Atlanta Braves Q&A: “Is Hank Aaron still the HR King?” and more
By Seth Carter
1946 – Braves Get a Fresh Coat of Paint
Seth: Daniel, your last question was so terrible that I’m just going to end this with one fun story about the Braves.
In 1946, the Braves introduced the tomahawk to their jerseys, which is still prominently displayed and it is still as beautiful as a Georgia sunrise, as invigorating as fresh coffee on a spring morning, or as hope-inspiring as when the Marlins’ bus rolls into town.
1946 was the franchise’s 76th season. The Braves spent about $500,000 (approximately $23 trillion by today’s standards*) renovating and updating the stadium that offseason. The final touch included a fresh coat of green paint to the grandstand seats.
The work paid off as the Braves increased their attendance from 374,00 fans in 1945 to nearly a million in 1946.
The enthusiasm rubbed off on the fans metaphorically and literally… the paint was still wet. Fans were enraged, as going to the ballpark in those days was an occasion to dress up for (what wasn’t?) and their nice clothes were ruined – unless they were already green. The Braves took out an ad in the paper apologizing for the incident and offered to pay for cleaning costs.
There was a lot of whining at the Wigwam that day.
Daniel Druff: The Wigwam?
Seth: Yes, can you believe that? They used to call Braves Field in Boston the Wigwam.
Daniel Druff: That sounds very insensitive to bald guys…
dark. Next. Chatting with Chase d'Arnaud
That’s enough fun for today. As you can tell, I really miss baseball and I may be losing my mind. Stay clean, stay healthy, don’t talk to yourself too much, and keep chopping!
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