There is a new book out

Milwaukee Braves: Heroes and Heartbreak by William Povletich gets a review in the Hudson Star Observer. Reviewer Doug Stohlberg recounts how the Braves first came to Milwaukee.

In Boston, the Braves were unable to compete with the Red Sox and in 1952, the Boston Braves drew a paltry 281,278 fans – an average of 3,677 per game. Owner Lou Perini came up with a plan to move to Milwaukee. But, no announcement was made and the Braves went to spring training in Florida with the apparent intentions of playing in Boston in 1953.

A fact I did not know until I read Povletich’s book was that the St. Louis Browns (later to become the Baltimore Orioles) had announced intentions to possibly move to Milwaukee. Perini, however, owned the minor league Milwaukee Brewers (from where the now major-league team got its name) and had “territorial rights” to Milwaukee and essentially blocked the Browns’ move to the beer city.

Milwaukee citizens, of course, were upset with Perini for stopping major league baseball from coming to Milwaukee. Losing in the court of public opinion, Perini and major league baseball announced on March 18, 1953, that the Braves would play the 1953 season in Milwaukee. The official 1953 Milwaukee Braves team photo showed the team with a mixture of hats, some with a “B” for Boston and some with an “M” for Milwaukee.

I seem to remember a review copy around the office.....