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.

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Homer History: When Jim Leyritz halted hopes of a Braves dynasty (October 23, 1996)

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1991, 1996, Andruw Jones, Atlanta Braves, Jim Leyritz, Mark Wohlers, New York Yankee, October 23, World Series

Jim Leyritz

In the Homer History series, writers re-tell the stories of memorable home runs from their perspective. In this installment, Yahoo Sports’ Jay Busbee talks about the 1996 World Series homer that sank the Braves’ chance at a dynasty.

The Atlanta Braves of 1991-2005 will go down in history as a dynasty that wasn’t, alongside similar ‘90s relics like the would-be Super Bowl champion Buffalo Bills and the would-be President Al Gore. Sure, they rolled off 14 division titles, an accolade which carries all the weight of 14 straight perfect-attendance awards, but when it mattered the most, the Braves came up small, year after year after year.

Does “The Crime Dog”, Fred McGriff, deserve to be in the Hall of Fame?

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1993, 1997, All Star, Atlanta Braves, Fred McGriff, Hall of Fame, Home Run Derby, World Series

Fred McGriff

I really enjoyed watching Fred “The Crime Dog” McGriff. Fred was a very good baseball player for a long time. I think he does deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

Fred was an Atlanta Brave from 1993-1997. McGriff hit a home run in his first game with the Braves, who acquired him to replace the struggling Sid Bream in at first and provide an offensive spark, and was a key player in the Braves’ 51-19 finish to overtake the San Francisco Giants and claim first place in the National League West for a third consecutive season. He finished with a career high 37 homers and fourth place in the NL MVP voting. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, McGriff was batting .318 and had 34 home runs when play ended in August 1994. He won the All-Star Game MVP Award that year after hitting the game-tying home run for the National League, after the NL trailed 7–5 in the bottom of the ninth inning. McGriff was runner-up to Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1994 Home Run Derby.

Fred remained with the Braves in 1995 and continued to be a successful cleanup hitter. He hit two home runs in the 1995 World Series en route to his only World Series championship ring. Fred hit .295/.365/.494 with a career-best 107 RBIs on his way to another World Series appearance in 1996. With 22 home runs in 1997, McGriff appeared to be in decline. He was called out on strikes by umpire Eric Gregg on a pitch 3 feet outside thrown by Liván Hernández during the 1997 NLCS, which was the last significant event for McGriff as a Brave. The team allowed him to be picked up by the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays after the season.

He made 5 All-Star teams while winning 3 Silver Sluggers, 2 league home run titles (one in each league…the first to pull off that feat), and won a World Series ring. His career WAR of 52.4, while not earth-shattering by any means, is as good or better than 62 players CURRENTLY in the Hall, including Lou Brock, Sandy Koufax, Kirby Puckett, Ralph Kiner, Jim Rice, and Phil Rizzuto.

Not that long ago, his 493 home runs as well as his long and consistent career would have essentially guaranteed that he would have at the very least gotten strong consideration for enshrinement even if there are reasons he isn’t a lock.

My my, how times have changed. It is hard to figure out the Hall of Fame voting some days. OK, it is hard to figure it out on many days.

When the voting results were announced in 2015, McGriff, despite being a worthy candidate on paper, only appeared on 20.9% of ballots in his 7th year of eligibility. While a decent jump from the previous year’s 12.9%, much of that can be attributed to decreased number of voters this year due a recent purge of the voting members’ ranks. The end result is that while its not outside the realm of possibility he gets close to induction, its a long shot. The relative snubbing hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Phil Masi was a great defensive player who scored a controversial run in the 1948 World Series

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1948, Catcher, January 6, March 29, Phil Masi, World Series

Philip Samuel Masi was born on January 6, 1916 who played from 1939 to 1952. For ten of those years he was a Boston Brave (1939-1949). He was a great catcher and apparently a good base runner as well.

He is best known for a controversial play that occurred during the 1948 World Series between the Boston Braves and the Cleveland Indians.

