Atlanta Braves players celebrate on the field at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, after recording the final out of the World Series. The Braves defeated the Houston Astros in the best-of-seven series, finishing with a 7-0 shutout in Game 6 on Nov. 2, 2021.
Credit: Johnny Angelillo; UPI/Alamy

The ATLiens are celebrating in the streets. The Atlanta Braves won the World Series, defeating the Houston Astros in the best-of-seven series four games to two. They cruised to an easy 7-0 victory in Houston on November 2 to earn their first championship since 1995.

A titanic, three-run home run by outfielder Jorge Soler in the 3rd inning delivered a blow from which the Astros would never recover. The 446-foot blast deflated the hitherto electric Minute Maid Park like a laser beam piercing a balloon. Soler won the World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, going 6-for-20 with 3 home runs and 6 RBI in the series against the Astros.

Georgia-born second baseman Dansby Swanson added a two-run homer in the fifth. Veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman put the game out of reach with an RBI double in the fifth and solo home run in the seventh.

Atlanta starting pitcher Max Fried turned in a masterful performance, issuing no walks and limiting the Houston sons of swat to just four scattered singles over six shutout innings. Braves manager Brian Snitker then handed the ball over to the bullpen. The Atlanta arm barn allowed only three more singles the rest of the way. Closer Will Smith finished out the game by inducing a routine grounder to the Swanson.

The series began in Houston. Atlanta took game one by a score of 6 to 2, but at a heavy cost. Their veteran starting pitcher Charlie Morton took a line drive off his lower leg in the second inning. He came back out to pitch into the third, but had to be removed from the game shortly thereafter. X rays revealed a fracture in his fibula. Houston cruised to an easy 7-2 win in game two, evening the series as it moved to Georgia. Atlanta pitchers flirted with a no-hitter in a 2-0 game four victory and won the next night in a 3-2 squeaker. The Astros worked their way back to a 9-to-5 win in game five, pushing the series to a sixth game back in Houston. But journeyman manager Dusty Baker was ultimately denied in his quest to win his first World Series.

The Georgia franchise overcame nearly every indignity a team could suffer during the season. In January, Braves legend and towering baseball icon Hank Aaron passed away. The 2021 All-Star Game had been scheduled to be played in the Braves’ Truist Park, located on the outskirts of the city. But in March, the state of Georgia passed a bill imposing heavy restrictions on voting, most of which will most severely impact the poor and people of color. In response, MLB relocated the game to Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies. MLB continued to honor its commitment to community improvement initiatives around Atlanta.

The Braves, with their young stars Ozzie Albies and Acuña Jr., were expected to dominate a soft National League East division. But they struggled to put together wins. In late May, outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested on the heels of a violent confrontation with his wife. He was eventually placed on administrative leave and did not play for the rest of the season. On July 10, the Braves were just 43-44 as they faced off against the Miami Marlins. Acuña Jr. came down awkwardly while attempting a leaping catch, tearing his ACL.

Atlanta won that July 10 game but found themselves at .500 and without two of their starting outfielders for the rest of the year. Undeterred, the front office acted quickly to fill the holes in what they believed could still be a championship team. The Braves acquired Eddie Rosario from the Cleveland Indians, Joc Pederson from the Chicago Cubs, Adam Duvall from the Miami Marlins, and Jorge Soler from the Kansas City Royals. All four became vital parts of the offense. The Braves never completely caught fire in the regular season, reaching just 88 wins, but they shone in the playoffs, dispatching the strong Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers before defeating the Astros.

Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record with his 715th homer. Aaron held the record over 30 years. He holds the major league record for runs batted in with 2,297. This photo shows Aaron batting at the 1974 All-Star Game.
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Baseball lost a living legend with the death of Hank Aaron at 86. Aaron was one of the best players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed the “Hammer” or “Hammerin’ Hank,” Aaron played 23 MLB seasons from 1954 through 1976, nearly all of them with the Milwaukee and then Atlanta Braves. A consistent and powerful hitter, Aaron’s 2,297 career runs batted in (RBI’s) are the most in MLB history. He also ranks second in career home runs (755), third in career hits (3,771) and games played (3,298), and fourth in runs scored (2,174). Aaron was also an outstanding defensive player, winning three Gold Gloves as the best right fielder in the National League (NL). Aaron was an All-Star every season from 1955 through 1975, and he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. After his playing career, Aaron served as an executive in the Braves organization.

Henry Louis Aaron was born on Feb. 5, 1934, in Mobile, Alabama. Aaron’s brother Tommie (1939-1984) also later played for the Braves. Henry began playing semiprofessional baseball while still in high school. After a brief time playing in the Negro leagues, Aaron signed a minor league contract with the Boston Braves in 1952.

The Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953, and Aaron debuted for the team in 1954. Now often called “Hank,” Aaron was named the NL Most Valuable Player in 1957, a season in which he and fellow Braves stars Eddie Mathews and Warren Spahn led the team to a World Series title. The Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966. Aaron’s consistency and durability allowed him to put up remarkable offensive numbers throughout his career. He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973, including 8 seasons of 40 or more. He drove in 100 or more runs 11 times, hit .300 or better 14 times, and scored 100 runs or more 15 times. On April 8, 1974, Aaron hit the 715th home run of his career, surpassing Babe Ruth as the all-time MLB home run king. After the 1974 season, Aaron returned to Milwaukee, this time playing for the American League’s Brewers. He retired after the 1976 season. Both the Braves and the Brewers retired Aaron’s uniform number 44.

In 1976, Aaron received the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor given by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 2002, Aaron was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor awarded by the president of the United States.

In August 2007, San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds hit his 756th career home run, surpassing Aaron on the all-time list. Suspicions of performance-enhancing drug use persistently surrounded Bonds, however, and many still consider Aaron to be the legitimate home run king.