Milwaukee Braves: Heroes and Heartbreak

by William Povletich

During their thirteen years in Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Braves never endured a losing season, won two National League pennants, and in 1957 brought Milwaukee its only World Series championship. With a lineup featuring future Hall of Famers Henry Aaron, Warren Spahn, Eddie Matthews, Red Schoendienst, and Phil Niekro, the team immediately brought Milwaukee "Big League" credentials, won the hearts of fans, and shattered attendance records. The Braves' success in Milwaukee prompted baseball to redefine itself as a big business—resulting in franchises relocating west, multi-league expansion, and teams leveraging cities for civically funded stadiums. But the Braves' instant success and accolades made their rapid fall from grace after winning the 1957 world championship all the more stunning, as declining attendance led the team to Atlanta in one of the ugliest divorces between a city and baseball franchise in sports history. Featuring more than 100 captivating photos, many published here for the first time, Milwaukee Braves preserves the Braves' legacy for the team's many fans and introduces new generations to a fascinating chapter in sports history.

Genres: Baseball, Sports

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2009

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Milwaukee Braves were the first heroes of my boyhood. This wonderful book, full of great photos, doesn’t really plow much new ground, but it does pull together the complete story of those magical years. The narrative moves quickly, highlighting some of the outstanding and unusual on-field happenings. I would have preferred less of a reliance on secondary sources (especially in a book published by a historical society) but that’s a mere quibble. A bittersweet stroll down this fan’s memory lane.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it seems like it was written in the 1950s by an average baseball writer, I enjoyed this book. While the Braves left Milwaukee when I was in grade school, I have always been a fan of Hank Aaron and Warren Spahn. You’ll learn a bit about both Hall of Famers, and I learned more about Eddie Matthews too.

[Tom Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun book, even learned a tad more about the history. I was ten years old when the Braves won the World Series. A very big deal for Wisconsin. Listened to a ton of games on the radio through the early sixties.

[Shay Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic retrospective on the 13 year existence of the fabulous Milwaukee Braves. Lots of wonderful photos.