Atlanta Braves: A look back at Milwaukee’s 1957 World Series win

Less than a decade before moving south to Atlanta, the Braves beat the Yankees, earning the franchise a second world title.

The face of the Atlanta Braves organization since coming to Georgia for the 1966 season has always been the true home run king Henry Aaron. With all of his insane stats and accolades, however, “Hammerin Hank” only reached the World Series twice. Both of those N.L. pennants came while the Braves were still in Milwaukee, and Hank and crew only won once, which was in 1957.

The ’57 World Series featured four future hall of fame members for the Braves (Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn and Red Schoendienst) and five for the Yankees (Manager Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle and Enos Slaughter). Two of the umpires in the series also landed in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Jocko Conlan and Nestor Chylak). Notable to Braves fans would be another Hall of Famer (as a WTBS broadcaster), Ernie Johnson, who was then a Milwaukee pitcher.

Getting Underway

Game one of the series saw the Yankees getting up one game to none on Milwaukee at Yankee Stadium in front of a crowd of over 69 thousand. The Yankees won 3-1 with Warren Spahn taking the loss to New York’s Whitey Ford, who pitched a complete game.

Again in the “house that Ruth built,” Milwaukee evened the series with a 4-2 win over New York in a game with a bit more offense. Hank Aaron got things started, leading off the second inning with a triple, and eventually scoring. Johnny Logan homered for the Braves, helping Lew Burdette to a win over Bobby Shantz. It was the first win in a World Series by a non-New York team since the 1948 season.

More from Tomahawk Take

• Atlanta Braves 2023 Preseason Top 30 Prospects List: 11-15
• Braves News: Braves sign Luplow, Atlanta’s shortstop plans, more
• Atlanta Braves Could Go With Six-Man Rotation in 2023
• Atlanta Braves sign free agent outfielder Jordan Luplow
• Atlanta Braves 2023 Preseason Top 30 Prospects List: 16-20

Returning home to County Stadium, Milwaukee couldn’t keep New York’s bats quiet, losing 12-3 and falling to 1-2 in the series in game three. Don Larsen held the Braves offense enough for a win, despite a Hank Aaron homer.

Tony Kubek helped the Yankees with two home runs as a rookie. He was only the second freshman player to do so in the fall classic. Mickey Mantle also homered in the game. Bob Buhl took the loss for the Braves.

With another Warren Spahn start and homers from Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews, the series knotted at 2-2 with a Braves win. Also homering for Milwaukee in the 7-5 Braves victory was Frank Torre, brother of future Braves player, manager, and Yankee manager Joe Torre. Bob Grim took the loss for New York.

Mikwaukee’s Lew Burdette improved to 2-0 in another Braves road win in game five, putting his team up 3-2 and beating Whitey Ford in a 1-0 pitcher’s duel. Both teams had their chances on the bases, however, Milwaukee getting six hits to New York’s seven. The Braves scored Eddie Mathews on a Joe Adcock single in the sixth. That would be enough.

Down to the End

Ensuring a game seven, New York bounced back in game six to tie the series at 3-3 with a home win.

Frank Torre and Hank Aaron again homered for the Braves, but with a pair of homers for New York gave the Yankees a 3-2 win. Yogi Berra’s two-run homer in the third and Hank Bauer’s solo home run in the seventh would be enough to keep the Yanks alive.

Game 7.  Lew Burdette, en route to being named World Series MVP, picked up his third straight win over New York in a 5-0 shutout by the Braves. A four-run third would be all the Braves would need to beat Don Larsen and the Yankees for the organization’s first World Series win since the 1914 Boston Braves brought home the crown. It’d be the team’s last until an Atlanta team beat Cleveland in the 1995 fall classic.

The Braves and Yankees would once again meet in the 1958 fall classic, with the Bronx Bombers getting the best of Milwaukee this time, again in seven games. The two teams wouldn’t face one another in the World Series again until the 1996 and 1999 seasons, with New York taking home the hardware both times.

Next: Money to Spend

With New York a bit ahead of schedule with their rebuild and Atlanta nearing the end of theirs (pending MLB sanctions not withstanding) perhaps these two storied franchises can meet soon for some October baseball.