Atlanta Braves World Series Pin
Since their move to Atlanta in 1966, the Braves have made a lasting impact on baseball. They produced the first player ever to break Babe Ruth’s home run record, built an illustrious dynasty with multiple generations of players, and launched an American sports broadcasting revolution that is unparalleled in its history.
They have long been one of the most beloved teams in America, thanks to Ted Turner – the media mogul who owned them from 1970 until 1988. As part of his cable television superstation WTCG, Turner broadcast all of their games nationwide for an avid following.
Media coverage was instrumental in their ascent to dominance in the National League. By winning more games than any other team, they not only won their division but also advanced to the playoffs.
Although the Braves haven’t won a World Series since 2002, they did make several playoff appearances during the 1990s. Led by Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine in the ’90s, they boasted an impressive pitching rotation before adding David Justice and Chipper Jones as key hitters during late ’90s and early ’00s.
In the 1990s, the Braves made six playoff appearances in nine years, reaching the World Series three of those seasons. Unfortunately, they never captured a championship and were eliminated in each postseason.
In 2010, the Braves earned a wildcard spot and advanced to the Division Series against San Francisco, but were ultimately defeated four games to one. That same year, Chipper Jones left and Brooks Conrad took his place in the starting lineup.
After two more Wild Card appearances in 2011 and 2012, the Braves failed to capitalize on an 8 1/2-game lead in September and were eliminated from the playoffs. 2013 marked their best season yet; unfortunately, they were ousted by St. Louis Cardinals in the opening round of the playoffs.
They were the unexpected NL East champion in 2018, yet lost to the Dodgers in the Division Series. Throughout that process, they handed out more walks than any other team in their division and won fewer games than anyone else during the postseason.
But there’s more to this story. They appear destined for greatness; they have defeated the New York Mets twice this year and won 114 games overall this year.
What’s more, they have served as a model for how to construct an elite winning team. From not winning 90 games in 25 years in the city to reaching the World Series within five seasons, the Eagles have proven they can build a winning team from scratch.
The Braves have had some help along the way, which is why they’ve won four World Series titles. Jostens, who designs championship rings for each game, joined forces with Atlanta to design a ring that boasts some unique features.