It was in the first game of the 1948 World Series held at Braves Field against the favored Cleveland Indians that Masi would become embroiled in a controversy that secured his place in baseball history.^[3][29] The Braves’ Johnny Sain and Indians’ Bob Feller were engaged in a scoreless pitchers’ duel when the Braves came to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning. Feller walked Braves catcher Bill Salkeld to open the inning. Braves manager Billy Southworth then substituted the slow-footed Salkeld with Masi, who entered the game as a pinch runner. Mike McCormick followed with asacrifice bunt, advancing Masi to second base. Feller issued an intentional walk to Eddie Stanky, who was replaced by Sibby Sisti. Feller then made a pick off attempt of Masi at second base. Indians’ shortstop Lou Boudreau appeared to tag Masi out, but umpire Bill Stewart called him safe.^[2]Tommy Holmes followed with a single that scored Masi with the only run of the game, giving the Braves a 1-0 victory.^[30] The umpire’s controversial ruling touched off heated debates among the media and fans, especially after Associated Press photographs of the play were published.^[31][32]Although the victory gave the Braves a 1-0 lead, the Indians won the World Series in six games.^[33]

Source: Phil Masi – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Phil passed away on March 29, 1990.

 

Charlie Deal helps the 1914 Boston Braves win the World Series

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1891, 1914, 1979, Boston Braves, Charlie Deal, Federal League, October 30, September 16, World Series

Charlie Deal

Charles Albert Deal was born on October 30, 1891 in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania and played third base in the Major Leagues from 1912 to 1921. He would play for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, St. Louis Browns, St. Louis Terriers, and Detroit Tigers.

In 1914, Deal was a member of the Braves team that went from last place to first place in two months, becoming the first team to win a pennant after being in last place on the Fourth of July. The team then went on to defeat Connie Mack’s heavily favored Philadelphia Athletics in the 1914 World Series. When his request for a salary increase for 1915 was rejected, Deal jumped to the Federal League, playing for the St. Louis Terriers.

In 1917 Deal led the National League in sacrifice hits with 29. He also proved to be very reliable defensively, leading National League third baseman in fielding three years in a row (1919–1921). Deal then played for several teams in the Pacific Coast League in the mid-1920s, before ending his career at Chattanooga in the Southern Association in 1927.

He passed away on September 16, 1979 in Covina, California.

Tom Hughes helps the Boston Braves win the World Series in 1914

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1914, Boston Braves, Fred Mitchell, George Stallings, January 28, November 1, October 5, September 5, Tom Hughes, World Series

Tome Hughes

Thomas L. Hughes born in Coal Creek, Colorado, on January 28, 1884. was a right-handed pitcher for the Boston Braves (1914–18). He was also the brother of former major league pitcher Ed Hughes.

He helped the Braves win the 1914 World Series. His contract with Rochester was purchase by the Braves on September 5, 1914.

George Stallings was then manager of the Braves. Stallings had witnessed his performance with the Highlanders and with Rochester. And Fred Mitchell, who essentially served as Stallings’ pitching coach on the Braves, coached with Stallings on the Highlanders, then played with Hughes at Rochester in 1911. The day Hughes was purchased, the Braves were in a first-place tie with the Giants; they finished winning 27 of 34 games to sweep past New York. Hughes contributed two victories to the late-season run; his first, a complete-game 3-2 effort on September 29 against Chicago, clinched the pennant for the Braves.

It was the Braves’ first championship since the old Beaneaters took the title in 1898. Hughes won again on October 5 against Brooklyn as Stallings was clearly resting James, Rudolph, and Tyler for the World Series against the Philadelphia A’s. Even though Hughes came to the Braves late in the season, the team’s victory brought him acclaim in hometown Salida. Salida’s Mountain Mail noted,

Mr. Hughes grew up in this city, spends his winters here and has a multitude of friends who take delight in his success and who would like to see him have a chance in the World Series. His friends here have great confidence in him.

Hughes did not appear in the World Series, as the Braves dispatched the A’s in four straight games. Joining the team late, he was not eligible to receive $2,812 in World Series winning player shares. His late-season performance, however, gained him a place with the Braves for the next season.

He led the National League in Games (50), Saves (9) and Games Finished (22) in 1915 and Won-Loss percentage (.842) in 1916.

