History of the Atlanta Braves

Lore & Background

The Braves began in Boston in 1871 and remained there until 1953, when owner Lou Perini moved the team to Milwaukee. In Milwaukee, the Braves reached the World Series in 1957 and 1958, winning in 1957, and finished second in the National League five times from 1953 to 1960. After a decline in the early 1960s, Perini sold the team to William Bartholomay in 1962, who relocated the franchise to Atlanta in 1966.

In Atlanta, the Braves were largely mediocre from the late 1960s through the 1980s, with division titles in 1969 and 1982. In 1976, media magnate Ted Turner purchased the team and kept it in Atlanta. The team's fortunes turned in 1991, when they became the first National League team to reach the World Series after finishing last the previous year. This began a streak of 14 consecutive division titles, and the Braves played in five World Series during the 1990s, winning in 1995.

After 2006, the Braves had several years of mediocrity, then earned postseason berths between 2010 and 2013, followed by four losing seasons. A new streak of division titles began in 2018, and the Braves won their fourth World Series title in 2021.

Reader's Guide

The Atlanta Braves are significant for being the only Major League Baseball franchise to win the World Series in three different cities: Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta. Their 14 consecutive division titles from 1991 to 2005 established them as the 'Team of the 90s,' a period of sustained success built on a legendary starting rotation including Hall of Famers John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux. The team's move to Atlanta in 1966 and subsequent purchase by Ted Turner in 1976 helped create a national fanbase through Turner's superstation WTCG, branding the Braves as 'America's Team.' The franchise also played a key role in baseball history through Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run in 1974, which surpassed Babe Ruth's career mark. The Braves' legacy includes both on-field achievements and their role in the expansion of baseball's geographic and media reach.

Did You Know?

• The Braves are the only team in Major League history to win the World Series in three different cities: Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta.
• In 1991, the Braves became the first National League team to reach the World Series one year after finishing last.
• Hank Aaron hit his record-breaking 715th home run on April 8, 1974, at Atlanta Stadium.
• Ted Turner purchased the Braves in 1976 and used the team as programming for his superstation WTCG.

The Milwaukee Golden Age and the Road to Atlanta

The Braves' journey from Boston to Milwaukee in 1953 marked a transformative chapter. Under owner Lou Perini, the franchise found immediate success in Wisconsin, drawing over 2.2 million fans at home during the regular season. Hall of Famers Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathews, and Hank Aaron anchored a team that captured the 1957 World Series by defeating the New York Yankees, and returned to the Series the following year. The Braves also claimed second place in the National League five times between 1953 and 1960, a run of excellence that caught the attention of other owners and coincided with a wave of relocations across the league. However, by the early 1960s, the magic faded. After the 1962 season, Perini sold the club to William Bartholomay, who almost immediately began shopping the team to a larger television market. Atlanta, under Mayor Ivan Allen Jr., responded by constructing a new 52,007-seat multi-purpose stadium in under a year. Despite a legal injunction forcing one final Milwaukee season, the Braves completed their move before the 1966 campaign, drawing over 1.5 million fans in their new Georgia home.

Ted Turner and the Birth of a National Franchise

In 1976, media mogul Ted Turner made a strategic purchase that would reshape how Major League Baseball was consumed across the country. Turner, who owned superstation WTCG, acquired the Braves primarily to prevent the team from leaving Atlanta. His financially constrained deal was creative: he used broadcast rights money already owed to the franchise as his down payment. The genius of the arrangement lay in distribution. By carrying every Braves game on his fledgling cable channel, Turner gave the team one of the first regular, nationwide audiences in MLB history, alongside the Chicago Cubs, who enjoyed similar reach through WGN. WTCG branded the Braves as "America's Team," a nickname that still resonates in parts of the South. This was not merely a local ownership change; it was the creation of a national media identity for a baseball club, transforming a regional franchise into a cultural institution broadcast into living rooms across the country.

The 1990s Dynasty and the Three-City Championship

The 1991 season stands as one of the most remarkable turnarounds in baseball history. The Braves, who had finished last in the previous year, surged to become the first National League team to reach the World Series the following season. That single achievement launched an unprecedented run: fourteen consecutive division titles that earned the club the moniker "Team of the 90s." During that decade, the Braves appeared in five World Series (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, and 1999) and captured the championship in 1995. This victory made them the only franchise in Major League history to win the World Series in three different cities. The engine behind that dominance was a legendary starting rotation featuring Hall of Famers John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux, whose collective excellence defined an era of sustained competitive superiority that no other team in the league could match.

Hank Aaron's Record and the Launching Pad Era

While the Braves as a team struggled through the early 1970s, posting only two winning seasons between 1970 and 1981, one player elevated the franchise to a place of national significance. Hank Aaron, playing in the hitter-friendly confines of Atlanta Stadium—affectionately nicknamed "The Launching Pad"—increased his offensive production and closed in on Babe Ruth's career home run record. By the end of 1973, Aaron had reached 713, just one shy of Ruth's mark. The winter that followed brought racially motivated death threats, yet Aaron stood firm. On April 4, 1974, he hit his 714th in Cincinnati, and on April 8, before his home fans, he crushed his 715th off Al Downing of the Los Angeles Dodgers, breaking the record. Aaron would finish his career with 755 home runs, a major league record that stood until 2007, with all but 22 of those coming in a Braves uniform.

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