This page is for stories about the Milwaukee Braves from our site readers. The purpose is to allow people to post their memories of the Braves to the site for everyone to see and enjoy. If you have any memories of the Braves you would like to share (no matter how big or small), please drop me an email and I'll add your story. Please help contribute to this site. The stories of the Braves is what will keep their memories alive for generations to come.
Stories / Memories
Posted 12/24/08
Back in the 1950's I was a young ‘almost’ teenager. To make extra money, I would cut grass and shovel snow. One of the people that I cut grass and did general landscaping for, was Stan Landis. Mr. Landis was a National League Umpire who lived near me in Greendale, Wi.
Mr. Landis use to bring back things, for me, from games he umpired at Milwaukee County Stadium. One of the things that Mr. Landis brought was this ball, autographed by all but Lew Burdette, and Bob Buhl of the old Milwaukee Braves.
I actually had two balls, but one I used to play with as a kid and was pretty beaten up! Mr. Landis used to get tickets for the games also. My sister and I used to go to at least a dozen or more games because of tickets supplied by Mr. Landis. We also belonged to the Knot Hole Club at that time. The seats that we got from Mr. Landis however, were generally lower box, and were usually occupied by members of the press or their guests. They were great seats to say the least.
Over the years, I’ve kept this ball in one drawer or another. Sometimes it would get ‘misplaced’ during a move not to be seen again for a decade or two.
When I decided to sell the ball, to someone who would enjoy it for a long time to come, I made a list of the players on the ball. I wasn’t sure what year the ball was from, but I was able to find a website that had team rosters from the old Milwaukee Braves. After many hours of pouring over lists and by the process of elimination, I determined that the only year that all the people, who signed the ball, were actually on the team, was 1958.
I hope that the ball lives on much longer than I do, it is a rare treasure.
Bob Belli, Necedah, Wi.
Posted 12/20/08 (Email receveived on 05/23/08.)
Keith- just to let you know a big THANKS for your efforts. I'm almost 61 & the Braves were my Ball Team- Adcock & Mathews Oh WOW!- It hurt when they left town!!!!!!! The Brew Crew is fine but will never replace The Braves in our Hearts!!!!!!
Mike Goodman, South Milwaukee, WI
Posted 06/01/08:
This is a picture my 9 year old son drew for the website.
Posted 05/26/08 (Email receveived on 04/20/08.)
I recently discovered your Milwaukee Brave site and I must say it is outstanding. Thanks for posting all the memories of those great teams. I grew up in Chippewa Falls and went to bed many nights listening to the Braves on my transistor radio. The highlight of the summer was taking a trip with my father and/or uncle down to Milwaukee to see a game at County Stadium. One of the best trips was attending a photo day and obtaining lots of autographs. We also went to see the Eau Claire Braves, the teams minor league affiliate where several of the team’s stars, including Hank Aaron, Billy Bruton and Joe Torre, began their careers.
Mark Nelson, Vienna, VA
Posted 05/26/08 (Email receveived on 04/15/08.)
Just wanted to contact you to let you know I love this site. I grew up with the Milwaukee Braves and now am old enough to start collecting Milwaukee stuff. I still remember belonging to the Braves Knot Hole club. For 25cents we would ride a school bus and get in the bleachers. I have a very vivid memory of one game sitting in the right field bleachers when my friend said he was going to the concession stand and told me to stay. Well dumb me went to walk around and I believe it was Rico Carty hit a home run right where we were sitting. I would have been either got knocked out or got a ball. I keep thinking it would have been the ball. My friend was not too pleased.
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I remember when I was young I had a Spahnnie Night pin button which I wish I still had. Somewhere around here I have a Eddie Mathews autographed picture which I got at a show I think was at the Red Carpet Inn by the airport here in Milwaukee.
Oh Well, you probably get a lot of these emails. Nice to reminisce though.
Gary
Posted 11/24/07 (Email received on 11/23/07, Thanks Doug!)
