Neha Patil (Editor)

1963 Milwaukee Braves season

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Record
  
84–78 (.519)

Owner(s)
  
William Bartholomay

Manager(s)
  
Bobby Bragan

League place
  
6th

General manager(s)
  
John McHale

Local television
  
WTMJ-TV (Mike Walden, Blaine Walsh)

Offseason

  • October 11, 1962: Ron Hunt was purchased from the Braves by the New York Mets.
  • November 26, 1962: Ellis Burton was drafted from the Braves by the Houston Colt .45s in the 1962 rule 5 draft.
  • November 26, 1962: 1962 first-year draft
  • Hal Haydel was drafted from the Braves by the Houston Colt .45s.
  • Don Taussig was drafted by the Braves from the Houston Colt .45s.
  • November 30, 1962: Jim Bolger, Don Nottebart, and Connie Grob were traded by the Braves to the Houston Colt .45s for Norm Larker.
  • Prior to 1963 season: Lou Klimchock was acquired from the Braves by the Washington Senators.

    • Ownership change and managerial turnover

    On November 16, 1962, the 17-year tenure of Louis Perini as owner of the Braves ended when the Boston construction magnate sold the team to a Chicago-based group of investors led by William Bartholomay. The Braves' home attendance had been declining since its 1957 high-water mark of over 2.2 million fans to 767,000 in five short years, due to a drop-off in on-field success since its last (1959) postseason appearance and a ban on "bringing your own" food and beer to Milwaukee County Stadium. Within two years of buying the Braves, the Bartholomay group would be negotiating with Atlanta, in a successful bid to move the club to the Southeastern United States territory as early as 1965.

    Contents

    The change in owners overshadowed the Braves' continued turbulence in the managerial chair. On October 5, 1962, Birdie Tebbetts, in office for only 13 months, resigned to join the American League Cleveland Indians. His successor, Bobby Bragan, 45, was the team's fourth manager in five seasons. He had been a Houston Colt .45s coach in 1962 and had previously been fired from managing posts with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1956–1957) and the Indians (1958). Bragan would be the last manager in Milwaukee Braves' annals—and the first of its Atlanta history in 1966, although he himself would be fired on August 8 of that year after guiding the Braves to a 310–287 (.519) mark over 3 1⁄2 seasons.

    Regular season

  • April 16, 1963: Eddie Mathews hit the 400th home run of his career. Along with Duke Snider, Mathews became part of the first duo to reach the 400 plateau in the same season.

    • Notable transactions

  • May 6, 1963: Lou Klimchock was returned to the Braves by the Washington Senators.
  • May 8, 1963: Lou Johnson and cash were traded by the Braves to the Detroit Tigers for Chico Fernández.
  • May 8, 1963: Chico Fernández was traded by the Braves to the New York Mets for Larry Foss.
  • August 8, 1963: Norm Larker was purchased from the Braves by the San Francisco Giants.

    • Starters by position

    Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

    Other batters

    Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

    Starting pitchers

    Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

    Other pitchers

    Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

    Relief pitchers

    Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

    Awards and honors

    All-Star Game

  • Hank Aaron, outfield, starter
  • Warren Spahn, reserve
  • Joe Torre, reserve

    • Farm system

    LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Yakima, Greenville

    References

    1963 Milwaukee Braves season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA