2012 Atlanta Braves Season Outlook

The Atlanta Braves are looking to continue their success into the 2012 season with relatively few changes made to the team.

The biggest move came in regards to Derek Lowe, who the Braves traded to the Cleveland Indians in the offseason.  Other than that, the Braves did not do too much other than signing Jack Wilson to act as a backup shortstop.  General Manager Frank Wren has decided to keep the team in-tact, and for good reason.  The Braves were doing fantastic heading into the final month of the season, and with everyone fully healthy for 2012 the team should perform just as well if not better.

As far as the injuries go, Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson, and Jair Jurrjens are all coming off of injuries last season.  The biggest concern at this point in time is Hudson, who had back surgery and will more than likely miss the start of the 2012 season.  Thankfully though, the Braves have a great group of young starting pitchers looking to make a name for themselves in 2012.  Julio Tehran, Brandon Beachy, Mike Minor, and Randall Delgado are all looking to fill in the back end of the starting rotation in 2012.  Even if one of the three top starters from the previous season have a setback the Braves will be able to have a lot of options to consider, and this is what will make them a dangerous team in 2012.

An improved lineup will also have the team competing for a World Series in 2012.  Michael Bourn will be with the team for the entire season, which will be a boost to the ball club especially in regards to their overall speed at the top of the lineup.  Jayson Heyward and Martin Prado will be looking to have improved years as well in 2012.  Chipper Jones will be 40 years old this year but should still have enough pop in his bat to be a solid contributor.  Dan Uggla will look to improve his batting average and gain more consistency throughout the year.  Lastly, Freddie Freeman will look to continue his solid season in 2011 with more home runs and RBIs.

The key for the Atlanta Braves in 2012 will be their offense, as their starting and relief pitching will be near the top of the Major Leagues again this year.  Get your Atlanta Braves tickets now to catch this great team in action in 2012!

Cheap Atlanta Braves Tickets

Finding cheap Atlanta Braves tickets can be an easy task if one knows to look in the right place. Online marketplaces are the perfect opportunity to get easily accessible tickets and buy them right from the comfort of your own home. The 2011 MLB season was tough for the Atlanta Braves as they were barely breaking even in terms of their win/loss ratio. However, in competing in the NL East with the likes of the Philadelphia Phillies, they face some really stiff competition. That is why the Atlanta Braves are considered a true dark horse in their division. This is great for fans as they can get their hands on some really cheap Atlanta Braves Tickets. Fans can catch all of the action and see top starters like Derek Lowe pitch games. Also, 2012 will be exciting because players like Martin Prado signed contract extensions to keep playing for the Braves. Only time will tell how the 2012 MLB season goes for the Braves.

2011 Season for the Atlanta Braves

The 2011 season for the Atlanta Braves has been a great success thus far, and Atlanta Braves tickets have continually been in great demand as the team looks for another postseason run. Their success can be attributed to many different things, and it all starts with the offseason moves that were made in 2010.

2010 was Bobby Cox’s last season as manager of the Atlanta Braves, and much speculation was made as to who the next manager would be. Some thought that the Braves should stay in-house and hire Terry Pendleton (who was the Braves’ long-time hitting coach) as manager, while others wanted the Braves to look elsewhere for solid leadership. The Braves appeased both sides by hiring Fredi Gonzalez, a former bench coach for the team under Bobby Cox with managerial experience with the Florida Marlins. The transition could not have come any smoother.
Going into the 2010 offseason, the Atlanta Braves realized after losing to the San Francisco Giants in the postseason that they needed more offense in their lineup. In November of 2010 the Braves were able to make a dynamic trade in which they sent Mike Dunn and Omar Infante to the Florida Marlins in exchange for Dan Uggla, a power hitting second baseman. They also resigned shortstop Alex Gonzalez, a veteran player who would mix well with the Braves’ young talent.

