Seattle SuperSonics

Injured Reserve. In 2002, 2003, and 2004 the Braves won their division again, but lost in the NLDS in all three years 3 games to 2, to the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros respectively. Bench. In 2001, Atlanta won the National League East division, swept the NLDS against the Houston Astros, then lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS. Starters. With their strong pitching being a constant, the Braves would also appear in the 1996 and 1999 World Series, and have not failed to win a division title since 1990 as of this writing. Pitching is not the only constant in the Braves organization; as of the end of the 2004 season, Cox is still the Braves' manager and Schuerholz remains the team's GM. Team originally owned by Sam Schulman (1967 - 83), Barry Ackerley (1983 - 2001), and now Howard Schultz the Chairman of Starbucks Coffee (2001 - present). With this World Series victory, the Braves became the first team in Major League Baseball to win world championships in three different cities.

Division champions in 1979, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2005. The Braves would win a World Series in 1995, defeating the Cleveland Indians in six games. Won NBA championship in 1979. In 1993, the Braves signed Cy Young Award winning pitcher Greg Maddux, leading many baseball insiders to declare the pitching staff the best of all-time. First playoff appearance, 1975. In the 1992 season, the Braves would reach the NLCS again and defeat, once again, in seven games, the Pirates, only to lose in the World Series to a dominating Toronto Blue Jays team. Began play in October, 1967. Despite the loss, the Braves' success would continue.

Seattle's first professional franchise. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in a tightly contested seven-game NLCS only to lose the World Series, also in seven games, to the Minnesota Twins. The Seattle SuperSonics are a National Basketball Association team based in Seattle, Washington, USA. Meanwhile, behind position players Dave Justice, Ron Gant and unexpected league Most Valuable Player and batting-average leader Terry Pendleton, the Braves overcame a slow start to go 47-22 over the last three months of the season and win 8 of their last 9, edging the Los Angeles Dodgers by one game in one of baseball history's more memorable playoff races. C - #47 Robert Swift (Bakersfield HS, Bakersfield, California). The following season, Glavine, Avery, and Smoltz would be recognized as the best young pitchers in the league, winning 52 games between them. PG - #24 Mateen Cleaves (Michigan State). Immediately after the season, John Schuerholz was hired as general manager.

PF - #77 Vladimir Radmanović (Владимир Радмановић) (Serbia). Perhaps the Braves' most important move, however, was not on the field, but in the front office. SF - #12 Damien Wilkins (Georgia). However, pitching coach Leo Mazzone began training young pitchers Tom Glavine, Steve Avery, and John Smoltz. C - #9 Vitaly Potapenko (Виталий Потапенко) (Wright State). Not only was this season a losing effort, the Braves traded Dale Murphy to the Philadelphia Phillies after it was clear he was becoming a less dominant player. SF - #22 Ronald Murray (Shaw). Bobby Cox was rehired as manager in 1990.

F/C - #21 Danny Fortson (Cincinnati). Murphy, excelling in defense, hitting, and running, was consistently recognized as one of the league's best players, but the Braves averaged only 65 wins per season between 1985-1990. PG - #33 Antonio Daniels (Bowling Green). Murphy also won a Most Valuable Player award the following season, but the Braves began a period of decline that defined the team throughout the 1980s. PF - #4 Nick Collison (Kansas). Strong performances from Bob Horner, Chris Chambliss, pitcher Phil Niekro, and short relief pitcher Gene Garber helped the Braves, but no Brave was more acclaimed than Murphy, who won both a Most Valuable Player and a Gold Glove award. SF - #7 Rashard Lewis (Alief-Elsik HS, Houston, Texas). Cox was fired after the 1981 season and replaced with Joe Torre, under whose leadership the Braves attained their first divisional title since 1969.

PF - #30 Reggie Evans (Iowa). However, in 1980, Murphy was moved to center field and demonstrated excellent range and throwing ability, while the Braves earned their first winning season since 1974. C - #13 Jerome James (Florida A&M). Murphy hit 77 home runs over the next three seasons, but struggled on defense, positioned at either catcher or first base while being unable to adeptly play either. SG - #34 Ray Allen (UConn). Cox promoted a 22-year-old slugger named Dale Murphy into the starting lineup. PG - #8 Luke Ridnour (Oregon). After three straight losing seasons, Bobby Cox was hired as manager of the franchise for the 1978 season.

Brent Barry. In 1977, Turner appointed himself manager, but was ordered to relinquish that position after one game (the Braves lost). Nate McMillan. Turner quickly gained a reputation as a quirky, hands-on baseball owner. Jack Sikma. In 1976 the team was purchased by media magnate Ted Turner, owner of superstation WTBS. Spencer Haywood. On April 4 he hit #714 in Cincinnati, and on April 8, in front of his home fans, he finally beat Ruth's mark.

'Slick' Watts. The next season, it was only a matter of time before he set a new record. Tom Chambers. Throughout the winter he received racially motivated death threats, but stood up well under the pressure. Xavier McDaniel. In the relatively hitter friendly confines of Fulton County Stadium ("The Launching Pad"), he actually increased his offensive production, and by the end of the 1973 season had hit 713 home runs, one short of Babe Ruth's record. Sam Perkins. In the mean time, fans had to be satisfied with the achievements of Aaron.

