| 1995 Atlanta Braves | ||
|---|---|---|
| World Series Champions National League Champions National League East Division Champions | ||
| League | National League | |
| Division | East | |
| Ballpark | Fulton County Stadium | |
| City | Atlanta | |
| Record | 90–54 (.625) | |
| Divisional place | 1st | |
| Owners | Ted Turner | |
| General managers | John Schuerholz | |
| Managers | Bobby Cox | |
| Television | WTBS TBS Superstation (Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson) SportSouth (Tim Brando, Ernie Johnson, Ernie Johnson, Jr.) | |
| Radio | WSB (AM) (Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson) | |
| ||
The 1995 Atlanta Braves season was the 125th season in the history of the franchise and 30th season in the city of Atlanta. The team finished the strike-shortened season with a record of 90–54, the best in the National League, en route to winning the World Series. For the sixth straight season, the team was managed by Bobby Cox.[1]
The Braves started the season in mediocre fashion, posting a 20–17 record up to June 4, putting them in third place behind the Philadelphia Phillies and the Montreal Expos. The team went on to win twenty of the last twenty-five games before the All-Star Break to put themselves in first place by four and a half games. In the second half of the season, the Braves pulled away from the rest of the division by going 11–7 over the rest of July and 19–10 in August. The team went on to win the division by twenty-one games. The Braves' 90–54 record was second only to the American League's Cleveland Indians, who went 100–44 on the season.
In the postseason, the Braves beat the Colorado Rockies in the NL Division Series three games to one, then swept the Cincinnati Reds four games to zero to win the NL Championship Series. In the World Series, the Braves beat the Cleveland Indians four games to two, bringing the first World Series championship to the city of Atlanta.[1]
Through completion of the 2019 MLB season, the Braves are one of three teams out of nine MLB franchises to have first swept their opponent in the League Championship Series (LCS), and subsequently go onto win the World Series; the other teams were the 2019 Washington Nationals and the 2022 Houston Astros. This two-decades-long milestone for Atlanta is based upon the (LCS) becoming a best-of-seven (games) format 10 years earlier, in 1985.
Opening Day starter Greg Maddux led the National League in wins (19) and earned run average (1.63) to secure his fourth consecutive Cy Young Award.[2][3] Marquis Grissom won a Gold Glove for center field,[4] and Greg Maddux won his sixth (of thirteen) consecutive Gold Gloves.[5]
This would be the last World Series title for the Braves until the 2021 season.
1995 would also be the first full season for Chipper Jones as a full-time starter. Jones was scheduled to compete with Ron Gant for the starting Third Base position in 1994, however Gant broke his leg in a dirt bike accident while Jones himself tore his left knee during spring training, forcing the Braves to play veteran infielder Terry Pendleton at third base for the entire season. By the start of the season, Gant was traded to the Reds, while Pendleton was traded to the Marlins. The trades freed up Jones to become the Braves regular third baseman.