Keith:
Recently came across your web site. What a great idea! I am a long time Milwaukee Braves fan and a member of the MBHA. I also collect memoribilia from the old Braves and have quite a number of great items.
I am writing to share what I think is a great story regarding the old Braves.
On May 12, 1959, my dad took my brother and me to a Braves game during the week. This was quite a treat because my dad wasn't much of a fan, but he knew my bother and I loved baseball. Although we were pretty young at the time, (10 and 8) we knew all the players, stats, visiting teams , etc., and we each had our favorite players. I loved Joe Adcock and my brother idolized Eddie Mathews.
That night the Braves were playing the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates were led by many great players such as Don Hoak, Bill Virdon, Bill Mazeroski and Smokey Burgess, so we were pretty excited to be at this game. Lou Burdette was pitching for the Braves and Harvey Haddix was pitching for the Pirates. I think you know what game I'm talking about. Well, Harvey Haddix was literally unhittable that night and Lou Burdette, despite giving up around 12 hits, kept pace by blanking the Pirates
inning after inning. After 9 innings, Haddix had a perfect game and the score was 0-0. I remember the great Milwaukee fansabout 20,000 strong, honoring Haddix with standing ovations after each inning late in the game when it became obvious that we were watching history. In the 10th, 11th, 12th innings things stayed as they had been, Haddix still with a perfect game and Burdette still shutting them out. After the 12th, our dad felt it was too late for two little kids to be up on a school night, so we left! When we got to the car, my dad turned on the radio and we heard the great Earl Gillespie describe the last of the 13th inning, where the Braves finally got to Haddix and Joe Adcock's home run, which was ultimately ruled a double, won the game. There was some base running confusion by Henry Aaron, who thought the hit was a double and not a homer. So Hank, after touching second base and figuring the game was over, headed for the dugout and Joe Adcock was called out for passing him on the bases.
So we not only missed the end of "The Greatest Game Ever Pitched" we missed a game winning blast by my idol, Coushata Joe!
Our reward was at least we can say that we were there! Several years ago, I was fortunate to purchase a picture of Joe Adcock and Harvey Haddix shaking hands the day after the game. The picture was autographed by both players and is one of the most prized pieces in my collection. What a great reminder of one of the best pitching performances in baseball history.
Doug Yahnke; Oconto Falls, WI
Posted 07/27/07
Even though I was born in 1959, my brothers and sisters all grew up with the Milwaukee Braves. Being a baseball fan I wrote the enclosed article quite a few years ago for a web page that a friend hosted. (Click here for John's article, "One of the Greatest Baseball Teams that People Never Knew".)
John Kendellen
Posted 07/27/07
Because I grew up in southern Indiana, I had little opportunities to follow my Milwaukee Braves "live."
The daily morning sportspage was my lifeline to the Braves. I could listen to them when they played the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago Cubs or St. Louis Cardinals (at night) on the radio.
My father took me to old Crosely field in Cincinnati one summer day in 1963 to see the Braves play a double-header against the Reds. I remember that the Braves & Reds split the games. I seem to recall that Bob Shaw and Tony Cloninger were the starters, and that Del Crandall caught one game and Joe Torre the other. But what really stands out is that I got to see Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews hit back-to-back homeruns!
Patrick Bickers
Posted 07/08/07
It was always exciting going to the Braves games. I remember one time in particular. I was 12 years old and my father and friends father along with us kids went to a game. I wanted to take my baseball glove with me but I forgot it in the car. We had a great seat right behind home base up in the bleachers. It was the 6th inning and the Braves were winning. The batter came up to the plate and then came the pitch.....WOW...He hit the ball so hard and it came up and over the bleachers where we were sitting. I saw the ball coming fast and had to duck so it wouldn"t hit me in the head. It hit the seats behind me and my brother got up and got the ball. Later we went down and got the ball signed by some of the Braves. It was lucky that my brother got the ball but I sure wish I had taken my glove with me that day.
Cheryl from Redgranite Wisconsin
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