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Greenville Braves

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Greenville Braves
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesDouble-A (1984–2004)
LeagueSouthern League (1984–2004)
Major league affiliations
Previous teamsAtlanta Braves (1984–2004)
Team data
Previous names
Greenville Braves (1984–2004)
MascotTommy Hawk (1997-2004)
Dingbat (2000-2004)
Previous parks
Greenville Municipal Stadium (1984–2004)

The Greenville Braves were an American minor league baseball franchise, based in Greenville, South Carolina, that served as the Class AA farm team of the Atlanta Braves between 1984 and 2004. The Braves played in Greenville Municipal Stadium for all 21 years of their existence.

The team had much success and many famous future Atlanta players such as Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones, Javy López, Jason Marquis, Eddie Pérez, Andruw Jones, and John Rocker played there. They won multiple Southern League championships, and the 1992 edition, managed by Grady Little and featuring Chipper Jones and López, won 100 out of 143 games (.699) during the regular season to take the pennant, then captured the SL playoff title. The 1992 Braves were recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time.[1] After the 2004 season, the parent club in Atlanta transferred the G-Braves to Pearl, Mississippi, where the team is now known as the Mississippi Braves.

The Braves cited an outdated stadium that did not meet current standards and the City of Greenville's unwillingness to create a sufficient financial package to build a new stadium as the cause of the move. With the Greenville Braves out, the Greenville Bombers (formerly the Capital City Bombers), Class A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, moved into the old Braves stadium in 2005. In 2006, a brand new stadium located in Downtown Greenville, Fluor Field at the West End, opened and the Bombers changed their name to the Greenville Drive.

Greenville Braves (WCL, 1963–64)

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Greenville also hosted a team in the low Class A Western Carolinas League—the former identity (1960–79) of the South Atlantic League—called the Braves as an affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves in 1963 and 1964. This two-year affiliation was brief, but produced the 1963 playoff champions of the WCL. When the New York Mets replaced the Braves as the team's parent in 1965, the nickname was changed.

Hall of Fame Alumni

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Notable former players

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Season-by-season records

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The following is a list of the Greenville Braves season-by-season record.[2]

Year Team Name Wins Losses Pct. Manager
1963 Greenville Braves 59 65 0.476 Jim Fanning and Paul Snyder
1964 Greenville Braves 63 63 0.500 Bill Steinecke and Jimmy Brown
1984 Greenville Braves 80 67 0.567 Bobby Dews and Leo Mazzone
1985 Greenville Braves 70 74 0.486 Jim Beauchamp
1986 Greenville Braves 73 71 0.486 Jim Beauchamp
1987 Greenville Braves 70 74 0.786 Jim Beauchamp
1988 Greenville Braves 87 57 0.604 Buddy Bailey and Russ Nixon
1989 Greenville Braves 70 69 0.504 Buddy Bailey
1990 Greenville Braves 57 87 0.396 Buddy Bailey
1991 Greenville Braves 88 56 0.611 Chris Chambliss
1992 Greenville Braves 100 43 0.699 Grady Little
1993 Greenville Braves 70 67 0.511 Bruce Kimm
1994 Greenville Braves 73 63 0.537 Bruce Benedict
1995 Greenville Braves 59 83 0.415 Bruce Benedict
1996 Greenville Braves 58 82 0.414 Jeff Cox
1997 Greenville Braves 74 66 0.529 Randy Ingle
1998 Greenville Braves 67 72 0.482 Randy Ingle
1999 Greenville Braves 58 80 0.420 Paul Runge
2000 Greenville Braves 68 71 0.489 Paul Runge
2001 Greenville Braves 60 79 0.432 Paul Runge
2002 Greenville Braves 65 63 0.485 Brian Snitker
2003 Greenville Braves 68 70 0.493 Brian Snitker
2004 Greenville Braves 63 76 0.453 Brian Snitker

References

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  1. ^ "Top 100 Teams". MiLB.com. 2001. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  2. ^ Baseball Reference