His accomplishments are being the Braves franchise career leader in WHIP (1.022) and Hits Allowed/9IP (6.77).

In 9 seasons he had a 56–39 Win-Loss record, 160 Games (87 Started), 55 Complete Games, 9 Shutouts, 59 Games Finished, 16 Saves, 863 Innings Pitched, 703 Hits Allowed, 309 Runs Allowed, 245 Earned Runs Allowed, 14 Home Runs Allowed, 235 Walks, 476 Strikeouts, 31 Hit Batsmen, 16 Wild Pitches, 3,340 Batters Faced, 2.56 ERA and a 1.087 WHIP.

He died in Los Angeles, California at the age of 77 on November 1, 1961.

 

John Smoltz – Hall of Fame facts about his career

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2015, All Star, Atlanta Braves, Closer, Cy Young Award, John Smoltz, July 26, MVP, Silver Slugger Award, World Series

John Smoltz

It is not all about the facts, but in Baseball we easily focus there. John, inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 26, 2015, had an amazing career.

John also had heart. John gave it everything he could every day. John loves baseball.

So a few of his amazing accomplishments:

• NL Cy Young Award winner (1996)
• Eight-time All-Star (1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007)
• NLCS MVP (1992)
• 1995 World Series champion
• 15-4, 2.67 ERA in 41 career postseason games
• Silver Slugger Award (1997)
• NL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (2002)
• Roberto Clemente Award winner (2005)
• Atlanta Braves retired his No. 29 on June 8, 2012.
• The only pitcher in baseball history with at least 200 wins and 100 saves.
• Smoltz’s 55 saves in 2002 is tied for the third most by a pitcher in a single season (with Eric Gagne in 2003).
• Smoltz became a closer full-time in 2002-04; during that stretch, his 144 saves ranked second in baseball behind only Eric Gagne’s 152. During that three-season stretch, Smoltz had 23 more saves than Mariano Rivera.

 

Worst in 1990 to first in 1991

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1890, 1990, 1991, Atlanta Braves, Bobby Cox, Deion Sanders, July 31, Los Angeles Dodgers, Louisville Colonels, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ron Gant, World Series

Ron Gant

Ron Gant screamed it in the clubhouse, and it was true. “We shook up the world”!! This was the day the Braves (then in Atlanta) clinched the 1991 West Division. It was not an overstatement at all.

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. The last Major League Baseball team to accomplish this was the 1890 Louisville Colonels of the American Association.

The Braves had a last place finish in 1990 but managed to overtake the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West clinching the division on the next to the last day of the regular season

The Braves had entered the year as the laughingstock of baseball. The year before they had finished sixth, 25 games behind. It was Bobby Cox’s first full season. Slow start and great finish. This was one of the great Cinderella teams in all sports history.

As a side note, since I live in Prosper, TX near Deion Sanders, he played for the Braves that season. On July 31 Sanders hit a key three-run homer to spark a comeback win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, he had to leave the Braves the very next day to report to the Atlanta Falcons because of a clause in his NFL contract and missed the postseason. Before the 1992 season, Sanders reworked his NFL deal whereby he still reported to the Falcons for training camp in August, but was allowed to rejoin the Braves for the postseason.

The Braves would win the NL championship series over the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 and then loose the World Series to the Minnesota Twins 3-4 in a seven game series. They would loose the last game 1-0.

And so, the Atlanta Braves went from worst in 1990 to first in 1991.

Kent Merker gets rocked (June 1, 1995)

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1995, Atlanta Braves, Chipper Jones, Eric Karros, Fred McGriff, Fulton County Stadium, June 1, Kent Merker, Los Angeles Dodgers, Roberto Kelly, Ryan Klesko, World Series

Fred McGriff

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, the team was managed by Bobby Cox.

June 1st, 1995 found them in Atlanta at Fulton County Stadium playing the Los Angeles Dodgers. Unfortunately they would lose 6-3. The Braves losing pitcher was Kent Merker who was 2-2 at that point in the season. It didn’t start out good in the 1st. Merker is rocked and they end the inning down 3. The first 2 batters single and then Roberto Kelly doubles driving both of them in. The next batter, Eric Karros singles and Kelly scores. Not a good start. Not a good ending.

