Greenville Braves

Last updated
Greenville Braves
GreenvilleBraves 100.png
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesDouble-A (1984–2004)
League Southern League (1984–2004)
Major league affiliations
Previous teams Atlanta Braves (1984–2004)
Team data
Previous names
Greenville Braves (1984–2004)
MascotTommy Hawk (1997-2004)
Dingbat (2000-2004)
Previous parks
Greenville Municipal Stadium (1984–2004)

The Greenville Braves were an American minor league baseball franchise, based in Greenville, South Carolina, that served as the Class AA farm team of the Atlanta Braves between 1984 and 2004. The Braves played in Greenville Municipal Stadium for all 21 years of their existence.

Contents

The team had much success and many famous future Atlanta players such as Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones, Javy López, Jason Marquis, Eddie Pérez, Andruw Jones, and John Rocker played there. They won multiple Southern League championships, and the 1992 edition, managed by Grady Little and featuring Chipper Jones and López, won 100 out of 143 games (.699) during the regular season to take the pennant, then captured the SL playoff title. The 1992 Braves were recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time. [1] After the 2004 season, the parent club in Atlanta transferred the G-Braves to Pearl, Mississippi, where the team is now known as the Mississippi Braves.

The Braves cited an outdated stadium that did not meet current standards and the City of Greenville's unwillingness to create a sufficient financial package to build a new stadium as the cause of the move. With the Greenville Braves out, the Greenville Bombers (formerly the Capital City Bombers), Class A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, moved into the old Braves stadium in 2005. In 2006, a brand new stadium located in Downtown Greenville, Fluor Field at the West End, opened and the Bombers changed their name to the Greenville Drive.

Greenville Braves (WCL, 1963–64)

Greenville also hosted a team in the low Class A Western Carolinas League—the former identity (1960–79) of the South Atlantic League—called the Braves as an affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves in 1963 and 1964. This two-year affiliation was brief, but produced the 1963 playoff champions of the WCL. When the New York Mets replaced the Braves as the team's parent in 1965, the nickname was changed.

Hall of Fame Alumni

Notable former players

Season-by-season records

The following is a list of the Greenville Braves season-by-season record. [2]

YearTeam NameWinsLossesW-L %Manager
1963Greenville Braves59650.476% Jim Fanning and Paul Snyder
1964Greenville Braves63630.500% Bill Steinecke and Jimmy Brown
1984Greenville Braves80670.567% Bobby Dews and Leo Mazzone
1985Greenville Braves70740.486% Jim Beauchamp
1986Greenville Braves73710.486% Jim Beauchamp
1987Greenville Braves70740.786% Jim Beauchamp
1988Greenville Braves87570.604% Buddy Bailey and Russ Nixon
1989Greenville Braves70690.504% Buddy Bailey
1990Greenville Braves57870.396% Buddy Bailey
1991Greenville Braves88560.611% Chris Chambliss
1992Greenville Braves100430.699% Grady Little
1993Greenville Braves70670.511% Bruce Kimm
1994Greenville Braves73630.537% Bruce Benedict
1995Greenville Braves59830.415% Bruce Benedict
1996Greenville Braves58820.414% Jeff Cox
1997Greenville Braves74660.529%Randy Ingle
1998Greenville Braves67720.482%Randy Ingle
1999Greenville Braves58800.420% Paul Runge
2000Greenville Braves68710.489% Paul Runge
2001Greenville Braves60790.432% Paul Runge
2002Greenville Braves65630.485% Brian Snitker
2003Greenville Braves68700.493% Brian Snitker
2004Greenville Braves63760.453% Brian Snitker

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References

  1. "Top 100 Teams". MiLB.com. 2001. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  2. Baseball Reference