The Colorado Silver Bullets were an all-female professional baseball team that played in the United States from 1994 to 1997. The Bullets were the first such team since the folding of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1954.
115-551: The team was owned by Hope Beckham Inc. a partnership consisting of Paul Beckham and Bob Hope in Atlanta, Georgia. Back in the 1980s, Bob Hope, a former Atlanta Braves executive and the owner of an Atlanta public relations firm, had tried to field a women's minor league team called the Sun Sox. He organized and held tryouts for the team, but the minor league system would not allow them into any league. Hope then decided to put together
230-671: A best-of-nine affair matching that year's pennant winners – the Pittsburgh Pirates of the NL and Boston Americans (later known as the Red Sox ) of the AL – has come to be regarded as the 1903 World Series . It had been arranged well in advance by the two club owners, as both teams were league leaders by large margins. Boston upset Pittsburgh by five games to three, winning with pitching depth behind Cy Young and Bill Dinneen and with
345-625: A 3–0 series lead, seemingly on the verge of a sweep, but the Mets rallied in Game 4 and Game 5. Despite the Mets' resilience, the Braves eventually won the series in Game 6 with Andruw Jones securing a dramatic walk-off walk, earning their 5th National League pennant of the decade. In 2022, the Braves and Mets , both finished with 101 wins. The National League East title and a first-round bye came down to
460-488: A 3–4 pattern due to World War II travel restrictions; in 1944 , the normal pattern was followed because both teams were based in the same home ballpark. Gambling and game-fixing had been a problem in professional baseball from the beginning; star pitcher Jim Devlin was banned for life in 1877 when the National League was just two years old. Baseball's gambling problems came to a head in 1919, when eight players of
575-659: A 7–6 Red Sox victory. The National and American Leagues operated under essentially identical rules until 1973, when the American League adopted the designated hitter (DH) rule, allowing its teams to use another hitter to bat in place of the (usually) weak-hitting pitcher. The National League did not adopt the DH rule. This presented a problem for the World Series, whose two contestants would now be playing their regular-season games under different rules. From 1973 to 1975,
690-650: A Dodgers team trailing 4–3 in the ninth. After getting the first two outs, Eckersley walked Mike Davis of the Dodgers, who were playing without Gibson, their best position player and the NL MVP. Gibson had injured himself in the NLCS and was expected to miss the entire World Series. Yet, despite not being able to walk without a noticeable limp, Gibson surprised all in attendance at Dodger Stadium (and all watching on TV) by pinch-hitting. After two quick strikes and then working
805-502: A century (until the 2016 season) for their next trophy. They did not appear in the World Series from 1945 until 2016, the longest drought of any MLB club. The New York Yankees purchased Babe Ruth 's contract from the Boston Red Sox after the 1919 season, appeared in their first World Series two years later in 1921 , and became frequent participants thereafter. The 1921 World Series was the first to be broadcast on radio. Over
920-460: A criminal conspiracy trial. Meanwhile, to deal with the fallout from the scandal baseball owners had agreed to reform the discredited National Commission. However, when they offered esteemed federal judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis a role on the reformed Commission, he quickly made clear he would only accept an appointment as the sole Commissioner of Baseball with virtually unchecked authority over
1035-553: A crucial three-game series at Truist Park from September 30 to October 2. The Mets entered with a slight lead but faltered as the Braves swept the series. Atlanta claimed the NL East division title and first-round bye, by winning the season series against the Mets. In addition to having strong fan support in the Metro Atlanta area and the state of Georgia, the Braves are often referred to as " America's Team " in reference to
1150-548: A deal with the New York Yankees to acquire Babe Ruth in 1935. Ruth was appointed team vice president with promises of profit shares and managerial prospects. Initially, Ruth seemed to provide a spark on opening day, but his declining skills became evident. Ruth's inability to run and poor fielding led to internal strife, and it became clear that his titles were symbolic. Ruth retired on June 1, 1935, shortly after hitting his last three home runs. The Braves finished
1265-480: A down-payment. Turner quickly gained a reputation as a quirky, hands-on baseball owner. On May 11, 1977, Turner appointed himself manager , but because MLB passed a rule in the 1950s barring managers from holding a financial stake in their teams, Turner was ordered to relinquish that position after one game (the Braves lost 2–1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates to bring their losing streak to 17 games). The Braves didn't enjoy much success between 1978 and 1990, however, in
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#17327877448281380-540: A four-game sweep of the San Diego Padres . The park received positive reviews. Woody Studenmund of the Hardball Times called the park a "gem" saying that he was impressed with "the compact beauty of the stadium and its exciting approach to combining baseball, business and social activities." J.J. Cooper of Baseball America praised the "excellent sight lines for pretty much every seat." Since 2019,
1495-727: A heated rivalry with the New York Mets. The player's strike cut short the 1994 season just before the division championships, but the Braves rebounded in 1995, defeating the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series . With this World Series victory, the Braves became the first team in Major League Baseball to win world championships in three different cities. The Braves reached the World Series in 1996 and 1999 but were defeated both times by
1610-574: A high of fifteen in 1887 (Detroit beat St. Louis ten games to five). Both the 1885 and 1890 Series ended in ties, each team having won three games with one tie game. The series was promoted and referred to as "The Championship of the United States", "World's Championship Series", or "World's Series" for short. In his book Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 , Simon Winchester mentions in passing that
1725-554: A home run to left-center field off left-hander Al Downing of the Los Angeles Dodgers . Aaron spent most of his career as a Milwaukee and Atlanta Brave before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on November 2, 1974. In 1976, the team was purchased by media magnate Ted Turner , owner of superstation WTBS , as a means to keep the team (and one of his main programming staples) in Atlanta. Turner used
1840-402: A laughing Native American with a mohawk and a feather from 1956 to 1965. The modern logo, introduced in 1987, includes the cursive word "Braves" with a tomahawk below it. Uniform changes occurred in 1987, with the team adopting uniforms reminiscent of their 1950s classic look. For the 2023 season, the Braves had four uniform combinations, including the classic white home and gray road uniforms,
1955-412: A navy blue road jersey for alternate games, and two alternate uniforms for home games - a Friday night red uniform and a City Connect uniform worn on Saturdays, paying tribute to Hank Aaron. The City Connect uniform features "The A" across the chest, accompanied by a cap with the "A" logo and 1974 uniform colors. Over the 120 years since the inception of the World Series (119 total World Series played),
2070-534: A period of 45 years from 1920 to 1964, the Yankees played in 29 World Series championships, winning 20. The team's dynasty reached its apex between 1949 and 1964 when the Yankees reached the World Series 14 times in 16 years, helped by an agreement with the Kansas City Athletics , after that team moved from Philadelphia during 1954–1955 offseason, whereby the teams made several deals advantageous to
2185-636: A roster of star players such as Hank Aaron , Eddie Mathews , and Warren Spahn , the Milwaukee Braves won the World Series in 1957. Despite the team's success, fan attendance declined. The club's owners moved the team to Atlanta, Georgia , in 1966. The Braves did not find much success in Atlanta until 1991. From 1991 to 2005, the Braves were one of the most successful teams in baseball, winning an unprecedented 14 consecutive division titles, making an MLB record eight consecutive National League Championship Series appearances, and producing one of
2300-572: A team outside of professionally organized baseball and secured about $ 2 million dollars in sponsorship from Coors Brewing Company . (The team was named after its sponsor as Coors Light calls itself the "silver bullet" of beers .) With future Hall-of-Famer Phil Niekro on board as the manager, the Silver Bullets held tryouts across the country. Most of the players were top college softball players. Many had played some baseball as young girls, but most had been excluded from playing past
2415-592: Is remembered for the iconic home run by the Los Angeles Dodgers' Kirk Gibson with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1. The Dodgers were huge underdogs against the 104-win Oakland Athletics, who had swept the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. Baseball's top relief pitcher, Dennis Eckersley , closed out all four games in the ALCS, and he appeared ready to do the same in Game 1 against
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#17327877448282530-498: Is retired for all of baseball with the exception of Jackie Robinson Day , have also been retired. Six of the eleven numbers (Cox, Jones, Jones, Smoltz, Maddux and Glavine) were on the Braves at the same time. Of the eleven Braves whose numbers have been retired, all who are eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame have been elected with the exceptions of Dale Murphy and Andruw Jones. The color and design of
2645-667: Is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best-of-seven playoff , is awarded the Commissioner's Trophy . The series is traditionally played in October, although before expansion of the regular-season schedule from 154 to 162 games
2760-608: The 1905 Series and beat the Philadelphia Athletics four games to one. Since then the Series has been held every year except 1994, when it was canceled due to a players' strike . The name of the event, initially known as the World's Championship Series, was gradually shortened in common usage to "World's Series" and, by the 1930s, to "World Series". The list of postseason rules evolved over time. From 1919 to 1921 ,
2875-610: The 1982 season , led by manager Joe Torre , the Braves secured their first divisional title since 1969. The team was led by standout performances from key players like Dale Murphy , Bob Horner , Chris Chambliss , Phil Niekro , and Gene Garber . The Braves were swept in the NLCS in three games by the Cardinals . Murphy won the Most Valuable Player award for the National League in 1982 and 1983. From 1991 to 2005,
2990-685: The Braves won the NLCS in dramatic fashion against the Pirates but fell short in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays . In 1993, the Braves strengthened their pitching staff with the addition of Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux in free agency. Despite posting a franchise-best 104 wins, they lost in the NLCS to the Philadelphia Phillies . The team moved to the Eastern Division in 1994, sparking
3105-582: The COVID-19 pandemic . Although their first major confrontation occurred when the Mets swept the Braves in the 1969 NLCS , the rivalry did not become especially heated until the 1994 season when division realignment put both the Mets and the Braves in the National League East division. The Braves faced the Mets in the 1999 National League Championship Series . The Braves initially took
3220-791: The Chicago White Sox were alleged to have conspired to throw the 1919 World Series . The Sox had won the Series in 1917 and were heavy favorites to beat the Cincinnati Reds in 1919, but first baseman Chick Gandil had other plans. Gandil, in collaboration with gambler Joseph "Sport" Sullivan, approached his teammates and got six of them to agree to throw the Series: starting pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Lefty Williams , shortstop Swede Risberg , left fielder Shoeless Joe Jackson , center fielder Happy Felsch , and utility infielder Fred McMullin . Third baseman Buck Weaver knew of
3335-516: The Cincinnati Reds . The 1985 Kansas City Royals won the series four games to three over the St. Louis Cardinals. The key turning point of the series was a Kansas City win in Game Six aided by a controversial call by Don Denkinger at first base. Kansas City later won Game Seven 11–0 to take the series. The series is best remembered for its Game 6, which saw the Mets rally from a two-run deficit in
3450-547: The Indians , turned out to be the Braves' last hurrah in Boston. On March 13, 1953, Perini announced he was moving the club to Milwaukee . Perini cited advent of television and the lack of enthusiasm for the Braves in Boston as the key factors in deciding to move the franchise. The Milwaukee Braves' move to Wisconsin for the 1953 season was an immediate success, as they drew a National League-record 1.8 million fans and finished
3565-698: The National League (NL) East Division . The Braves were founded in Boston , Massachusetts, in 1871, as the Boston Red Stockings . The club was known by various names until the franchise settled on the Boston Braves in 1912. The Braves are the oldest continuously operating professional sports franchise in North America . After 81 seasons and one World Series title in Boston, the club moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin , in 1953. With
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3680-623: The New York Mets brought infielder Shannan Mitchem and pitcher Ann Williams to spring training for a tryout, although both were released soon afterward. In 1996, four players hit home runs and Pam Davis, in a guest appearance with the AA Jacksonville Suns , pitched a scoreless inning of relief against the Australian Olympic men's team . In 1997, Jenny Dalton , Toni Heisler and Tamara Holmes hit over .300 and
3795-578: The New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals , did not win their first championship until the 1920s; and three of the teams that were highly successful prior to 1920 (the Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs ) went the rest of the 20th century without another World Series win. The Red Sox and White Sox finally won again in 2004 and 2005, respectively. The Cubs had to wait over
3910-651: The Oakland Athletics , and 1998 to 2000 by the Yankees. In an 18-year span from 1947 to 1964, except for 1948 and 1959, the World Series was played in New York City, featuring at least one of the three teams located in New York at the time. The Dodgers and Giants moved to California after the 1957 season, leaving the Yankees as the lone team in the city until the Mets were enfranchised in 1962. In 1947, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, and 1956, both teams in
4025-695: The Pittsburgh Pirates , in 1971 and 1979, who defeated the Baltimore Orioles both times. The less successful side during this era also featured repeats. The Orioles themselves made multiple World Series appearances, including three consecutive: 1969, losing to the "amazing" seven-year-old franchise New York Mets , 1970, beating the Reds in their first World Series appearance of the decade, and their 1971 and 1979 defeats by Pittsburgh. The Los Angeles Dodgers lost to Oakland in 1974, and made back-to-back World Series appearances in 1977 and 1978, both losses to
4140-410: The best-of-nine format first used in 1903 was employed. In 1925 , Brooklyn owner Charles Ebbets persuaded others to adopt as a permanent rule the 2–3–2 home game pattern first used in 1924 . Previously, the pattern had been to alternate by game or to make another arrangement convenient to both clubs. The 2–3–2 pattern has been used ever since save for the 1943 and 1945 World Series , which followed
4255-479: The fall or autumn season in North America, it is often referred to as the Fall Classic . Before the AL and NL were split into divisions in 1969, the team with the best regular-season win–loss record in each league won its pennant and advanced to the World Series, barring a tie necessitating a pennant playoff . Since then each league has conducted a League Championship Series ( ALCS and NLCS ) preceding
4370-426: The greatest pitching rotations in the history of baseball including Hall of Famers Greg Maddux , John Smoltz , and Tom Glavine . The Braves are one of the two remaining National League charter franchises that debuted in 1876. The club has won an MLB record 23 divisional titles, 18 National League pennants , and four World Series championships. The Braves are the only Major League Baseball franchise to have won
4485-485: The team won the pennant, behind the pitching of Spahn and Johnny Sain . The remainder of the rotation was so thin that in September, Boston Post writer Gerald Hern wrote this poem about the pair: The poem received such a wide audience that the sentiment, usually now paraphrased as " Spahn and Sain and pray for rain ", entered the baseball vocabulary. The 1948 World Series , which the Braves lost in six games to
4600-496: The " Miracle Mets ." They would post only two winning seasons between 1970 and 1981. Fans in Atlanta had to be satisfied with the achievements of Hank Aaron , who by the end of the 1973 season, had hit 713 home runs, one short of Ruth's record. On April 4, opening day of the next season , he hit No. 714 in Cincinnati , and on April 8, in front of his home fans and a national television audience, he finally beat Ruth's mark with
4715-407: The "Greatest of All Time" in their "World Series 100th Anniversary" countdown, with five of its games being decided by a single run, four games decided in the final at-bat and three games going into extra innings. The series was also notable for both participants having finished last in their divisions the year prior; no last place team before had ever finished first, let alone reached the World Series,
Colorado Silver Bullets - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-640: The "inferiority" of the upstart American League. John McGraw , the Giants' manager, even went so far as to say that his Giants were already "world champions" since they were the champions of the "only real major league". At the time of the announcement, their new cross-town rivals, the New York Highlanders (now the New York Yankees ), were leading the AL, and the prospect of facing the Highlanders did not please Giants management. Boston won on
4945-612: The 1870 season. Manager Harry Wright and players moved to Boston , forming the Boston Red Stockings , a charter team in the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP). Led by the Wright brothers, Ross Barnes, and Al Spalding , they dominated the National Association, winning four of five championships. The original Boston Red Stockings team and its successors can lay claim to being
