It all began in 1991, with an incredible worst to first season that concluded with what many consider to be the most memorable World Series of all time.
The decade concluded with yet another division title and World Series appearance, a fitting ending for the "Team of the 90s".
With eight division titles, five National League pennants and one World Series Championship, the Atlanta Braves firmly seated themselves as a dynasty in the 1990s. For young fans who grew up with the Braves in the 90s, losing is something they were never used to. The Braves began their streak of 14 straight division titles during the 1990s, and many Braves fans would spend the first years of their lives never realizing that the playoffs actually could go on without Atlanta.
For a Braves fan in the 90s, from April to October, the TV would be tuned to TBS. Ted Turner, the owner of the Braves, turned them into America's team by broadcasting all of their games on the "Turner Broadcasting System" with the likes of Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren on the telecast.
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General Manager John Scheurholz and Manager Bobby Cox turned the Braves into the most successful team of the 1990s with 925 wins (75 more than the second place Yankees). Their 925 wins were 213 more wins then the 1980s, and much of the turnaround can be attributed to Scheurholz and Cox.
The final decade of the millennium would also see the Braves move into the brand new, 50,000 seat Turner Field. The Braves had played in Fulton-County Stadium since their move to Atlanta in 1966, and the opening of Turner Field at the beginning of the 1997 season symbolized how far the Braves had come. The new stadium, originally contracted for the 1996 Olympic Games, would come to be one of the top parks in all of baseball.
The 1990s also saw many players become All-Stars and legends in Braves lore. The early part of the decade saw the likes of Terry Pendleton, Fred McGriff, Ron Gant and David Justice guide the Braves offense. The latter part of the decade saw the emergence of Andruw Jones, Javy Lopez, and Chipper Jones.
But for all of the great position players that the Braves fielded in the 90s, it was their pitching staff, led by ever-rocking pitching coach Leo Mazzone, that's considered to be the foundation for all their success. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz together won 7 Cy Young awards, 433 games and had an ERA of 2.34, 3.21, and 3.32 respectively. The Braves' 1998 pitching staff is ranked first all time by ESPN, a year in which the starters combined for an ERA of 2.97 and Tom Glavine won 20 games and the Cy Young Award.
Fans of the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s were able to watch multiple All-Stars, Cy Young winners, and MVPs lead their team to many wins and championships. The 1990s Braves epitomized success, and their dominance over the course of that decade will most likely never be matched.
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