Atlanta Braves

The franchise that would become the Braves began in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings, one of the founding members of the National Association and later the National League in 1876. Under various names - Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers, and finally Braves - the Boston club won multiple pennants in the late 19th century and produced the famous "Miracle Braves" of 1914, who surged from last place in July to sweep the heavily favored Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series.

The franchise struggled for decades in Boston, overshadowed by the Red Sox, and relocated to Milwaukee in 1953. The move was transformative. Behind Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, and Warren Spahn, the Milwaukee Braves became a powerhouse, winning the 1957 World Series over the Yankees and returning to the Fall Classic in 1958. Aaron emerged as one of the greatest players in baseball history during the Milwaukee years, laying the foundation for his pursuit of Babe Ruth's all-time home run record.

Despite on-field success, declining attendance led ownership to relocate again, this time to Atlanta in 1966. The Braves became the first major professional sports team in the Deep South, forever changing the landscape of American sports geography.

The early Atlanta years were defined by Hank Aaron's relentless march toward baseball immortality. On April 8, 1974, Aaron hit his 715th career home run off Al Downing of the Dodgers, breaking Babe Ruth's all-time record in one of the most significant moments in American sports history. Aaron accomplished this feat while enduring racist threats and hate mail, his dignity under pressure becoming as much a part of his legacy as his prodigious talent.

Beyond Aaron's heroics, the Braves' first quarter-century in Atlanta was largely forgettable on the field. The franchise made just two playoff appearances between 1966 and 1990, and spent much of the 1980s as one of the worst teams in baseball. Ted Turner's purchase of the team in 1976 brought colorful ownership and national exposure through his TBS television network, but wins remained elusive.

The late 1980s, however, saw the organization quietly building a pitching-rich farm system that would soon change everything. Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Steve Avery were developing in the minors, and a veteran third baseman named Bobby Cox had returned to manage the club in 1990. The pieces were falling into place for one of the greatest runs in baseball history.

The 1991 Braves pulled off one of the greatest worst-to-first turnarounds in baseball history, going from last place in 1990 to the World Series in 1991. That thrilling seven-game loss to the Twins was just the beginning. From 1991 through 2005, the Braves won an astonishing 14 consecutive division titles - a streak of sustained excellence unmatched in professional sports.

The pitching rotation of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz formed the most dominant trio of their era. Maddux, acquired from the Cubs before the 1993 season, won four consecutive Cy Young Awards. Bobby Cox's steady managerial hand and general manager John Schuerholz's roster-building acumen kept the Braves at the top year after year. The 1995 team finally broke through, defeating the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series - the franchise's first championship since 1957.

The criticism of the dynasty era - that 14 division titles yielded only one World Series ring - has merit but also obscures the sheer difficulty of what the Braves accomplished. Sustained excellence over a decade and a half, with multiple Hall of Famers performing at their peaks, represents one of the great chapters in baseball history.

The streak finally ended in 2006, and the Braves spent much of the next decade searching for their next identity. Bobby Cox retired after the 2010 season, closing a 25-year chapter as the franchise's most iconic manager. The team made a wild card appearance in 2010 and won a wild card spot in 2012, but first-round exits and a lack of consistent pitching prevented a return to the dynasty-era heights.

In 2017, the Braves moved from Turner Field to Truist Park in the suburban Cobb County community of Cumberland, Georgia. The new ballpark, surrounded by a mixed-use development called The Battery Atlanta, represented a modern vision for the franchise. More importantly, the farm system was beginning to produce elite talent at a remarkable rate.

Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, and Austin Riley were emerging as the next generation of Braves stars. The organization, led by general manager Alex Anthopoulos, had stockpiled young talent through smart trades and excellent drafting, setting the stage for a new era of contention.