5060-403: The 1891 season, the National League was again the only major league. The league championship was awarded in 1892 by a playoff between split season champions. This scheme was abandoned after one season. Beginning in 1893—and continuing until divisional play was introduced in 1969—the pennant was awarded to the first-place club in the standings at the end of the season. For four seasons, 1894–1897,
5175-470: The AL team winning 68 times and the NL team 52. Before 1882, when the American Association was formed as a second major league, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (1871–1875) and then the National League (founded 1876) represented the top level of organized baseball in the United States. All championships were awarded to the team with the best record at the end of
5290-579: The Atlanta Braves began playing at Truist Park , replacing Turner Field as their home stadium. Following an MLB investigation into international signing rule violations, general manager John Coppolella resigned and faced a baseball ban. Alex Anthopoulos took over as the new general manager. The team's chairman, Terry McGuirk , apologized for the scandal and expressed confidence in Anthopoulos' integrity. A new on field mascot named Blooper
5405-413: The Atlanta Braves enjoyed a remarkable era of success in baseball, marked by a record-setting 14 consecutive division titles, five National League pennants, and a World Series championship in 1995. Bobby Cox returned as manager in 1990, leading the team's turnaround after finishing the previous season with the worst record in baseball. Notable developments included the drafting of Chipper Jones in 1990 and
5520-494: The Bay Area and killed 63 people. Television viewers saw the video signal deteriorate and heard Michaels say "I'll tell you what, we're having an earth--" before the feed from Candlestick Park was lost. Fans filing into the stadium saw Candlestick sway visibly during the quake. Television coverage later resumed, using backup generators, with Michaels becoming a news reporter on the unfolding disaster. Approximately 30 minutes after
5635-588: The Boston Braves experienced a remarkable turnaround in what would become one of the most memorable seasons in baseball history. Starting with a dismal 4–18 record, the Braves found themselves in last place, trailing the league-leading New York Giants by 15 games after losing a doubleheader to the Brooklyn Robins on July 4. However, the team rebounded with an incredible hot streak, going 41–12 from July 6 to September 5. On August 3, Joseph Lannin
5750-631: The Braves announced ongoing talks about the chop but insisted the team name would remain unchanged. The debate over the tomahawk chop continued into 2021. While some Native American leaders, like Richard Sneed , the Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , expressed personal indifference or tolerance, acknowledging it as an acknowledgment of Native American strength, others vehemently opposed it. Sneed emphasized larger issues facing Native American communities and questioned
5865-455: The Braves as a major programming draw for his fledgling cable network, making the Braves the first franchise to have a nationwide audience and fan base. WTBS marketed the team as "The Atlanta Braves: America's Team ", a nickname that still sticks in some areas of the country, especially the South . The financially strapped Turner used money already paid to the team for their broadcast rights as
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#17327877448285980-643: The Braves franchise has won a total of four World Series Championships. The Braves are the only franchise to have won a World Series in three different cities. The Atlanta Braves home ballpark has been Truist Park since 2017. Truist Park is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown Atlanta in the unincorporated community of Cumberland , in Cobb County , Georgia . The team played its home games at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium from 1966 to 1996, and at Turner Field from 1997 to 2016. The Braves opened Truist Park on April 14, 2017, with
6095-609: The Braves have played spring training games at CoolToday Park in North Port, Florida . The ballpark opened on March 24, 2019, with the Braves' 4–2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays . The Braves left Champion Stadium , their previous Spring Training home near Orlando to reduce travel times and to get closer to other teams' facilities. CoolToday Park also serves as the Braves' year round rehabilitation facility. (*) – There were no fans allowed in any MLB stadium in 2020 due to
6210-416: The Braves return to the postseason for the first time since 2005. The team secured the NL Wild Card but fell to the San Francisco Giants in the National League Division Series in four closely contested games, marking the conclusion of Bobby Cox's managerial career. The following season the Braves suffered a historic September collapse to miss the postseason. The club bounced back in 2012 and returned to
6325-421: The Braves to a Chicago-based group led by William Bartholomay. Bartholomay intended to move the team to Atlanta in 1965, but legal hurdles kept them in Milwaukee for an extra season. After arriving in Atlanta in 1966, the Braves found success in 1969, with the onset of divisional play by winning the first National League West Division title. In the National League Championship Series the Braves were swept by
6440-425: The Braves' public relations director defended it as a "proud expression of unification and family." The controversy resurfaced in 2019 when Cherokee Nation member and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley found the chop insulting, prompting the Braves to modify their in-game experience. During the off-season, discussions ensued with Native American representatives, and amid pressure in 2020 to change their name,
6555-451: The Bullets didn't win a lot of games, though their record did improve; it was not until their fourth and final season that they managed a winning record. The team established a base in Albany, Georgia , and played about 20 games a year at Paul Eames Sports Complex for two seasons, starting in 1995 . After four seasons, the Bullets folded in 1997 when Coors Brewing Company decided not to continue with their sponsorship. Despite much effort
6670-409: The Curse of the Bambino superstition used to explain the Red Sox's championship drought after the 1918 World Series. The 1987 Minnesota Twins became the first team in the history of the World Series to win the championship by winning all 4 games they hosted when they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals. They repeated this 4 years later in 1991 when they defeated the Atlanta Braves. The 1988 World Series
6785-474: The DH rule was used in all World Series games, regardless of home team. The 1984 Detroit Tigers gained distinction as just the third team in major league history (after the 1927 New York Yankees and 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers) to lead a season wire-to-wire, from opening day through their World Series victory. In the process, Tigers skipper Sparky Anderson became the first manager to win a World Series title in both leagues, having previously won in 1975 and 1976 with
6900-401: The Fourth of July. They were in last place as late as July 18, but were close to the pack, moving into fourth on July 21 and second place on August 12. The Braves entered the 1914 World Series led by captain and National League Most Valuable Player , Johnny Evers . The Boston club were slight underdogs against Connie Mack 's Philadelphia A's . However, they swept the Athletics and won
7015-403: The Hollywood Star Sox, a team of actors and other entertainment industry professionals captained by Jonathan Silverman . (Those games were played at, respectively, Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington, D.C., and the Epicenter in Rancho Cucamonga, California .) Some of the team's games were televised live across the U.S. on Prime Sports, now Fox Sports Net . In their first two seasons,
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#17327877448287130-412: The NL Division Series 3–1. The Braves again faced the Dodgers in the 2021 NLCS , and won in six games to take Atlanta's first National League pennant since 1999 . The Braves advanced to the World Series. They defeated the Houston Astros in six games to win their fourth World Series title. The Braves logos have evolved over the years, featuring a Native American warrior from 1945 to 1955, followed by
7245-437: The New York Yankees. In 1996, Time Warner acquired Ted Turner's Turner Broadcasting System, including the Braves. Despite their continued success with a ninth consecutive division title in 2000, the Braves faced postseason disappointment with a sweep by the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS . The team won division titles from 2002 to 2004 but experienced early exits in the NLDS each year. In December 2005, Time Warner, put
7360-565: The World Series did not include a DH. Starting in 1976, the DH rule was used in the World Series held in even-numbered years. The Cincinnati Reds swept the 1976 Series in four games, using the same nine-man lineup in each contest. Dan Driessen was the Reds' DH during the series, thereby becoming the National League's first designated hitter. From 1986 to 2019, and in 2021, the DH was used only in World Series games played at American League parks, and pitchers were required to bat in games played at National League parks. In 2020, and starting in 2022,
7475-402: The World Series in three different home cities. At the end of the 2024 season, the Braves' overall win–loss record is 11,114–10,949–154 (.504). Since moving to Atlanta in 1966, the Braves have an overall win–loss record of 4,850–4,461–8 (.521) through the end of 2024. The Cincinnati Red Stockings , formed in 1869, were the first openly all-professional baseball team but disbanded after
7590-461: The World Series to determine which teams will advance, while those series have been preceded in turn by Division Series ( ALDS and NLDS ) since 1995, and Wild Card games or series in each league since 2012. Until 2002, home-field advantage in the World Series alternated from year to year between the AL and NL. From 2003 to 2016, home-field advantage was given to the league that won that year's All-Star Game . Starting in 2017, home-field advantage
7705-408: The World Series was named for the New York World newspaper, but this view is disputed. The 19th-century competitions are, however, not officially recognized as part of World Series history by Major League Baseball , as it considers 19th-century baseball to be a prologue to the modern baseball era. As late as approximately 1960, some sources treated the 19th-century Series on an equal basis with
7820-409: The World Series were from New York, with the Yankees playing against either the Dodgers or Giants. In 1958, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants took their long-time rivalry to the west coast, moving to Los Angeles and San Francisco , respectively, bringing Major League Baseball west of St. Louis and Kansas City . The Dodgers were the first of the two clubs to contest a World Series on
7935-436: The Yankees, until ended by new Athletics' owner Charles O. Finley. During that span, the Yankees played in all World Series except 1954 and 1959 , winning nine of them. From 1949 to 1953, the Yankees won the World Series five years in a row; from 1936 to 1939 the Yankees won four World Series Championships in a row. There are only two other occasions when a team has won at least three consecutive World Series: 1972 to 1974 by
8050-425: The Yankees. Game 6 of the 1975 World Series is regarded by most as one of the greatest World Series games ever played. It found the Boston Red Sox winning in the 12th inning in Fenway Park , defeating the Cincinnati Reds to force a seventh and deciding game. The game is best remembered for its exciting lead changes, nail-biting turns of events, and a game-winning walk-off home run by Carlton Fisk , resulting in
8165-463: The age of twelve. Lee Ann Ketcham played baseball right through high school in Alabama but switched to softball for college. Julie Croteau went to court to play baseball at her high school in Virginia and lost, but went on to become the first woman to play and eventually to coach baseball at the college level. Their coaches were former major leaguers, including Joe Pignatano , Joe Niekro , Johnny Grubb , Al Bumbry and their manager, Phil Niekro, who
8280-573: The best win–loss record at the end of the regular season. A structured playoff series began in 1969 when both the National and American Leagues were reorganized into two divisions each, East and West. The two division winners within each league played each other in a best-of-five League Championship Series to determine who would advance to the World Series. In 1985, the format changed to best-of-seven. The National League Championship Series (NLCS) and American League Championship Series (ALCS), since