Young talent is also noticeable for the 2011 Atlanta Braves, in both pitching and hitting. Pitching is now one the Braves’ strong suits, with Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor in the starting rotation and Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters to close out games. As far as hitting, Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward have proven to be potential all-stars, and it is only a matter of time before the Braves are able to break through the National League and make it to the World Series once again. Hopefully that will be in 2011, so make sure to get your Atlanta Braves tickets today.

Atlanta Braves History

Anyone interested in obtaining Atlanta Braves tickets knows about the rich history of the team.  The team was first created in the 1870s and was one of Major League Baseball’s founding teams, named the Boston Red Stockings.  In 1876 the Red Stockings became one of the National League’s first members.  The team was very successful during this time period, winning National League Pennants in 1877, 1878, and 1883.

Their success was short lived however, as an American League team was created in the same city in 1901 (Boston).  Many of the players on the National League team went over and joined the other team, with the team losing a lot of its great talent.  They were mediocre for some time until the team was renamed the Braves in 1912, based off of their owner’s (James Gaffney) membership in Tammany Hall (in which the symbol related to it was an Indian chief).

In only two short years after the name change the Braves went to the World Series in 1914, winning it in a sweep over the Oakland Athletics; it was actually the first sweep in World Series history.  From then until 1953 the Boston Braves have some spurts of success but couldn’t sting anything substantial together.  An interesting fact related to the Boston Braves was that in 1935 Babe Ruth played his final season for the team.

In 1953 new ownership decided to move the team to another city, and that city ended up being Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  The Milwaukee Braves played in the city for 12 years until moving again to its current location in Atlanta, Georgia.  During this time period the Braves were extremely successful, winning the 1957 World Series over the New York Yankees with the likes of Eddie Matthews, Henry Aaron, and Warren Spahn.

When the Braves moved to Atlanta 1966 the team had glimpses of success over the next couple of decades as well as Henry Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record.  The real run of success came with the hiring of Bobby Cox in 1990, when the team began developing great pitching talent such as Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.  It was from this strong pitching talent that the Atlanta Braves had an incredible run of division titles, lasting until 2004 with a World Series title as well in 1995.  Since that time the Braves have been successful of late, making it to the playoffs in 2010.

2010 Atlanta Braves Season

The Atlanta Braves had a solid season in 2010, making it to the postseason and losing to the eventual World Series Champion San Francisco Giants in the divisional round.  It was also marked as the final season for the managerial tenure of Bobby Cox, one of the most successful managers in Major League Baseball history who won a World Series Title with the team in 1995.

In the 2009 offseason the Atlanta Braves made numerous moves to add a lot of veteran depth to the ball club.  Among the moves included the signings of Troy Glaus and Eric Hinske as far as hitting, and Billy Wagner, Takashi Saito, and Scott Procter to shore up the bullpen going into the 2010 season.

The Atlanta Braves had a fairly successful start to the season but when the middle of the season came around the team made some great moves that helped push the team over the edge and into the playoffs.  Two notable deals worth mentioning were the trade involving the Kansas City Royals, in which the team received veterans Rick Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth, and the trade involving the Chicago Cubs where the Braves picked up first baseman Derrek Lee.

Even though the Atlanta Braves made many trades throughout the offseason as well as during the 2010 season, when it came down to crunch time in the postseason the offense for the ballclub just could not produce enough runs to get themselves by the San Francisco Giants in the Divisional Playoffs.  Much credit can be given to the dynamic pitching rotation that the Giants had in Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, and Bumgarner, but the veteran hitting of the Braves (notably Derrek Lee, Troy Glaus, Chipper Jones, and Alex Gonzalez) performed poorly throughout the series.  The Braves lost in 4 games to the Giants, with every game decided by one run.  In 2011 the Braves have retooled with more offensive power and look to make another run in the playoffs, so make sure to get your Atlanta Braves tickets before it is too late!

