The Boston Braves drop from fifth place to seventh place, 22 games behind the leader (1926)

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1926, Art Devlin, Babe Pinelli, Boston Braves, Dave Bancroft, Jimmy Welsh, Val Picinich

It is Dave Bancroft’s 3rd year as manager. In 1926, the team is not heading in the right direction. The Boston Braves drop from fifth place to seventh place, 22 games behind the leader with a 66-86 record. Yikes! My oh my!

While they only lost 3 more games in 1926 than 1925, they managed to drop two places.

The Reds blasted the Braves pitching on July 22. They hit 11 runs in the second in a 13-3 game. And then 3 days later on the 25th, Cincinnati third baseman Babe Pinelli brushed up against Braves coach Art Devlin, who had been harassing him. Devlin took a swing at Pinelli and the benches cleared. The police get called in. Now that wasn’t a good thing. They ended up arresting the Braves outfielder Frank Wilson. Cops don’t appreciate getting punched.

It didn’t end there. The next inning Braves Jimmy Welsh collided with the Cincinnati catcher. Val Picinich took a swing at Welsh and got ejected. The benches cleared again. At least the Braves knew how to brawl.

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Jason Heyward becomes the eleventh Braves player in franchise history to homer in his first at-bat (April 5, 2010)

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2010, All Star, April 5, Atlanta Braves, Gold Glove Award, Jason Heyward, Rookie of the Year

Jason Heyward becomes the eleventh Braves player in franchise history to homer in his first major league at-bat on April 5, 2010. The much touted 20 year-old rookie, with the hometown fans chanting, “Let’s go, Heyward!”, hits a three-run homer in the first inning off Chicago’s Carlos Zambrano at Turner Field.

After a rapid ascent through the minor leagues, the Braves invited Heyward to spring training in March 2010. There, his hitting continued to draw notice, as he routinely hit “rockets” all over the field and over the fences, compelling manager Bobby Cox to make him a regular in the lineup. He mentioned that he heard a different, more pronounced sound, of the balls hit off Heyward’s bat. Reggie Jackson, a New York Yankees special assistant, concurred, characterizing that sound as “stereo”, while everyone else was “in AM.” Heyward hit two notable batting practice home runs at the Champion Stadium training complex in the Lake Buena Vista, Florida. One damaged a Coca-Cola truck in the parking lot, and another broke the sunroof of Atlanta Braves’ assistant general manager Bruce Manno’s car. He was initially issued uniform number 71. At the end of spring training, he asked the team for, and received, number 22. He presented one of his jerseys with the number 22 to Ruston to show that he honored her son, which elicited an emotional reaction from her.

After making his MLB debut for Atlanta in 2010, Heyward was named to the National League (NL) All-Star team and finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Baseball America named him their MLB Rookie of the Year. Injuries limited his playing time in 2011 and 2013. With a breakout season in 2012, he hit 27 home runs with 82 RBI and 21 stolen bases while finishing tenth in the NL in runs scored with 93. Also recognized for his defense including coverage in the deepest parts of right field, he won both the Fielding Bible and NL Gold Glove Awards for right fielders in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 and Wilson’s MLB Defensive Player of the Year in 2014. He is widely regarded as one of the best outfield defenders in baseball.

 

Greg Maddux headed to Chicago to rejoin the Cubs (2004)

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2004, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux is another one of the most beloved Braves of all time, playing 11 total years in Atlanta, four of which were in the 2000’s.

During that time, Mad Dog went 68-37 with a 3.16 ERA and 605 strikeouts in 900 innings pitched. He also had a 1.123 WHIP and won three Gold Gloves.

In 2004, he signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs, rejoining the team he started his career with. Maddux returned to the Cubs as a free agent prior to the 2004 season, when he signed with them on February 18, 2004. Maddux got his first win on April 23 after losing 3 consecutive games at the beginning of the season. On August 7, Maddux defeated the San Francisco Giants, 8-4, to garner his 300th career victory.

Maddux was the jewel in the much-vaunted Braves trio of Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, who pitched together for over a decade as the core of one of the best pitching staffs in the history of the game. The three were the linchpin of a team that won its division (the National League West in 1993 and the East from then on) every year that Maddux was on the team (1994 had no division champions). The three pitchers were frequently augmented by other strong starters such as Steve Avery, Kevin Millwood, Denny Neagle, and Russ Ortiz. In 1995, they pitched the Braves to a World Series title. In 29 postseason games with Atlanta, Maddux had a 2.81 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP, but just an 11–13 record.