8395-414: The bottom of the 10th inning, despite having two outs and no one on base. The Red Sox, who held a 3–2 series lead, were twice one strike away from securing the championship, but failed to close out the inning as the Mets tie on a Bob Stanley wild pitch & win off an error by Boston first baseman Bill Buckner. Due to the Mets claiming the series in Game 7, the Game 6 collapse entered baseball lore as part of
8510-487: The club up for sale, leading to negotiations with Liberty Media. After over a year of talks, a deal was reached in February 2007 for Liberty Media to acquire the Braves for $ 450 million, a magazine publishing company, and $ 980 million in cash. The sale, valued at approximately $ 1.48 billion, was contingent on approval from 75 percent of MLB owners and Commissioner Bud Selig. Bobby Cox's final year as manager in 2010 saw
8625-452: The count full, Gibson hit a home run to right, inspiring iconic pronouncements by two legendary broadcasters calling the game, Vin Scully (on TV) and Jack Buck (on radio). On NBC, after Gibson limped around the bases, Scully famously exclaimed, "The impossible has happened!" and on radio, Buck equally famously exclaimed, "I don't believe what I just saw!" Gibson's home run set the tone for
8740-485: The earthquake, Commissioner Fay Vincent ordered the game to be postponed. Fans, workers, and the teams evacuated a blacked-out (although still sunlit) Candlestick. Game 3 was finally played on October 27, and Oakland won that day and the next to complete a four-game sweep. The 1991 World Series saw the Minnesota Twins defeating the Atlanta Braves four games to three to win the championship. ESPN selected it as
8855-455: The event occasionally started in late September (most recently in 1955 ) and the entire 1918 series took place early in that month due to the World War I "Work or Fight" order forcing an early end to that year's regular season, while some more recent editions have been played into November due to in-season delays and expansion of earlier postseason rounds. Because the series is played in
8970-408: The expansion to best-of-seven, are always played in a 2–3–2 format: Games 1, 2, 6, and 7 are played in the stadium of the team that has home-field advantage, and Games 3, 4, and 5 are played in the stadium of the team that does not. Night games were played in the major leagues beginning with the Cincinnati Reds in 1935, but the World Series remained a strictly daytime event for years thereafter. In
9085-414: The fifth and final game of the 1949 World Series , a Series game was finished under the lights for the first time due to encroaching darkness in the ninth inning. The first scheduled night World Series game was Game 4 of the 1971 World Series at Three Rivers Stadium . Afterward, World Series games were frequently scheduled at night, when television audiences were larger. Game 6 of the 1987 World Series
9200-403: The fix but declined to participate, hitting .324 for the series from 11 hits and committing no errors in the field. The Sox, who were promised $ 100,000 for cooperating, proceeded to lose the best-of-nine series in eight games, pitching poorly, hitting poorly and making many errors. Though he took the money, Jackson insisted to his death that he played to the best of his ability in the series (he
9315-820: The focus on the chop. The Eastern Cherokee Band of Indians and the Braves initiated efforts to incorporate Cherokee language and culture into the team's activities, stadium, and merchandise, aiming for greater cultural sensitivity despite differing opinions within the Native American community. The Braves have retired eleven numbers in the history of the franchise, including most recently Andruw Jones ' number 25 in 2023, Chipper Jones ' number 10 in 2013, John Smoltz 's number 29 in 2012, Bobby Cox 's number 6 in 2011, Tom Glavine 's number 47 in 2010, and Greg Maddux 's number 31 in 2009. Additionally, Hank Aaron 's 44, Dale Murphy 's 3, Phil Niekro 's 35, Eddie Mathews ' 41, Warren Spahn 's 21 and Jackie Robinson 's 42, which
9430-401: The following year. The series-deciding seventh game was a scoreless tie (0–0) through the regular nine innings, and went into extra innings; Minnesota won by a score of 1–0 in the 10th inning, after their starting pitcher, Jack Morris , pitched a complete 10 inning shutout 7th game. (Morris was named Most Valuable Player for the Series.) With 69 innings in total, the 1991 World Series shares
9545-458: The formidable New York Yankees. Despite a strong start in the World Series rematch the following season , the Braves ultimately lost the last three games and the World Series. The 1959 season ended in a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which defeated the Braves in a playoff. The ensuing years saw fluctuating success, including the Braves finishing fifth in 1963, their first time in the "second division." In 1962, team owner Louis Perini sold
9660-405: The game. The owners agreed. Immediately after and notwithstanding the acquittals, Landis banned all of the players involved (including Weaver) for life. The White Sox would not win a World Series again until 2005 . The events of the 1919 Series, segueing into the "live ball" era , marked a point in time of change of the fortunes of several teams. The two most prolific World Series winners to date,
9775-498: The hiring of general manager John Schuerholz from the Kansas City Royals. The Braves' remarkable journey began in 1991 , known as the "Worst to First" season. Overcoming a shaky start, the Braves bounced back led by young pitchers Tom Glavine and John Smoltz . The team secured the NL pennant in a memorable playoff race, ultimately losing a closely contested World Series to the Minnesota Twins. The following year,
9890-411: The last day of the season, and the leagues had previously agreed to hold a World's Championship Series in 1904, but it was not binding, and Brush stuck to his original decision. In addition to political reasons, Brush also cited a number of legitimate grievances, including the lack of rules under which revenue would be split, where games would be played, and how they would be operated and staffed. During
10005-563: The league champions played the runners-up in the postseason championship series called the Temple Cup . A second attempt at this format was the Chronicle-Telegraph Cup series, which was played only once, in 1900. In 1901, the American League was formed as a second major league. No championship series were played in 1901 or 1902 as the National and American Leagues fought each other for business supremacy (in 1902,
