Del Crandall (RIP) and the Boston Braves

On Wednesday, Del Crandall, last living member of the Boston Braves, died. The Braves died in 1952, moving to Milwaukee. Interesting article on the Athletic, saying that Boston might have been a Braves town in they had held out for a few more years. Bullshit, you say 9well, the three people who are interested), but a lot was going for them.

They had the better ballpark. Braves Field might have been "bland" but it seated a lot more than "quirky" Fenway.

The future was brighter for the Braves. The Red Sox might have been the better team in 1952, but they were on a bad downturn that would last until the "Impossible Dream" turned the team around for good in 1967. The Braves were on a huge upturn. They had won the pennant in 1948 and finished 1st or 2nd for their first eight years in Milwaukee. Of course, the huge attendance bump after the move helped, but they also ha better ownership. Ownership that signed black players. Would Boston have embraced Hank Aaron and turned on surly Ted Williams? Quite possible, when they won the WS. The Boston Braves and the Atlanta Red Sox? Hmmmm

Of course, the future of the Braves made them more desirable to Milwaukee, which spent huge dollars to lure a team. Opposite thing happened in Philadelphia. The A's were more popular than the usually moribund Phillies. But, in the 50's, Philly still remembered the Whiz Kids of 1950. Phillies had Richie Ashburn, Robin Roberts, Curt Simmons. The A's had Spook Jacobs, Joe DeMaestri and Arnie Portocarrero.

Did I put everyone to sleep? hope y'all are having a nightmare, big hairy spiders eating your genitalia