The Braves in Atlanta: 60 seasons of history

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - North America’s longest continually operating major league sports franchise is marking its 60th season in Atlanta, and its history here is full of some of its biggest milestones.

On April 12, 1966, the Atlanta Braves’ first-ever game was played at home, at Atlanta Stadium (as it was then known) against the Pittsburgh Pirates before more than 50,000 fans.

The Braves’ history in Atlanta would see a Black baseball player demolish a long-cherished sports milestone in the heart of the deep South; thrill a city and a region with an unthinkable turnaround in fortunes; field a remarkable roster of future Hall of Famers; and win Atlanta’s first-ever major league championship.

Here is a look at the history of the Braves in Atlanta.

1966: Franchise relocates to Atlanta; plays at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium. Braves’ starting pitcher Tony Cloninger, a 24-game winner in Milwaukee in 1965, pitched a 13-inning complete game but absorbed a 3-2 loss. With the game tied at one in the top of the 13th, future hall of famer Willie Stargell hit a two-out, two-run home run to put Pittsburgh ahead 3-1. Atlanta catcher Joe Torre hit his second solo homer of the game to narrow the deficit to one run. Earlier, in the 5th inning, Torre had hit the first homer in Atlanta’s major league history.

We built a stadium on ground we didn’t own, with money we didn’t have, for a team we hadn’t signed.
— Ivan Allen Jr., mayor of Atlanta, 1962-1970

1969: MLB divisional era begins; the Braves were placed in the National League West. The Braves won the division that year, and first made the playoffs as an Atlanta franchise, reaching the National League championship series.
April 8, 1974: Hank Aaron becomes Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader, passing Babe Ruth by hitting home run #715 in Atlanta against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
1974: After the season, the Braves traded Aaron to the Milwaukee Brewers, where he would hit 22 more home runs.

1976: Ted Turner buys the Braves. He will soon begin airing his team’s games on WTCG (later WTBS) via satellite across the U.S. The Braves gain fans throughout the nation, and are soon christened, “America’s Team.”
August 1, 1978: Braves relief pitcher Gene Garber ends Pete Rose’s pursuit of Joe Dimaggio’s 56-game hitting streak set in 1941. In the bottom of the 9th inning against the Cincinnati Reds, Garber strikes out Rose, ending Rose’s quest at 44 games.

June 16, 1976: Dale Murphy plays his first Braves game, beginning a career that would make him one of the franchise’s most beloved and recognized stars. He would win back-to-back National League MVP titles in 1982 and 1983; and become a seven-time All Star and five-time Gold Glove winner over 15 seasons with the Braves. He finished his career with 398 home runs.

1978: Turner hires Bobby Cox as manager, but fires him in 1981, a move Turner would later call his biggest mistake as owner.
1982: Braves win the National League West.
1986: After a stint with the Toronto Blue Jays, Cox returns to Atlanta as general manager.
1990: Kansas City Royals general manager John Schuerholz is hired as the new Braves’ GM, and Cox returns to the dugout as manager.
1991: “Worst-to-first” team wins the National League pennant and make their first-ever World Series in Atlanta.
1992: Braves win the National League pennant again, including the classic comeback against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS.
1993: MLB realignment sends the Braves to the NL East, where they win division after adding pitcher Greg Maddux.
Sept. 11, 1993: Third baseman Chipper Jones makes his major league debut. Over the next 19 seasons, Jones becomes the Braves’ cornerstone, winning the 1999 National League MVP; the 2008 National League batting title. An eight-time All-Star, he helps the Braves win a world championship.
Oct. 28, 1995: In a game six victory of 1-0, the Braves win their first World Series in Atlanta against the Cleveland Indians, as future Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine and closer Mark Wohlers complete a shutout at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Former President Jimmy Carter throws out the first pitch.

1996: The Braves move into Turner Field and win the National League pennant.
1998: The Braves win 106 games, the most in franchise history at the time.
1999: The Braves win the National League pennant after sweeping the rival New York Mets in the NLCS.
2005: The team wins its 14th straight division title, the last in the streak.
2012: The Braves lose in the first-ever MLB Wild Card Game.
2013: The Braves win the NL East, its last peak before the rebuild years.
Nov. 12, 2013: The Braves stun the city of Atlanta by announcing they will move into a new stadium in Cobb County. The Braves announce the move after failing to come to an agreement with Atlanta and Fulton County officials on a new Turner Field agreement. Jim Beard, Atlanta’s chief financial officer at the time, was reported to have told the Braves essentially, “It’s not like you can move anywhere else.”
2014–2017: The Braves enter a rebuilding period, but are penalized in 2017 for violating international amateur signing rules. Braves general manager John Coppolella was banned from baseball by MLB as a result.
Nov. 13, 2017: Alex Anthopoulos is hired as executive vice president and general manager.
2017: The Braves move to SunTrust Park, later to be named Truist Park. The Battery becomes a new mixed-use hub.
2018: The Braves win the National League NL East.
2019: They win NL East again.
2020: In a pandemic season, the Braves win NL East but lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
2021: Superstar outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. goes down with an injury. Anthopoulos essentially retools the Braves’ entire outfield and reloads on free agents. The Braves win their second World Series as an Atlanta franchise, defeating the Houston Astros in six games.

2023: The Braves field an historically elite offense, setting a MLB team home run record and winning the NL East.
2024: The team finishes second in the NL East and lose the wild card series to the San Diego Padres.
2025: At 76–86, the team posts its first losing record in years and finishes fourth in the NL East.

Atlanta News First podcasts are available now on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTube

Download our Atlanta News First app for your latest news and information.

The Braves in Atlanta: 60 seasons of history

Six decades of Major League Baseball in Atlanta have brought milestones, memories

Peachtree TV

Contact Us

Legal