Greg Maddux – Hall of Fame

The 1920 Boston Braves came to the bottom of their slide (1920)

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1920, Boston Braves, George Stallings

The 1920 Boston Braves came to the bottom of their slide. In George Stallings 8th year, Boston had a record of 62-90 to finish seventh — 30 games behind the leader.

The “Miracle Man” had long ago run out of miracles. Stallings was a very frustrated man. He blamed the new owners for lack of support. He learned what many have learned … you can’t fire the owners.

Stallings was talented as his 1914 season showed. The 1920 version was a poor example of a baseball team. The team led the league in errors, scored fewer runs than any other team, and was seventh in staff ERA and total runs allowed.

Boston finished just a half game ahead of last-placed Philadelphia because the Phillies played one more game, a loss.

By the end of the season, Stallings would resign.

Milwaukee clears the way for the Boston Braves to become the Milwaukee Braves (March 17, 1953)

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1953, All Star, April 14, Eddie Matthews, July 12, March 17, Milwaukee Braves, Milwaukee County Stadium

It is March 17, 1953. A very good deal is about to happen. The Milwaukee County Board, which oversees County Stadium, tears up their three-year deal with its minor league team and offers the use of the ballpark to the Boston Braves at the reduced rate of $1,000 for the first two years. In exchange, the city would receive five percent of the gate receipts and the majority of the concession sales for the initial three seasons.

Even before it was completed, the new “Milwaukee County Municipal Stadium” drew the interest of major league clubs. The St. Louis Browns, who had played in Milwaukee in 1901, the inaugural season of the American League, applied for permission to relocate back to the city they had left half a century before. The Boston Braves, the parent club of the Brewers, blocked the proposed move. The Braves had long been struggling at the gate in Boston, and rumors of them relocating had been floating for some time. The move to keep Milwaukee available as a new home indicated to many observers that the Braves would move to Milwaukee themselves.

Three weeks before the beginning of the 1953 season, and right before the new stadium was ready to open, the Braves made it official, applying for permission to relocate. The other National League owners agreed, with the team becoming the Milwaukee Braves. The Braves’ first regular season home game was on April 14 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Bill Bruton hit a 10th inning home run to win the game (3-2) in dramatic style. In their first season in Milwaukee, the Braves set the National League attendance record of 1.8 million. The first published issue of Sports Illustrated on August 16, 1954, featured County Stadium and batter Eddie Mathews on its cover.

On July 12, 1955, County Stadium hosted the 22nd All-Star Game. The National League won, 6–5, on a 12th-inning home run by Stan Musial. The Braves hosted back-to-back World Series in 1957 and 1958, both against the New York Yankees. The Braves defeated the Yankees in seven games in 1957, but the Yankees returned the favor the next year.

The stadium continued to be the National League’s top draw until 1959 when the Dodgers, who had moved to Los Angeles two years before, overtook the Braves (both in the stands and on the field). In the early 1960s attendance fell, along with the Braves’ standings, amid an unstable ownership situation. The Milwaukee Braves used the stadium through the 1965 season when new owners, seeking a larger television market, moved the team to Atlanta.

Jim Thorpe can’t help the Boston Braves (1919)

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1919, Boston Braves, George Stallings, Jim Thorpe, May 21

1919 saw a very slight improvement from the previous year. The Boston Braves, under manager George Stallings, finished sixth with a 57-82 record. It was Stallings 7th season. They were only 38 games behind the leader.

Now to take a shot at things, they acquired the “worlds greatest athlete”, Olympic champion Jim Thorpe. The still finished sixth. Yee gads!

Now the challenge was that Thorpe wasn’t really a baseball player. He was a big name but he wasn’t going to win any games for Boston. The got him on May 21 from the Giants. He came over for the waiver price of $1,500. He ended the year for a .327 average but couldn’t hit a curve ball. He didn’t play any more baseball after 1919 and devoted himself to pro football.

Willie Mays hits a homer off of Warren Spahn in the bottom of the 16th (July 2, 1963)

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1963, Hank Aaron, Juan Marichal, July 2, Milwaukee Braves, Warren Spahn

It was July 2, 1963. Even though it is July, they are playing at Candlestick Park so it probably wasn’t hot. 15,921 were in attendance at the start. Wonder how many stayed to the end.

