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Home of the Braves
The Battle for Baseball in Milwaukee
Patrick W. Steele
Winner of the Gambrinus Prize, Milwaukee County Historical Society
“A fresh look at the age-old debate over why the Braves dumped Milwaukee for Atlanta, finding some familiar villains (chaging baseball economics) and some new ones (Milwaukee County government, for starters).” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In March 1953, the Boston Braves relocated to Milwaukee. They soon found success with stars like Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews. The team began drawing bigger crowds than almost any other and went on to win two pennants and a World Series within five years. To fans, it was the dawn of a new dynasty—making it even more of a shock when owners announced in October 1964 that the Braves would move once again, this time to Atlanta. Patrick Steele examines all facets of the story to understand why the "Milwaukee Miracle" went south.
 Patrick W. Steele is an associate professor of history at Concordia University Wisconsin. He is a member of the Milwaukee Braves Historical Association.
Praise
“How could such a profound love affair between a city and its baseball team turn so toxic? Home of the Braves grapples with that issue, and its conclusions may surprise you. They surprised me.”
—from the foreword by Bob Buege, author of The Milwaukee Braves: A Baseball Eulogy
“The truth behind one of the darkest divorces in sports history, revealing details often lost in the shadows of nostalgia. Steele's extensive research uncovers a war of greed, jealousy, and contempt between the Braves and Milwaukee's civic leaders.”
—William Povletich, author of Milwaukee Braves: Heroes and Heartbreak
“Home of the Braves is a highly readable deep dive into the changing business of baseball in the 1960s and the contentious relationship between the team's owners and the government officials who controlled Milwaukee County Stadium at the time.”
—Isthmus
“Steele's detailed history of the Braves captures the fervor of fans.”
—Publishers Weekly
“History that is worth reading and remembering. It gets beyond the myth and nostalgia about the Braves and Milwaukee and reveals a rocky relationship between team and town.”
—Shepherd Express
“A revealing look at the ownership manipulations and the underhanded politics of Major League Baseball that wound up stealing a team from a city that poured its heart—and money—into its initial success, only to watch it disappear for greater riches in Atlanta.”
—The Capital Times
Of Related Interest
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A History of Badger Baseball:
The Rise and Fall of America's Pastime at the University of Wisconsin
Steven D. Schmitt |
A Summer Up North:
Henry Aaron and the Legend of Eau Claire Baseball
Jerry Poling
Foreword by Allan H. (Bud) Selig |
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Larger images
Now in Paperback!
March 2018
LC: 2017043651 GV
272 pp. 6 x 9
17 b/w photos
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