The bottom of the 1st saw Fred McGriff homer driving in Chipper Jones. At least they were back in the game. The Dodgers would surge ahead scoring again in the 3rd and the 7th. The Braves would score one more run in the 4th with Ryan Klesko sacrificing to deep Left Field scoring McGriff.

Merker would pitch 6.2 innings giving up 9 hits and allowing all 6 runs which were all earned. He gave up 3 walks and had 10 strike outs. He would end the 1995 season 7-8 with an overall ERA of .467.

Things would get better. They were about to turn the corner.

Hank Aaron’s most memorable home run (1957)

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1957, Billy Muffett, Fred Haney, Hank Aaron, Johnny Logan, Lew Burdette, Milwaukee Braves, Milwaukee County Stadium, New York Yankee, September 23, St. Louis Cardinals, World Series

Hank Aaron – 1957

1957 was Fred Haney’s second year as Manager. The Braves really turned it on that year. They were the NL champions with a 95-59 record, ending up 8 games ahead. This was the year that the team won its first and only World Series championship while based in Milwaukee.  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.

So what was Hank Aaron’s most memorable home run? It was number 109 which he hit on September 23, 1957. At the time, he wasn’t even thought of as a home run hitter. No one even imagined he would break the Babe’s record. Even though he would eventually hit 646 more home runs, this was the one he remembers most.

It was tied up 2-2 at home. St. Louis was hanging in there with the Braves. Johnny Logan was on first. There were two outs. Billy Muffett threw a “fat” one. Out it went over the center-field fence in County Stadium. All of Milwaukee seemed to celebrate. The Braves won the NL championship on that home run. Aaron was mauled at home plate. He was carried off the field by his team mates.

Debut in Braves Field (August 17, 1915)

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1915, All Star, August 17, Boston Braves, Braves Field, World Series

Braves Field – Boston

Boston defeats the Cardinals in their debut at Braves Field, 3-1. The concrete and steel facility, which took only five months to construct, becomes the first ballpark to seat more than 40,000 fans.

Braves Field was a baseball park that formerly stood on Commonwealth Avenue . The stadium was home to the  franchise from 1915–1952, when the team moved to Milwaukee.

Nicknamed The Wigwam by fans, Braves Field was also known as The Bee Hive (or National League Park, formally) from 1936–1941, a period during which the owners changed the nickname of the team to the Boston Bees (the renaming of the team and stadium never took hold with the public, and were both eventually dropped).

It did host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game during that span in 1936, however. Braves Field served as one of two homes (with Fenway Park) of the Boston Bulldogs of the first American Football League (in 1926) and the Boston Shamrocks of the second AFL (in 1936 and 1937).

It was also the home of a National Football League franchise which began in 1932 and also called itself the Boston Braves for one year. The next year, the team moved to Fenway Park and changed its name to the Redskins (which served the dual purpose of sounding like “Red Sox” and allowing the team to retain its Native American-logoed Braves uniforms). In 1937 the team transferred south to become the Washington Redskins. With its capacity to hold more fans than Fenway, Braves Field was actually used by the Red Sox in the 1915 and 1916 World Series.

1919 was not a very good year for the Braves

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1914, 1919, Everett Wiley Wilson, George Stallings, World Series

George Stallings

1919 was not a very good year for the Braves. They were in Boston playing at Braves Field. The attendance for the year was 167,401 (7th of 8). Not overwhelming fan support.

They had a 57-82 record, finishing 6th in the National League. George Stallings is the manager. This is not George’s best year since he won the World Series in 1914. One more year and he will be out. Always sad to see that.

When you look at their run totals, that kind of tells the story. They scored 465 runs and allowed 563 runs.

I like the year 1919. Not because of the Braves because they kind of stunk but because my dad was born on July 4th in 1919. Because of that, I enjoy poking around what was going on with the Braves that year.

