Braves History: Boston Braves Announce Move to Milwaukee

After over 80 years in the city, the Boston Braves announced their intention to relocate to Milwaukee on this day in 1953.

Boston is so indelibly tied to the Red Sox now, but from 1871 to 1953 another professional baseball club called the city home. For most of its tenure this team was known as the Boston Braves, although other monikers such as the Bees, Red Caps and Beaneaters (yes) were also used. The franchise experienced various ups and downs in Boston, but by the 1950s things were looking decidedly grim.

It came as little surprise, then, when owner Lou Perini announced on March 13, 1953, that he would seek permission from the National League to move the Braves to Milwaukee. After the franchise’s long history in Boston, the day became known as “Black Friday” in the city as fans mourned the team’s exit after eight decades. Perini, however, pointed to dwindling attendance as the main reason for the relocation.

Today’s fans might best recall the Boston Braves as the team where Babe Ruth spent the final season of his career in 1935. It certainly wasn’t a fitting swan song for the Bambino: Ruth played only 28 games for the Braves that year, slashing .181/.359/.431 with six homers and 12 RBI. More of a gate attraction to sell tickets than an actual player, he called it quits at the end of May.

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The Braves won one World Series in Boston, during the 1914 season. In last place on July 4, they rallied to win the pennant by 10.5 games. Led by manager George Stallings, the Braves swept Connie Mack‘s Philadelphia Athletics in four games, marking the first four-game sweep in the history in the Fall Classic.

Dick Rudolph and Bill James, Boston’s pair of 26-game winners, each secured two victories in the series. Interestingly enough, the Braves played their home games at Fenway Park that year, as their new ballpark wouldn’t open until 1915.

In the franchise’s twilight years in Boston, the club was buoyed by talented pitching duo Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain. They won a combined 39 games in 1948, giving rise to the popular saying, “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain.” That would also be the last season the Braves won a pennant in Boston. They finished below .500 in three of their last four seasons leading up to the 1953 move.

The Braves would spend 13 seasons in Milwaukee, winning the World Series in 1957 and nabbing the NL pennant the following year as well. The team’s second season in its new home coincided with the debut of a promising young player named Hank Aaron. Hammerin’ Hank slugged 398 of his 755 career home runs in Milwaukee, and he earned his lone MVP award there (that doesn’t seem right) in 1957. He led both leagues with 44 long balls and 132 RBI that year.

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In 1966 the Braves would pack their bags once again, this time trekking to their current digs in Atlanta. This has been the franchise’s most successful era by a significant margin, headlined by a World Series crown in 1995, five NL pennants and a staggering 17 division titles (including a streak of 11 consecutive from ’95 to 2005).

It all got started, however, by that move out of Boston.