Atlanta Braves 2021 ring not the first Braves ring to set the standard
By Fred Owens
The Atlanta Braves raised the bar for World Series rings with an intricate, innovative design for the 2021 champs, but it wasn’t the first time.
When the Atlanta Braves revealed their stunning championship ring design last week, the media ran stories about the history of the World Series ring. The tweets I saw linking to posts repeated the story that the 1922 Giants were the first to give their team a ring for winning The Series.
While it’s true that awarding rings became a tradition after 1922, the Giants weren’t the first to offer a player that option.
You won, so what?
Winning a professional baseball championship didn’t always garner a keepsake of any type. The earliest entry on The World Of Rings is in 1879, when the Providence Greys presented a lapel pin resembling a medal given to team members for winning the NL title.
Over the next 22 seasons, only two teams consistently provided a lapel pin or button to players when the club won a championship: the St. Louis Braves of the American Association and the National League Baltimore Orioles.
When World Series play began, both leagues wanted to make winning a big deal; giving each player something to mark the achievement seemed appropriate. From 1905 forward, pins usually had a small jewel in the center,
From 1903 through 1913, players got pins for winning their league and another for the World Series. In 1908 the Cubs gave a pin for the league championship and a beautiful pocket watch for The Series. The 1913 Philadelphia Athletics liked the idea of a watch and gave their players a slightly less flashy timepiece.
How does this connect to the Atlanta Braves? Have patience grasshopper…