10120-564: The oldest continuously playing franchise in American professional sports. The club was known as the Boston Red Caps when they played the first National League game in 1876 , winning against the Philadelphia Athletics . Despite a weaker roster in the league's first year, they rebounded to secure the 1877 and 1878 pennants. Managed by Frank Selee , they were a dominant force in the 19th century, winning eight pennants. By 1898
10235-425: The post-19th-century series. After about 1930, however, many authorities list the start of the World Series in 1903 and discuss the earlier contests separately. (For example, the 1929 World Almanac and Book of Facts lists "Baseball World's Championships 1884–1928" in a single table, but the 1943 edition lists "Baseball World's Championships 1903–1942". ) Following the collapse of the American Association after
10350-481: The postseason in Chipper Jones' final season. The Braves won 94 games in 2012, but that wasn't enough to win the NL East, so they faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the inaugural Wild Card Game . Chipper Jones last game was a memorable one: the Braves lost the one game playoff 6–3, but the game would be remembered for a controversial infield fly call that helped end a Braves rally in the 8th inning. In 2017,
10465-595: The president of the Red Sox, offered Fenway Park to the Braves free of charge for the remainder of the season since their usual home, the South End Grounds , was too small. On September 7 and 8, they defeated the Giants in two out of three games, propelling them into first place. Despite being in last place as late as July 18, the Braves secured the pennant, becoming the only team under the old eight-team league format to achieve this after being in last place on
10580-407: The red color from their stockings due to infection concerns. The club underwent various nickname changes until becoming the Braves before the 1912 season . The president of the club, John M. Ward named the club after the owner, James Gaffney . Gaffney was called one of the "braves" of New York City's political machine, Tammany Hall , which used a Native American chief as their symbol. In 1914,
10695-929: The retired numbers on commemorative markers and other in-stadium signage reflect the primary uniform design at the time the player was on the team. Earl Averill Dave Bancroft Dan Brouthers John Clarkson * Jimmy Collins Hugh Duffy * Johnny Evers Burleigh Grimes Billy Hamilton Billy Herman Rogers Hornsby Joe Kelley King Kelly Ernie Lombardi Rabbit Maranville * Rube Marquard Tommy McCarthy * Bill McKechnie Joe Medwick Kid Nichols * Jim O'Rourke Charley Radbourn Babe Ruth Frank Selee * Al Simmons George Sisler Billy Southworth Casey Stengel Ed Walsh Lloyd Waner Paul Waner Deacon White Vic Willis * George Wright * Harry Wright Cy Young Eddie Mathews * Red Schoendienst Enos Slaughter World Series The World Series
10810-462: The season second in the league. Manager Charlie Grimm was named NL Manager of the Year . Throughout the 1950s, the Braves were a National League power; driven by sluggers Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron , the team won two pennants and finished second twice between 1956 and 1959. In 1957 , Aaron's MVP season led the Braves to their first pennant in nine years, then a World Series victory against
10925-594: The season with a dismal 38–115 record, marking the franchise's worst season. Fuchs lost control of the team in August 1935, leading to a rebranding attempt as the Boston Bees, but it did little to alter the team's fortune. Construction magnate Lou Perini took over, eventually restoring the Braves' name. Despite World War II causing a brief setback, the team, led by pitcher Warren Spahn , enjoyed impressive seasons in 1946 and 1947 under Perini's ownership. In 1948,
11040-579: The season, without a postseason series being played. From 1884 to 1890, the National League and the American Association faced each other in a series of games at the end of the season to determine an overall champion. These series were disorganized in comparison to the modern World Series, with the terms arranged through negotiation of the owners of the championship teams beforehand. The number of games played ranged from as few as three in 1884 (Providence defeated New York three games to zero), to
11155-479: The series, as the Dodgers went on to beat the A's 4 games to 1. The severity of Gibson's injury prevented him from playing in any of the remaining games. When the 1989 World Series began, it was notable chiefly for being the first-ever World Series matchup between the two San Francisco Bay Area teams, the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics . Oakland won the first two games at home, and
11270-434: The support of the band of Royal Rooters . The 1904 Series , if it had been held, would have been between the AL's Boston Americans (Boston Red Sox) and the NL's New York Giants (now the San Francisco Giants ). At that point there was no governing body for the World Series nor any requirement that a Series be played. Thus the Giants' owner John T. Brush refused to allow his team to participate in such an event, citing
11385-432: The syndicate that bought the club. However, the death of pitching legend in 1925 left Fuchs in control. Despite Fuchs' commitment to success, the team faced challenges overcoming the damage from previous years. It wasn't until 1933 and 1934, under manager Bill McKechnie , that the Braves became competitive, but it did little to help the club's finances. In an effort to boost fan attendance and finances, Fuchs orchestrated
11500-529: The team dramatically won their final game to finish with a record of 23-22, for their first winning season. Phil Niekro described that final game as being as exciting as a World Series game. Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area . The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of
11615-500: The team was known as the Beaneaters and they won 102 games, with stars like Hugh Duffy , Tommy McCarthy , and "Slidin'" Billy Hamilton . In 1901, the American League was introduced, causing many Beaneaters players including stars Duffy and Jimmy Collins to leave for clubs of the rival league. The team struggled, having only one winning season from 1900 to 1913 and losing 100 games five times. In 1907, they temporarily dropped
