Braves Franchise History
1976 – Ted Turner, owner of UHF television station WTCG which already broadcasts Atlanta Braves games, buys the team for $12 million, largely with borrowed funds. He will soon turn his television station into a national superstation, on which Braves games are a staple product.
1997 – Former Atlanta Braves knuckleballer Phil Niekro is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, becoming the 227th member of the Hall. He received 80.34% of the vote, as former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Sutton fell nine votes short of election. Niekro is only the 87th player to be elected by the BBWAA.
2000 – Major League Baseball officials order Atlanta Braves reliever John Rocker to undergo psychological testing following derogatory remarks he made in an interview with Sports Illustrated magazine. Commissioner Bud Selig says he will listen to what the doctors say before deciding what punishment will be handed down to the pitcher.
2015 – John Smoltz, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez are elected to the Hall of Fame on their first ballot. Second Baseman Craig Biggio will also be elected on his third try. Smoltz spent the first 20 years of his career with the Braves. He retired with 213 wins, 154 saves and 3,084 strikeouts.
MLB History
1958 – Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants signs a contract worth $65,000. It’s the largest deal ever signed by a member of the Giants.
2000 – Gene Budig resigns as American League president and is appointed as a senior adviser to Bud Selig. The American and National Leagues will be disbanded as legal entities later this month with their functions consolidated in the commissioner’s office.
2009 – The Yankees finalize an eight-year, $180 million deal with Mark Teixeira.
2010 – The Hawk, Andre Dawson is elected to the Hall of Fame after receiving 77.9% of the vote.
2012 – The Padres trade first base prospect Anthony Rizzo and minor league pitcher Zach Cates to the Cubs for pitcher Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na.
2016 – Ken Griffey, Jr. is elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA with the highest percentage of votes ever at 99.3%. Joining him in this year’s class is Mike Piazza, who makes it on his fourth attempt. Griffey is the first No. 1 overall draft pick to make the Hall, while Piazza is the lowest pick (62nd round).
Information for this article was found via Baseball Reference, NationalPastime.com and Today in Baseball History.