1995 World Series Title

Lore & Background

After losing the World Series in 1991 to the Minnesota Twins and in 1992 to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Atlanta Braves were making their third attempt in four years (not counting the 1994 strike) to capture Atlanta's first title. The Braves overcame some early inconsistency to win their division by 21 games. In the playoffs, which featured a new first round, the Braves overwhelmed the third-year Colorado Rockies, then swept the Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS. The team relied on clutch hitting and its powerful pitching rotation, which was made up of perennial Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Steve Avery. As the NL champion, they opened this World Series at home because there was no 1994 World Series.

In Their Own Story

The humidity hung heavy over Fulton County Stadium on October 24, 1995, as the crowd roared for one final push. Chipper Jones stood at the plate, the weight of the franchise's history resting on his shoulders. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, he launched a towering shot into the left-field stands, sealing the fate of the Indians and sending Atlanta into a frenzy. The trophy was raised not just as a symbol of victory, but as proof that the Braves had truly arrived.

Reader's Guide

Five of the six games of the series were won by one run, including the clinching sixth game, a 1–0 combined one-hitter by Tom Glavine and Mark Wohlers. This was the first time since the LCS changed to a best-of-seven format that a winner of a LCS via a sweep had gone on to win the World Series. This has since been repeated in 2019 by the Washington Nationals, in 2022 by the Houston Astros, and in 2025 by the Los Angeles Dodgers. This World Series, despite being in an odd-numbered year, opened in the NL home because of the omission of the 1994 World Series. Until 2003, the World Series began in the AL home in even-numbered years.

Did You Know?

• The Braves were favored to win the 1995 World Series.
• This was the first major professional sports championship ever won by an Atlanta-based team.
• Three of the six games were won by one run, including the 1–0 clinching game.
• This was the third time since the LCS changed to a best-of-seven format that a winner of a LCS via a sweep went on to win the World Series, following the 1988 Dodgers and 1990 Reds.