2003 Atlanta Braves

The Braves were formed in 1871. Since 1901 the franchise has won nine NL pennants and three World Series championships. The Braves also produced the most prolific home run hitter in baseball history—outfielder Hank Aaron. In 1974 Aaron broke Babe Ruth's 39-year-old record by hitting his 715th career home run. Aaron retired in 1976 with a major league record of 755 career home runs.

Warren Spahn American baseball player Warren Spahn established several National League records as a left-handed pitcher before his retirement in 1965. These included most career wins (363) and most batters struck out (2583). His 15 wins during the 1948 season helped the Braves capture the NL pennant.

The predecessor of the Braves, a team called the Boston Red Stockings, joined the first professional baseball league, the National Association, at the time of its founding in 1871. The team dominated the league, winning four pennants from 1871 to 1875. After the National Association folded in 1876, Boston joined the newly formed National League. The club changed its name to the Beaneaters in 1890, the Doves in 1907, the Rustlers in 1911, and finally the Braves in 1912. The club was called the Bees from 1936 to 1940.

The franchise captured eight NL pennants from 1876 to 1900. Pitcher Tommy Bond led Boston to pennants in 1877 and 1878, and center fielder Hugh Duffy and pitcher Kid Nichols powered Boston to three consecutive pennants in 1891, 1892, and 1893. The club struggled in the early 1900s, winning only two pennants before moving to Milwaukee in 1953. The team that won the 1914 pennant and defeated the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series starred outfielder Joe Connolly and shortstop Rabbit Maranville. In 1948 the Boston Braves won the NL pennant behind pitchers Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain but lost the World Series to the Cleveland Indians in six games.

In 1957, their fifth season in Milwaukee, the Braves won their first World Series in 43 years, beating the New York Yankees in seven games. Young sluggers Aaron and Eddie Mathews powered the offense, and Spahn earned the Cy Young Award. The three led the Braves to another pennant in 1958, but the club lost to the Yankees in another seven-game World Series.

After 13 years in Milwaukee, the Braves moved to Atlanta at the end of the 1965 season. With veteran stars in the lineup, including first baseman Orlando Cepeda and knuckleball-throwing pitcher Phil Niekro, the club won the newly formed West Division of the NL in 1969. Despite Aaron's three home runs during the playoffs, Atlanta lost to the eventual World Series champion New York Mets in the NL Championship Series (NLCS).

Businessman Ted Turner bought the franchise in 1975 and began rebuilding the team. He acquired promising young players such as Dale Murphy and Bob Horner, but the Braves failed to win a pennant during the 1980s.

During the 1990s manager Bobby Cox guided the team to eight division titles, five NL pennants, and one World Series championship. Atlanta pitchers Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz combined to win six NL Cy Young Awards during the decade. (Maddux won an additional Cy Young Award in 1992 while pitching for the Chicago Cubs.) In 1991, led by Bobby Cox (NL manager of the year), Terry Pendleton (NL most valuable player), and Tom Glavine (NL Cy Young Award winner), the Braves won the NL pennant but lost to the Minnesota Twins in the World Series. The Braves won the NL pennant again in 1992, this time losing the Series to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Braves won their third straight division crown in 1993, and right-handed pitcher Greg Maddux earned the Cy Young Award. After the strike-shortened 1994 season, the Braves continued their division-title streak in 1995, winning the NL pennant and defeating the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.

In 1996 Atlanta made its fourth trip to the World Series in the decade after winning the NL pennant behind pitcher John Smoltz, who won the NL Cy Young Award that year. The team lost to the New York Yankees in the Series. At the end of the 1996 season, the Braves left Atlanta-Fulton County Coliseum, the team's home since 1966, and moved to the track-and-field stadium built for the 1996 Olympic Games. The new stadium was then named Turner Field. The Braves won division titles in 1997 and 1998 but did not return to the World Series until 1999, when the team's offense was powered by third baseman Chipper Jones, who won the NL most valuable player (MVP) award. In 1999 Atlanta again lost to the Yankees in the World Series.

In 2002, the Atlanta Braves lost in the Final round of the National League East to San Francisco. For only the second time since 1991, the Braves didn't advance to the National League Championship Series.