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 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 began operating as the Boston Braves in 1912. The Braves are the oldest continuously operating professional sports franchise in America."
Gregory Alan Maddux,also known as "Mad Dog" and "The Professor," is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams. Maddux is best known for his accomplishments while playing for the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs. With the Braves,he won the 1995 World Series over the Cleveland Indians. The first to achieve a number of feats and records,he was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award four consecutive years (1992–1995),matched by only one other pitcher,Randy Johnson. During those four seasons,Maddux had a 75–29 record with a 1.98 earned run average (ERA),while allowing less than one baserunner per inning.
John Andrew Smoltz,nicknamed "Smoltzie" and "Marmaduke",is an American former baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2009,all but the last year with the Atlanta Braves. An eight-time All-Star,Smoltz was part of a celebrated trio of starting pitchers,along with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine,who propelled Atlanta to perennial pennant contention in the 1990s,highlighted by a championship in the 1995 World Series. He won the National League (NL) Cy Young Award in 1996 after posting a record of 24–8,equaling the most victories by an NL pitcher since 1972. Though predominantly known as a starter,Smoltz was converted to a reliever in 2001 after his recovery from Tommy John surgery,and spent four years as the team's closer before returning to a starting role. In 2002,he set a National League record with 55 saves and became only the second pitcher in history to record both a 20-win season and a 50-save season. He is the only pitcher in Major League history to record both 200 wins and 150 saves.
Thomas Michael Glavine is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball,for the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets (2003–2007).
Kevin Austin Millwood is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves,Philadelphia Phillies,Cleveland Indians,Texas Rangers,Baltimore Orioles,Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners.
Doyle Lafayette Alexander is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers,Baltimore Orioles,New York Yankees,Texas Rangers,Atlanta Braves,San Francisco Giants,Toronto Blue Jays,and Detroit Tigers.
The 1998 National League Championship Series (NLCS),to determine the champion of Major League Baseball's National League,was played from October 7 to 14 between the East Division champion Atlanta Braves and the West Division champion San Diego Padres.
The 1996 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1996 season. The 92nd edition of the World Series,it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Atlanta Braves and the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees. The Yankees defeated the Braves four games to two to capture their first World Series title since 1978 and their 23rd overall. The series was played from October 20–26,1996,and was broadcast on television on Fox. Yankees relief pitcher John Wetteland was named the World Series Most Valuable Player for saving all four Yankee wins.
Greggory William Olson is an American former professional baseball player,coach,scout and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1988 through 2001,most prominently as a member of the Baltimore Orioles where he established himself as one of the premier relief pitchers in the American League (AL). Olson was named the AL Rookie of the Year in 1989,his first full season in the major leagues and,the following season was named to his only American League All-Star team. He set an Orioles team record of 41 consecutive scoreless innings and,he holds the team record for career saves.
This is a list of award winners and league leaders for the Atlanta Braves professional baseball franchise,including its years in Boston (1871–1952) and Milwaukee (1953–1965). The awards are MLB-designated and other outside groups such as national press writers and national commercial product manufacturers.
The 1996 National League Championship Series (NLCS) matched the East Division champion Atlanta Braves and the Central Division champion St. Louis Cardinals. It was the second NLCS meeting of the two teams and first since 1982. The Braves won in seven games,becoming the eighth team in baseball history to win a best-of-seven postseason series after being down 3–1,and first to overcome such a deficit in the NLCS. They outscored the Cardinals,32–1,over the final three games. Also,Bobby Cox became the only manager to be on both the winning and losing end of such a comeback in postseason history,having previously blown the 1985 American League Championship Series with the Toronto Blue Jays against the Kansas City Royals.
Raymond Roger Miller was an American pitching coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). A highly regarded pitching coach,he was known for bringing improvement to the pitchers he coached at many stops over his career. His successes as a pitching coach twice led him to be promoted to manager,where he was much less successful. He managed the Minnesota Twins (1985–86) and the Baltimore Orioles (1998–99),each for less than two seasons and with a losing record each time,compiling an overall managerial record of 266–297 (.472).
The 1997 National League Championship Series (NLCS) pitted the Florida Marlins against the Atlanta Braves. The Marlins won the series,4–2,and went on to defeat the Cleveland Indians in the 1997 World Series.
Brad Lynn Komminsk,is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He attended Shawnee High School in Lima,Ohio,where he played basketball and baseball and was an all-state linebacker in football. He received athletic scholarship offers from Ohio State,Nebraska and Clemson. On June 5,1979,he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves with the fourth pick in the 1979 amateur draft and received a $70,000 signing bonus.
Ronald Lee Reed is a former two-sport star who spent two seasons as a power forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) before spending nearly two decades as a Major League Baseball pitcher.
The 1996 Atlanta Braves season was the 126th season in the history of the franchise and 31st season in the city of Atlanta. They secured a regular season record of 96-66 and reached the World Series,where they lost to the underdog New York Yankees in six games,failing to defend its championship in 1995. Heavily favored and seen as one of the greatest Braves teams in history and despite taking a 2-0 lead,the Braves unexpectedly lost the next 4 games. This World Series appearance was their fourth appearance in the last 5 years as a franchise,excluding the strike shortened season. Atlanta won its seventh division title and its fifth in six years. In the previous round,Atlanta completed a miraculous comeback. After trailing in the NLCS to St. Louis three games to one,Atlanta outscored St. Louis 32-1 in games five through seven to complete the comeback. The collapse was remembered as one of the largest in North American sports history.
The 1998 Atlanta Braves season marked the franchise's 33rd season in Atlanta and 128th overall. The Braves entered the season as defending National League runner ups. They went on to win their fourth consecutive division title,taking the National League East title by 18 games over the second place New York Mets.
The 2002 Atlanta Braves season marked the franchise's 37th season in Atlanta and 132nd overall. The Braves won their 8th consecutive division title,finishing 19 games ahead of the second-place Montreal Expos. The Braves lost the 2002 Divisional Series to the eventual NL Champion San Francisco Giants,3 games to 2. This would be the first of four consecutive NLDS losses in as many years,and the first of three consecutive years to do so by losing the deciding Game 5 at Turner Field.
Peter John Smith is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher,born in Abington,Massachusetts. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round in the 1984 Major League Baseball draft. Smith was signed on June 14,1984,to play in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He batted and threw right-handed during his baseball career.
The Big Three was a trio of Major League Baseball starting pitchers for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2002 which consisted of Greg Maddux,Tom Glavine,and John Smoltz. The Big Three combined to win seven National League Cy Young Awards in the 1990s and helped lead the Atlanta Braves to a 1995 World Series win. Each member of the Big Three has had their jersey retired by the Atlanta Braves and were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