National Baseball Hall of Fame trio (Cox, Glavine &Maddux) transformed Atlanta Braves (July 27, 2014)

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1995, 2014, Atlanta Braves, Bobby Cox, Frank Wren, Greg Maddux, Hall of Fame, John Schuerholz, July 27, Tom Glavine, World Series

Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame Trio

The Atlanta Braves knew how to loose. The had, to some extent, built a culture of loosing. But they had a plan. They worked the plan. And the plan became reality.

Today (July 27, 2014), in Cooperstown, N.Y., nobody is laughing at the Braves. And that success story that includes a 1995 World Series championship, five National League pennants, 14 consecutive division titles and a host of individual honors. They were transformed.

Who are the men who helped transform the Atlanta Braves so remarkably?

1. Bobby Cox was the general manager in the 1980s when the club began to draft, cultivate and stockpile talent in the farm system, and became the manager who put it all together on the field.
2. Left-handed pitcher Tom Glavine was one of the talented draft choices taken in 1984 and groomed in the minor leagues.
3. Right-handed pitcher Greg Maddux was a 1993 free-agent acquisition that paid huge dividends.

Cox managed the Braves from 1978-’81, and then returned in 1986 as the general manager.

“When I got there, we made a decision to develop a strong farm system, All of our budget went into scouting, and there was little for the big club. We spent a lot of money on that plan, A plan can be a great plan and fail. Fortunately, our plan worked.” ~~Bobby Cox

It was a great plan and they worked it. My guess is that it would still work for many teams today, including the Braves. In 1990, Atlanta had the worst record in the major leagues. In 1991, the Braves went from worst to first, winning the National League West and the NL pennant. The fairy tale ending fell just short when the Braves lost to the Minnesota Twins in Game 7 of the World Series.

John Schuerholz was a another piece of the plan and came over from Kansas City in 1990 as general manager, and Cox moved from the front office back to the dugout.

“What Bobby started and John finished brought winning baseball to Atlanta and the Braves, They transformed this franchise.” ~~General Manager Frank Wren

So what does Tom Glavine think of all this?

“I am not a historian and know some teammates gone into the Hall of Fame, But not together, like this on the first ballot. I know this is a big deal. And from a personal level, to have the others here is pretty cool. We were really good, And we were good for a long time, and we had good players.” ~Tom Glavine

And then there is “The Professor”, Greg Maddux. He’s here at the end of 23 seasons, 355 wins, more than 5,000 innings, four Cy Young Awards and 97.2 percent of the Hall vote, all built and maintained on the 100,000 pitches that resulted from them.

“Good control makes you smart. You throw the ball where you want to throw it, you look smart.” ~~Greg Maddux

Beaneaters Indeed (1883)

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1883, Boston Beaneaters, Jack Burdock, John Morrill, July 18, World Series

Boston Beaneaters

1883 was an amazing season for the Boston Beaneaters (now the Atlanta Braves).

First, they changed their name from the Red Caps to the Beaneaters. That seems pretty courageous. Clearly they were on the road to becoming brave.

Second, in mid season the changed managers from “Honest” John Morrill to Jack Burdock. Change the name, change the manager.

Third, they had a second half rally when they came from dead last on July 18 to win the National League pennant and the World Series. Even when you are down and out you may not be out.

They had a 63-35 record ending up 4 games ahead.

Beaneaters indeed.

Promise and disappointment (1994)

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1994, 1995, Atlanta Braves, Bobby Cox, Fred McGriff, Montreal Expos, Players Strike, World Series

Bobby Cox – Manager – Atlanta Braves

Bobby Cox began his 5th season in 1994 with the Atlanta Braves. The team started with huge promise. Unfortunately, they would end up disappointing us all.

Many had felt the Braves would win the World Series. It would have been their first since 1957. The prospect of Fred McGriff in the line up for the whole season gave us hope. When we won 13 of the first 14 games, oh man, did we think the promise would come true.

Of course no one could predict a couple of things about this season. Montreal seemed to come out of nowhere. Our pitching was inconsistent. It would have helped to have some timely hitting.

AND, playing 162 games might have helped but the players strike hit after 114 games. Atlanta was 6 games behind and when the players didn’t come back from the strike, we ended with a 68-46 record. If we had played the whole season, who knows?

Of course, in 1995, after the strike had been settled, the Braves did go on to win the World Series.