The Atlanta Braves have been based in Atlanta, Georgia since the year 1966. They are a professional major league baseball team that competes in the National League's Eastern Division. Between the years of 1991 and 2005, the Atlanta Braves won their division each year. It is the longest record of any North American professional sport. In addition, the Atlanta Braves have the distinction of having won over a dozen divisional titles, nine pennants, and three World Series.



The history of the Braves dates back to the year 1871 when a charter National Association team, the Boston Red Stockings, was founded. In 1876, it became a charter of the National League. It has remained a part of the league ever since, thus establishing the argument that the Braves are the longest running sports team in all of American sports.

Some even trace the Braves? history all the way back to baseball's first professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Upon the formation of the National Association, the backers of the Cincinnati team were unwilling to field a team in the new league. As a result, Red Stockings player and manager Harry Wright left, taking three of the team's best players with him. They relocated to Boston and kept their nickname.

Between the years of 1912 and 1952, the team was known as the Boston Braves. From 1953 to 1965, they were the Milwaukee Braves. Before 1912, the team in Boston had many nicknames that weren't official. These included Red Caps, Red Stockings, Beaneaters, Doves, and Rustlers (after John Rustler owned the team.) In the mid 1930s, after several poor seasons and bankruptcy, the team's new owner, Bob Quinn, asked a crew of sports journalists to choose a new name for the team, hoping to revive their luck. They chose Bees, although the name never really caught on. Quinn was not even very enthusiastic, although the team members? uniforms featured a giant letter B. From the year 1941, the team used the name Braves.

The Atlanta Braves are currently owned by Time Warner, although they are up for sale. The current roster includes such players as Manny Acosta and Brian McCann.