The Boston Braves, 1871-1953

After eighty-two colorful and often glorious baseball seasons, the financially-strapped Boston Braves abruptly moved in 1953 to Milwaukee, en route to Atlanta, breaking the hearts of the team's faithful, die-hard fans. During its reign in Boston, the storied franchise, now the longest continuously active club in the history of baseball, had captured ten National League pennants and a world championship, and fielded thirty-eight Hall of Famers, including Kid Nichols, Warren Spahn, King Kelly, Rabbit Maranville, John Evers, Hugh Duffy, Eddie Matthews, and the Wright brothers.

In this classic work, first published in 1948 and updated in 1954, famed sports scribe Harold Kaese brings to life the dramatic moments and brilliant players in the baseball legacy of the Braves in Boston. Richly illustrated with vintage photographs and cartoons, many published here for the first time, the book chronicles both the hapless and spectacular seasons from the Braves' founding in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings in the National Association to their move to Milwaukee. Here one relives the remarkable dynasties in the nineteenth century, the "Miracle Braves" of 1914, the glory year of 1948, when the rallying cry was "Spahn, Sain, and pray for rain," and the lackluster final seasons in Boston. This edition includes a new index by Jonathan Fine of the Boston Braves Historical Association and a statistical appendix by Richard A. Johnson, editor of Northeastern's Sportstown series.

This vivid look back at the Braves' years in Boston will appeal to both historians and baseball enthusiasts. It will also spark cherished memories of New England's still beloved team—the Boston National League club that "left behind an indifferent population, an ugly ball park, and the Red Sox."