost the 2005 Divisional Series to the Houston Astros, three games to one. They played eighteen innings against the Astros in the longest postseason game ever. Tim Hudson joined the rotation and rookies Jeff Francoeur, Kelly Johnson and Brian McCann had their first seasons with Atlanta in 2005. Andrux Jones became the first Brave to hit fifty or more home runs in a season. Rafael Furcal stole forty-seven bases.……….2006. Finishing with a 79–83 record, not only did the Braves miss the playoffs for the first time since 1994, but also their first losing season since 1990. In failing to reach the postseason, Atlanta ended their streak of eleven consecutive NL East titles……….2008. The year 2008 saw the departure of two of the team's longtime radio and television announcers. Skip Cary died on August 3, while Pete Van Wieren announced his retirement on October 21. Both men had been broadcasting for the team since 1976……….2010. Bobby Cox enters his last year as Braves manager. Finishing the season with a 91–71 record, the Braves won the N.L. Wild Card, only to be eliminated in the NLDS by the San Francisco Giants in four games……...2011. Fredi Gonzales succeeded the retiring Bobby Cox as Braves manager. Entering the final month of the regular season with a record of 80–55 and an ​81⁄2-game lead in the Wild Card standings, the Braves went 9–18 in September to finish the season with a record of 89–73. This September collapse caused the team to fall one game behind the St. Louis Cardinal in the Wild Card race after the final scheduled game of the season, which consequently eliminated them from postseason contention. On July 12, 2016, ESPN named the 2011 Braves collapse as the twenty-fifth worst collapse in sports history. Craig Kimball was voted Rookie of the year. Freddie Freeman is runner-up. O’Flaherty posted a 0.98 ERA in seventy-eight games. He became the first pitcher in MLB history to produce a sub-1.00 ERA over at least seventy appearances.