The 1969 MLB season saw the Atlanta Braves rise to the top of the National League West. In a decade split between two cities, it was the only division title the Braves captured, whether it was in Milwaukee or Atlanta.
Let’s take a look back at the 50th anniversary of that season.
How the (NL) West was won
Fifty years this. Fifty years that. It’s true, 1969 was a big year in shaping U.S. history and culture. The hippies invaded upstate New York, Broadway Joe followed through on a now-famous guarantee, and, unless you live under a rock, you may have heard they put a man on the moon that same year.
Now, while 1969 will forever be remembered for the Miracle Mets, the Atlanta Braves had themselves a hell of a season. The Braves were expected to be good, their Pythagorean wins guesstimated at 88, but they surpassed those expectations, reeling off a 93-69 record.
Lum Harris was in his second year of a five-year run with the Braves. It was one of two winning records Harris compiled as Braves skipper and the only time the Braves finished above third under his leadership.
The Braves were fifth (out of 12 teams) in attendance that season, so plenty were on hand to watch the magical season. Unfortunately it came to an end to those Mets, getting swept in the NLCS.
Some other interesting facts about the team.
- The most runs the Braves scored that season was 15 on May 22. About a week later, they allowed the most runs, 13, on June 1. Pat Jarvis — who won 13 games in ‘69 — was the pitcher for both games.
- The Braves were shutout (14 times) more than their pitching staff shutout its opponents (just seen times).
- Hank Aaron and Orlando Cepeda made $175,500. Combined.
Hall of Famers aplenty on the 1969 Braves
Looking at the roster, it’s pretty easy to see why the Braves were so good. They were loaded with four future Hall of Famers.
Of course there was Hank Aaron in right field. The iconic slugger had another big season, slashing .300/.396/.607 with 30 doubles, 44 home runs, 100 runs scored, and 97 RBI. He moved into third place on the all-time home run list, surpassing Mickey Mantle on July 31 of that season.
There was 30-year-old Knucksie. Phil Niekro posted the first 20-win season of his 318 win career in 1969. He went 23-13 overall with a 2.56 ERA and a 1.027 WHIP.
Orlando Cepeda — who was acquired in the offseason from the St. Louis Cardinals for a one Joe Torre — manned first base. His first season with the Braves was a good one: he slashed .257/.325/.428 with 22 home runs and 12 stolen bases. He was beast in the NLCS hitting .455 with a home run and three RBI.
And don’t forget 46-year-old Hoyt Wiilhem. The Braves acquired the future Hall of Famer on September 11 and he pitched more like a 26-year-old. In eight appearances down the stretch, Wilhelm went 2-0 with four saves a 0.73 ERA and a WHIP to match it.
There were plenty of others who chipped in as well. Clete Boyer won a Gold Glove at third base. Rico Carty had one of the best years of his career, slashing .342/.401/.549 with 16 home runs. Cecil Upshaw had a career season, recording 27 saves. It was definitely one of the stronger NL teams of the 1960s.
The legacy of the 1969 Braves
The Braves won the NL West. It was the first NL West title in the history of the two divisions, making the team most out of place in the new division forever the first champion in its history. They would leave the West behind for good in 1984.
It was a long time until the Braves would have as good a season as the ‘69 squad did. They wouldn’t finish higher than third place until the 1982 Braves won the division with an 89-win season, and they didn’t win 90 games again until that magical 1991 season.
Attendance would drop to all-time lows of the Atlanta era, as they didn’t break a million in attendance for eight seasons after clearing 1.5 million in that big 1969 season.
It was certainly a team for the ages. Of course, the 1990s rolled around and made the past a distant memory. But 50 years later, the 1969 Braves are still one of the most successful teams in the Atlanta history of the franchise.
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