In one of baseball’s most memorable pitching duels, Giants’ right-hander Juan Marichal and the Braves’ southpaw Warren Spahn both hurl 15 scoreless innings before Willie Mays ends the marathon contest with a homer off Spahnie in the bottom of the 16th giving San Francisco a 1-0 win.

I can’t imagine pitching 16 innings. Now that is a feat in and of itself. And then to loose. Ouch.

Hank Aaron would go 0 for 6 that day. Not much help from Hammerin’ Hank will not get you too far.

Here are the results for the game.

Milwaukee Braves Table

Batting	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	PA	BA	SLG	OPS
Lee Maye LF	6	0	0	0	1	0	7	.246	.400	.693
Frank Bolling 2B	7	0	2	0	0	0	7	.223	.295	.570
Hank Aaron RF	6	0	0	0	1	1	7	.312	.584	.970
Eddie Mathews 3B	2	0	0	0	0	2	2	.247	.416	.796
Denis Menke 3B	5	0	2	0	0	1	5	.237	.343	.635
Norm Larker 1B	5	0	0	0	2	0	7	.189	.262	.582
Mack Jones CF	5	0	1	0	0	2	5	.225	.346	.670
Don Dillard PH-CF	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.239	.375	.652
Del Crandall C	6	0	2	0	0	0	6	.181	.219	.469
Roy McMillan SS	6	0	0	0	0	0	6	.222	.347	.615
Warren Spahn P	6	0	1	0	0	3	6	.167	.292	.507
Team Totals	55	0	8	0	4	10	59	.145	.164	.367

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/11/2017.

Warren Spahn – Milwaukee Braves

Native son Tony Kubek hits two home runs in the 9-3 rout of the hometown Braves (October 5, 1957)

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1957, Milwaukee Braves, October 5, Tony Kubek, World Series

On October 5, 1957, in the first World Series game ever played in Milwaukee, native son Tony Kubek hits two home runs in the 9-3 rout of the hometown Braves, that puts his Bronx Bombers ahead two games to one in the Fall classic.

The Yankee shortstop becomes the second rookie to hit two round-trippers in a Fall Classic game, a feat first accomplished by Charlie Keller, who hit a pair of homers in Game 3 in 1939.

The 1957 Milwaukee Braves season was the fifth in Milwaukee and the 87th overall season of the franchise. It was the year that the team won its first and only World Series championship while based in Milwaukee. The Braves won 95 games and lost 59 to win the National League pennant by eight games over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals.

The club went on to the 1957 World Series, where they faced the New York Yankees. Pitcher Lew Burdette was the star and Most Valuable Player, winning three games, including the crucial seventh game played in New York City.

“I’m married to football, baseball is my girlfriend.” ~Deion Sanders

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Deion Sanders, Football, Quote

This is a great quote and I think it tells the story.

“I’m married to football,” Sanders said in a 1989 Sports Illustrated cover story. “Baseball is my girlfriend.”

Read more here: Deion Sanders’ Career in Baseball, Potential | The MMQB with Peter King

Rabbit enlists in the Navy and the Braves slid continues (1918)

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1918, Boston Braves, George Stallings, Larry Chappell, Rabbit Maranville, September 2

The slide continued for the Boston Braves in 1918. With a 53-71 record, they finished seventh, 28 1/2 games behind under the leadership of George Stallings. This was Stallings 6th year at the helm.

They started the year without Rabbit Maranville. Rabbit had enlisted in the Navy. Amazingly enough though, he did play during his 10-day leave. Incredibly he hit .316 in 11 games and didn’t strike out in 38 at bats. I guess the reprieve from the Navy suited him well.

Of course many teams were losing players to the war effort. One underutilized outfielder, Larry Chappell, didn’t return from the war, dying of influenza at an army camp during the winter. Larry was on 27 at the time. In May 1916, the Braves purchased him, and in 53 at-bats with them he hit .226. Overall, Chappell hit .218 with nine RBI and two stolen bases in 1916. Chappell played his final season in 1917, appearing in four games for the Braves, collecting no hits in two at-bats. He played his final game on April 25. Overall, Chappell hit .226 with no home runs, 26 RBI and nine stolen bases in 109 career games. He walked 25 times and struck out 42 times.

The war also shortened the season. In July, the leagues voted to end the season on September 2, Labor Day. The Braves were probably happy to leave early. They had lost 15 games in a row, only to win the last game of the season against the Giants.

Rabbit Maranville