11730-486: The team was unable to secure alternate funding and had to disband. The Silver Bullets broke a lot of new ground and have been recognized by Cooperstown . After the 1994 season, Lee Anne Ketcham and Julie Croteau became the first women to sign with the Class A and AA men's Hawaii Winter Baseball league. The next spring, as the 1994 baseball strike remained unresolved and MLB teams attempted to find replacement players ,
11845-592: The team's games being broadcast nationally on TBS from the 1970s until 2007, giving the team a nationwide fan base. The Braves boast heavy support within the Southeastern United States particularly in states such as Mississippi , Alabama , South Carolina , North Carolina , Tennessee and Florida . In 1991, fans of the Atlanta Braves popularized the "tomahawk chop" during games. The use of foam tomahawks drew criticism from Native American groups, deeming it demeaning. Despite protests,
11960-413: The top teams instead opted to compete in a football championship ). After two years of bitter competition and player raiding, the National and American Leagues made peace and, as part of the accord, several pairs of teams squared off for interleague exhibition games following the 1903 season. These series were arranged by the participating clubs, as the 1880s World's Series matches had been. One of them,
12075-612: The two teams crossed the bridge to San Francisco to play Game 3 on Tuesday, October 17. ABC 's broadcast of Game 3 began at 5 pm local time, approximately 30 minutes before the first pitch was scheduled. At 5:04, while broadcasters Al Michaels and Tim McCarver were narrating highlights and the teams were warming up, the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred (having a surface-wave magnitude of 7.1 with an epicenter ten miles (16 km) northeast of Santa Cruz, California). The earthquake caused substantial property and economic damage in
12190-582: The west coast, defeating the Chicago White Sox in 1959 . The 1962 Giants made the first California World Series appearance of that franchise, losing to the Yankees. The Dodgers made three World Series appearances in the 1960s: a 1963 win over the Yankees , a 1965 win over the Minnesota Twins and a 1966 loss to the Baltimore Orioles . Prior to 1969, the National League and the American League each crowned its champion (the "pennant winner") based on
12305-448: The winter of 1904–1905, however, feeling the sting of press criticism, Brush had a change of heart and proposed what came to be known as the "Brush Rules", under which the series were played subsequently. One rule was that player shares would come from a portion of the gate receipts for the first four games only. This was to discourage teams from fixing early games in order to prolong the series and make more money. Receipts for later games
12420-464: The world championship. Inspired by their success, owner Gaffney constructed a modern park, Braves Field , which opened in August 1915 and was the largest park in the majors at the time, boasting 40,000 seats and convenient public transportation access. From 1917 to 1933, the Boston Braves struggled. After a series of different owners, Emil Fuchs bought the team in 1923. Fuchs brought his longtime friend, pitching great Christy Mathewson , as part of
12535-399: Was awarded to the league champion team with the better regular-season win–loss record, regardless of that team's seeding in earlier playoff rounds (i.e. a Wild Card team in one league will have home-field advantage over a division winner in the other league if it had a better record or wins the tie-breaking procedure). The World Series has been contested 120 times through the 2024 season, with
12650-544: Was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, surrounded by his new team. The Silver Bullets played 44 games during their first season, and 195 games over a four-year period from 1994-1997 by barnstorming the country playing men's all-star amateur and semi-pro teams. Among their opponents were the Navy Mariners, an all-star team of players stationed at United States Navy bases, and
12765-644: Was introduced at a fan event before the 2017 season. Under Anthopoulos, the Braves made the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons. In 2020 the Braves reach the National League Championship Series , but ultimately lost to the Dodgers after leading 3–1. In the 2021 season, the Braves won the National League East with an 88–73 record. In the postseason, they quickly defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in
12880-512: Was split among the two clubs and the National Commission, the governing body for the sport, which was able to cover much of its annual operating expense from World Series revenue. Most importantly, the now-official and compulsory World Series matches were operated strictly by the National Commission itself, not by the participating clubs. With the new rules in place and the National Commission in control, McGraw's Giants made it to
12995-525: Was the best hitter in the series, including having hit the series' only home run, but had markedly worse numbers in the games the White Sox lost). During the Series, writer and humorist Ring Lardner had facetiously called the event the "World's Serious". The Series turned out to indeed have serious consequences for the sport. After rumors circulated for nearly a year, the players were suspended in September 1920. The " Black Sox " were eventually acquitted in
13110-692: Was the last World Series game played in the daytime, indoors at the Metrodome in Minnesota. The last World Series played outdoors during the day was the final game of the 1984 series in Detroit's Tiger Stadium . The start time of this game (Game 5) was 4:45 PM, making it the last outdoor World Series game to be started during daylight hours, but the game concluded after sunset and the final innings were technically played at night. The last World Series game to be played outdoors entirely during daylight hours
13225-479: Was the previous day's game, Game 4, which started at 1:45 PM. During this seven-year period, only three teams won the World Series: the Oakland Athletics from 1972 to 1974, Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and 1976, and New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978. This is the only time in World Series history in which three teams have won consecutive series in succession. This period was book-ended by World Championships for
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