On April 22, 1876 the Boston Red Caps won the first National League game ever played, defeating the Philadelphia Athletics 6-5 at Philadelphia. The Red Caps were a continuation of the Boston Red Stocking franchise that so totally dominated the recently departed National Association (from 1871-75 the club had a 205-50 record and won four out of five N.A. pennants).
After finishing in fourth place, some 15 games behind Chicago in the league's first year, the club rebounded to win two straight N.L. pennants in '77 and '78, behind the pitching of Tommy Bond who won 40 games in both seasons.
When shortstop George Wright and outfielder Jim O'Rourke defected to the Providence Grays after the '78 season ended, Boston owner Arthur Soden was inspired to invent the infamous reserve clause, which virtually bound a player to the same team for life. It was first instituted in 1880 and soon became a standard part of all N.L. player contracts.
In the 1880's the club won one pennant (in '83) and finished second twice. In 1887 the Beaneaters shocked the baseball world by acquiring superstar slugger Mike "King" Kelly from Chicago for an unprecedented $10,000. Though he never won a pennant for the club, the colorful Kelly became the most popular player in the franchise's history. The hard drinking Irishman, who was as famous for his off the field antics as he was for his baseball achievements, only played for the club for three years before jumping to the ill-fated Players League in 1890.
The 1890's were the most successful decade in the franchise's history. The club won five pennants during this period, mainly due to the outstanding pitching of Kid Nichols and Jack Stivetts, the booming bats of outfielders Hugh Duffy and Tommy McCarthey, and the managerial genius of Frank Selee.
The club then went into a tailspin in the first two decades of the twentieth century, managing to come in first only once. And that occasion was in 1914 when they were dubbed the "Miracle Braves" after staging one of the most incredible comebacks in baseball history. After finding themselves in last place, some 15 games behind the Giants at the start of July, the Braves then won 52 of their last 66 games to catapult themselves into first place on September 8 and walk off with the pennant at the end of the season.