The Braves are the oldest continuously operating franchise in MLB history!
They played as Boston Red Stockings up to 1882, and became one of the charter franchises of the National League in 1876. From 1883 to 1906, they came to be known as the Boston Beaneaters. The team did not do much and lost 100 games five times between 1900 and 1913, during which they had changed their names two times – first to the Boston Doves from 1907 to 1910 and to the Boston Rustlers in 1911.
In 1912, thanks to the then owner of the team, James Gaffney; who was nicknamed “the Brave of Tammany Hall,” the team came to be called the Boston Braves. Despite all the name changes, the team had a dismal record, until two years later, in 1914, when after a disastrous start and being placed last on the Fourth of July; they had one of the most memorable seasons in the history of baseball.
The First World Series Title
Come Fourth of July 1914, they were placed last, 15 games behind the New York Giants – the league leaders. On July 19, the Boston Braves swept the Cincinnati Reds in a double header. By the time the Giants came to Boston for a three game series on September 7 and 8, the Braves had winning record of 41 games from the 53 they had played since July 4. Boston beat the Giants 2 games to 1.
After this, the Braves won 25 of the 31 games they played, where as the Giants had a 16-16 record. With a record of 68-19 after July 4, the Braves won their first National League Pennant, their first of the nine they have won to date. This is the only instance in MLB, when a team placed last on July 4, went on to win the Pennant.
The Boston Braves further went on to win their first World Series by beating the favored Philadelphia Athletics.
Before the Braves were sold in 1935, and the new owners changed the name to the Boston Bees, the Braves had the legendary Babe Ruth play for them for one year. Ruth was in his decline and could not do much, before he retired on June 1.
After five years as the Bees, the team was sold, in 1940, to Lou Perini – the construction magnate – who changed the name back to the Braves. In early March 1953, Perini moved the team to Milwaukee, and changed name to the Milwaukee Braves. In 1966, the Braves moved to Atlanta, and became the Atlanta Braves.
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