Famous Atlanta Braves Players

When one thinks about famous players for the Atlanta Braves throughout the years (going all the way back to its original founding in the 1870s), there are numerous players to mention.  For the sake of this article only 4 will be mentioned, although there are many more deserving to be mentioned in depth.  Most of these players can be found during two specific eras of the Braves franchise.  The first was from the early 1950s to the late 1960s, with the latter era being the 1990s and early 2000s. Think you know who will be discussed?  Read on to find out more about 8 amazing players that were on the Atlanta Braves.

As far as hitting, the first person that must be mentioned in Henry (Hank) Aaron.  He played for the Atlanta Braves organization from 1954 to 1974 as part of both the Milwaukee Braves and Atlanta Braves.  While he is most known for breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record, he was also a lifetime .300 hitter with a total of 3,771 hits, a 25 time all-star, and a three time Gold Glove award winner.  He was inducted into the hall of fame in 1982 and had his number 44 jersey retired by the team as well.  During this era a hall of fame third baseman by the name of Eddie Mathews also played for the Braves.  Mathews was most known for his 512 home runs, with his number 41 being retired by the team as well.  Other notables include Chipper Jones, and Dale Murphy.

Pitching has had a storied history in the Atlanta Braves organization, especially since the Milwaukee Braves era.  One of the most notable pitchers during that time period was Warren Spahn.  Spahn won more games than any other left handed pitcher in Major League Baseball history with 363 (another remarkable fact was that at the age of 42 Spahn had a 23 win season).  He was inducted into the hall of fame in 1973, and his number 21 was retired by the team. Alongside Spahn during this era was Phil Niekro, a knuckleballer who had 318 wins over his illustrious career with five gold glove awards.  His number 35 was retired by the Braves and was inducted into the hall of fame in 1997.  Other Notables include the trio of John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux, all potential hall of famers.  With such a storied history of great players, how can you miss out on getting Atlanta Braves tickets today?

Turner Field

Looking to buy some great Atlanta Braves tickets to see the team play at Turner Field?  Turner Field is a fantastic stadium that any baseball fan would enjoy attending.  It actually has a very interesting history attached to it as well.

The Atlanta Braves had originally been playing in Atlanta Fulton County Stadium since its arrival in the late 1960s.  When the 1980s came around the Braves decided to seek a new stadium for the ballclub, as the stadium was beginning to age rapidly and needed to be replaced.  Their wanting of a new stadium coincided directly with the city’s bidding to become the home for the Summer Olympics in 1996.  The city of Atlanta did not want to build a stadium solely for the purpose of the Summer Olympics, as they thought it would just be a waste because the likelihood of them hosting it again would be very slim to say the least.

In 1990 the announcement came that the city of Atlanta had won the right to host the 1996 Summer Olympics, and with that the city and the Atlanta Braves started working together on plans for a stadium that would be first used for the Summer Olympics and then be converted for the baseball team.  Turner Field (named after Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner) was constructed right next to Atlanta Fulton County Stadium beginning in 1993 and played host to international competitions during the 1996 Summer Olympics.  After the festivities concluded the stadiums was converted to baseball only, with the game being played on April 4, 1997 to a sell-out crowd.

One of the most notable features about Turner Field is its technology.  One of the most notable features that you will find is the gigantic video monitor in center field, known as BravesVision.   It is one of the largest video boards in all of Major League Baseball and contains over 300,000 light bulbs.  It is truly a unique feature worth visiting to see, as well as the numerous other amenities the stadium has to offer as well, including Monument Grove, Turner Beach, and Braves Chop House. Get your Atlanta Braves tickets today to catch some great baseball action at Turner Field!

The Braves in Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves did not always call Georgia home.  The rich and exciting history of the team before Atlanta makes for interesting reading; but the current home of the team is how they are known and loved today.  When the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966 they kicked off with a respectable, but lackluster 85-77 season.  Unfortunately the following season saw their first losing record, 77-85, since 1952; the last year the team called Boston home.  The 1968 season was a dead even 81-81.  In 1969 the Braves won the first National League West divisional contest, but were then swept by the New York Mets in the National League Championship.  In their first decade at Atlanta, the Braves only managed two winning seasons.

