Atlanta Braves Baseball Club, commonly referred to as Atlanta Braves or simply Braves, is one of the most iconic and successful baseball clubs in the world. Founded in 1871 as Boston Red Stockings, it changed its name to Atlanta Braves in 1966. The club is based in Cumberland, Georgia, USA, and plays its home matches at the famous Truist Park, which has a seating capacity of over 41,000.
Atlanta Braves has a rich history, boasting 17 National League pennants, 3 World Series titles, and numerous other domestic and international trophies. The club enjoyed its most successful era under legendary manager Bobby Cox, who led Braves to 14 consecutive division titles and a World Series victory between 1991 and 2005.
Known for its aggressive style of play, the club has nurtured some of baseball’s greatest talents, including Hank Aaron, Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz. Despite recent challenges and inconsistent performances post-Cox, Atlanta Braves remains one of the world’s most valuable baseball clubs, with a global fan base and a rich tradition that continues to influence American and world baseball.
Atlanta Braves is one of the most popular baseball clubs in the world, with one of the highest average home attendances in the Major League Baseball. The club states that its worldwide fan base includes more than 200 officially recognised branches of the Atlanta Braves Fan Club (ABFC), in at least 24 countries. The club takes advantage of this support through its worldwide summer tours. Accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte estimate that Atlanta Braves has 75 million fans worldwide. The club has the third highest social media following in the world among sports teams (after Los Angeles Lakers and New York Yankees), with over 82 million Facebook followers as of July 2023. A 2014 study showed that Atlanta Braves had the loudest fans in the Major League Baseball.
Atlanta Braves was formed in 1871 as Boston Red Stockings and is one of the two remaining charter franchises in Major League Baseball. The team initially played games against other baseball clubs, but on 20 November 1880, they competed in their first recorded match; wearing the colours of the team—red and white—they were defeated 6–0 by Chicago White Stockings.
In October 1945, the impending resumption of baseball after the war led to the managerial appointment of Billy Southworth, who demanded an unprecedented level of control over team selection, player transfers, and training sessions. Southworth led the team to several World Series appearances, and to victory in 1957. In 1952, the club won the National League Pennant, its first league title for 41 years.
On 8 May 2013, Fredi Gonzalez was managing the team, but would move to a different role within the club as a director and club ambassador. He left as the one of the most decorated manager in baseball history. The club announced the next day that Milwaukee Brewers coach Brian Snitker would replace him from 1 July, having signed a three-year contract. John Hart took over as interim president of baseball operations later, on 22 April 2014, when Gonzalez was moved after a poor season in which the club failed to defend their National League title and failed to qualify for the World Series for the first time since 1995–96.
Originally funded by the Atlanta Crackers, the club became a limited company in 1912 and sold shares to local supporters for $1 via an application form. In 1922, majority ownership passed to four local businessmen who invested $500 to save the club from bankruptcy, including future club president John T. Moore. After his death in 1927, the club faced bankruptcy yet again but was saved in December 1931 by Emil Fuchs, who assumed control of the club after an investment of $2,000. Fuchs promoted his son, Joseph, to the board in 1948, but died three years later; the Fuchs family retained ownership of the club through Emil's wife, Martha, but the position of chairman passed to former player Bill McKechnie.
Promoted to the board a few days after the World War II, Lou Perini, a friend of Bill Bartholomay, began acquiring shares in the club; for an investment of approximately $40,000, he accumulated a 54 per cent shareholding and took control in January 1964. When Martha Fuchs died in January 1971, her shares passed to Joseph Fuchs, who sold a percentage of his shares to Lou Perini's son, Joe, in 1978; Joe Perini went on to become chairman upon his father's death in 1980. Media tycoon Turner Broadcasting System attempted to buy the club in 1984, but did not meet Perini's asking price. In 1989, chairman Joe Perini attempted to sell the club to Liberty Media for $20 million, but the sale fell through and Liberty Media joined the board of directors instead.
The Atlanta Braves is one of the most successful clubs in the National League in terms of championships won. The club's first trophy was the National League Western Division title, which they won in 1969. In 1991, the club won their first National League Championship and won the World Series for the first time in 1995. Since then, they have gone on to win 17 National League titles and their total of 3 World Series Championships is a significant achievement. Those titles have meant the club has gained significant recognition in the baseball community.
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Atlanta Braves: History, Championships, and Players. https://www.mlb.com/braves/history
Atlanta Braves: Club History and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/ATL/
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