Dale Ellis. They would not win it again until 1982, under Joe Torre. Detlef Schrempf. A .500 baseball team in the first few years (85-77, 77-85 and 81-81) respectively, they won the 1969 NL West pennant, before being swept by the "Miracle Mets" in the NLCS. Shawn Kemp. The next year, the Braves were its new residents. Gary Payton. Keen to attract them, the City of Atlanta constructed a new ballpark, Fulton County Stadium, officially opened in 1965.

Bob Blackburn (broadcaster, 1967-1992). By the early 1960s attendance in Milwaukee had dwindled as well, and a new group of owners once again sought relocation. 43 Jack Sikma. Burdette, the Series MVP, threw three complete game victories, giving up only two earned runs. 32 Fred Brown. In 1957, it culminated in their first World Series win for over 40 years, defeating the New York Yankees of Berra, Mantle and Ford. 19 Lenny Wilkens. Sluggers Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron drove the offense (they would hit a combined 863 home runs as Braves), whilst Spahn, Lew Burdette and Bob Buhl anchored the rotation.

10 Nate McMillan. As the 1950s the reinvigorated Braves were increasingly competitive. 1 Gus Williams. Attendances steadily dwindled until, on March 13, 1953, then-owner Lou Perini announced he was moving the team to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lenny Wilkens (played and coached for Sonics; inducted as both). Their two pennants not withstanding, the Braves term in Boston was not a successful time. Ironically, in the 1948 season, the Braves actually had a better record in games that Spahn and Sain did not start than in games they did.

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 remainder of the rotation was so thin that in September the Boston Post journalist Gerald Hern characterised them by the poem. In 1948 the team won the pennant, behind the pitching of Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain who won 39 games between them. A miraculous season of these proportions has never again been seen in professional sports.

The team was at the top of the league in both pitching, and hitting, and its leader, Evers, won the Chalmers Award, which is equivalent to today's MVP. The turnaround was complete. They were now World Champions. Nevertheless, the Braves dominated the series in every phase, and swept away the favored Athletics.

The team entered the World Series as a heavy underdog to Connie Mack's Philadelphia A's. Not only did they finish first, but they ended up 10.5 games up on the second place Giants. The Braves went 51-16 in the second half of the season, winning 34 of their last 44 games. From there came a romp unmatched in baseball history.

When the team rallied to sweep the Reds in a doubleheader on July 19th, Stallings declared that the team was playing ball better than any other in the league, and was ready to catch New York. At midseason, on July 15th, the team was still in last place, 11.5 games out of first. It had solidified around the phenomenal double-play tandem of Rabbit Maranville and Johnny Evers (of Evers to Tinker to Chance fame), and a strong starting rotation led by Lefty Tyler, Dick Rudolph, and Bill James. Slowly, the team began to turn itself around.

The only man left believing was the team's manager, "Miracle Man" George Stallings. Everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong. After a dismal 4-18 start to the season, the fanbase was turned off, as it looked like the Braves were headed for another bottom-feeder season. None were more remarkable than the mid-season last-to-first transformation of the 1914 "Miracle" Braves.

The Boston franchise that became known as the Braves took part in some of baseball's most memorable moments, achievements, and penant races. They are most recently known for their ongoing record of 13 consecutive division championships (1991-2004, except for the strike-shortened 1994 season), the most in any professional North American sport, while collecting one World Series championship in that time (in 1995, also a strike-shortened season). They are in the Eastern Division of the National League. The Atlanta Braves are a Major League Baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Danville Braves
Orlando Braves. Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Rome Braves. Mississippi Braves. Richmond Braves.

National League
. Pitching saves: John Smoltz, 55 (2002). Pitching ERA: Greg Maddux, 1.56 (1994). Pitching strikeouts: Charlie Buffinton, 417 (1884).

Pitching wins: John Clarkson, 49 (1889). Strikeouts: Andruw Jones, 147 (1948). Walks: Bob Elliott, 131 (1948). Hitting streak: Tommy Holmes, 37 games (1945).

Stolen bases: King Kelly, 84 (1887). Triples: Dick Johnston and Harry Stovey, 20 (1897 and 1891). Doubles: Hugh Duffy, 51 (1894). Runs: Hugh Duffy, 160 (1894).

Hits: Hugh Duffy, 237 (1894). Runs batted in: Hugh Duffy, 145 (1894). Home runs: Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews, 47 (1971 and 1953). Batting average: Hugh Duffy, .440 (1894).

44 Hank Aaron. 42 Jackie Robinson (this number is retired throughout baseball). 41 Eddie Mathews. 35 Phil Niekro.

21 Warren Spahn.   3 Dale Murphy. Johnny Estrada (2004). Mike Hampton (2003).

Javy Lopez (2003). Gary Sheffield (2003). Chipper Jones (1999, 2000). Jeff Blauser (1997).

John Smoltz (1997). David Justice (1993). Fred McGriff (1993). Ron Gant (1991).

Tom Glavine (1991, 1995, 1996, 1998). Dale Murphy (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985). Silver Slugger