The1966 Atlanta Braves season was the first for the franchise in Atlanta, and 96th overall, following their relocation fromMilwaukee, where the team had played the previous 13 seasons. The Braves finished their inaugural year in Atlanta in fifth place in theNational League with a record of 85–77, ten games behind theLos Angeles Dodgers. The Braves played their first season of home games atAtlanta Stadium. The home attendance for the season was 1,539,801, sixth in the ten-teamNational League.^[1]

• November 29, 1965:Jesse Gonder was drafted from the Braves by thePittsburgh Pirates in the 1965rule 5 draft.^[2]
• January 29, 1966:Tom Seaver was drafted by the Braves in the secondary phase of the1966 Major League Baseball draft, but the pick was voided.^[3]

• July 3, 1966:Tony Cloninger became the first National League player—and, as of 2022, the only pitcher—to hit two grand slams in one game.^[4]
• September 11, 1966: Rookie pitcherPat Jarvis of the Braves became the first of 5,714 strikeout victims ofNolan Ryan's career.^[5]

The Atlanta Braves' first-ever game was played at home, atAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium, on Tuesday, April 12, 1966, against thePittsburgh Pirates before 50,671 fans.^[6] Braves'starting pitcher Cloninger, a 24-game winner in Milwaukee in 1965, pitched a13-inningcomplete game but absorbed a hard-luck,3–2 loss.^[7][8][9] With the game tied at one in the top of the 13th, futurehall of famerWillie Stargell hit atwo-out,two-runhome run to put Pittsburgh ahead 3–1. AtlantacatcherJoe Torre hit his second solo homer of the game to narrow the deficit to one run, but the Pirates held on to win. Earlier, in the fifth inning, Torre had hit the first homer in Atlanta's major league history.^[6][9]

The Braves' first year in Atlanta featured an unusual amount of management churn in both the front office and dugout. On June 28, it was announced thatPaul Richards, a veteran former MLBmanager andgeneral manager, would join the team as a roving troubleshooter in itsfarm system.^[10] The Braves were then a disappointing 34–42 (.447) and in eighth place in the ten-team National League. Braves president and GMJohn McHale remarked that Richards, 57, was poised to assume greater responsibilities within the Atlanta organization if called upon,^[10] leading to speculation that he would replace embattled field managerBobby Bragan. More than a quarter-century earlier, in 1938, Richards had begun his management career as the successfulplayer-manager of theminor leagueAtlanta Crackers.

On August 9, with the Braves still mired in thesecond division at52–59 (.468),12+1⁄2 games behind and inseventh place,^[11] fourth-year skipper Bragan was dismissed and replaced by bench coachBilly Hitchcock,^[12][13] like Richards a former teammate of McHale's with theDetroit Tigers. Hitchcock's hiring would pull the Braves out of their tailspin, and they won 33 of 51 games (.647), advancing to fifth place. But Richards was indeed destined to rise within the Atlanta organization. On August 31, he was named director of player personnel at both the Major and minor-league levels, effectively becoming general manager of baseball operations without the formal title, which McHale temporarily retained.^[14] Four months later, McHale resigned from the Braves to join the office ofCommissioner of BaseballWilliam Eckert, and on January 11, 1967, Richards was formally named Braves' general manager. He would serve in the post through June 1, 1972.^[15]

• April 4, 1966:Marty Keough was purchased by the Braves from theCincinnati Reds.^[16]
• April 5, 1966:Frank Thomas was placed on waivers by the Braves.^[17]
• April 28, 1966:Billy Cowan was traded by the Braves to theChicago Cubs for future Braves managerBobby Cox and cash.^[18]
• May 29, 1966:Marty Keough was traded by the Braves to theChicago Cubs forJohn Herrnstein.Arnold Earley was also purchased.^[19]
• June 7, 1966:Al Santorini was drafted by the Braves in the 1st round (11th pick) of the1966 Major League Baseball draft.^[20]

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Austin

• Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997).The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America.ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.
• 1966 Atlanta Braves season atBaseball Reference

• Atlanta Braves seasons
• 1966 Major League Baseball season
• 1966 in sports in Georgia (U.S. state)

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