Hank Aaron was the only bright light for the Braves through the dark decade.  His hit percentage actually went up while the rest of the Braves’ stats plummeted.  Four other champion hitters were born out of the Braves franchise during this time, Rico Carty, Ralph Garr, Darrell Evans, and Davey Johnson.  Considering that Babe Ruth also called the Braves dugout home at the beginning and end of his career, the team can’t be denied as a legendary producer of home run legends.

In 1976 the Braves were at risk of moving yet again, but media mogul Ted Turner wanted them to stay put so he bought the team, using the payment already made to the team for the right to broadcast their games as a down-payment.  Turner depended on the Braves for a significant portion of his programming revenue on WTBS, but he was also an avid fan.  In 1977 he appointed himself team manager, but was forced to give up the position after just one game when the league decided a manager shouldn’t have a financial stake in the team.  Turner never lost interest in the team’s success or importance to his network and has guaranteed the Braves call Atlanta home to this day.

Atlanta Braves Rivalries

Rivalry is one of the most important aspects of professional sports.  Fans love to see their teams win, but they also love to see the teams they hate lose.  Nothing is better than seeing the team they love beat the team they hate.  And nothing is more heartbreaking than vice versa.  It brings the passion of competition to every fan at home and in the stadium.

The fiercest of the Braves rivalries is with the New York Mets.  The hatred began in 1969.  Shortly after the Braves won the very first National League West Championship, exciting their fans and earning accolades for their still-new hometown, Atlanta, came the National League Championship series.  The Mets, having a miracle season of their own, completely swept the Braves, crushing the team’s recent achievement.  The next decade was a bleak one for the Braves, seeing only two winning seasons, and who better to blame than the Mets?  In the 1990’s the Mets and Braves were moved into the same division and the rivalry really gained speed.  The Braves became a dominant force in National League baseball during this time and the conflict got personal in 1999 when Braves pitcher John Rocker made public and insulting comments about New York residents.  In 2006 the Braves 14 season winning streak in the National League East came to end with the Mets first division title since 1988, marking an end to the immediate hostilities, though who knows what’s to come.

The more recent and relevant rivalry has been with the Philadelphia Phillies.  Excepting the Mets’ 2006 victory, the National League Easy championship has been held solely by the Braves and Phillies.  There is no hatred between the two teams though, it is a far more respectful and professional rivalry than the Braves—Mets.  Phillies and Braves fans have more in common than not.  Both rivalries make for intense and interesting baseball.

Interesting Facts About The Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves is one of the oldest baseball franchises in the United States.  It is one of two remaining National League teams, Chicago Cubs being the other.  The Braves were founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings, distinct from the American League’s Boston Red Sox.  The Boston Red Stockings were formed after the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, dissolved in 1870.  Harry Wright, the manager and a player for the Cincinnati Red Stockings was invited to Boston along with two other Cincinnati players to become the core of the Boston Red Stockings.  While in Boston the team was also called the Boston Beaneaters and the Red Caps when it joined the National League in 1876 thanks to a new Cincinnati Red Stockings team being chartered as well.

In the early years of the National League, the Boston Beaneaters/Red Caps were a dominant team, winning eight pennants in the 19^th century and setting a win-loss record of 102-47 in 1898 that would reign for almost a century.

The team first became the Braves in 1912, just two years before their miracle season of 1914.  After a start of 4-18 the Braves made a phenomenal comeback over the remaining season and went on to sweep the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series, the first uncontested sweep in the still young event.  The Braves franchise is also famed for bookending Babe Ruth’s career.

In 1953 the Braves made a brief move to Milwaukee Wisconsin where their colors became blue and white and they enjoyed a warm reception and continued success.  In 1966 the Braves made their final move to their modern day home in Atlanta, Georgia. One of the most famous achievements of Braves history was when Hank Aaron  broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974.  Most of Aaron’s hits were made while the team was in Milwaukee, but the record home run was made while Aaron wore the Atlanta jersey.  Atlanta still plays host to the Braves, and proudly so.