Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Will Smith, left, celebrates with catcher Travis d’Arnaud after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 in game six in the 2021 National League Championship Series at Truist Park on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021 in Atlanta, GA.
Wally Skalij | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves last won the World Series in 1995, marking the start of a new era in Major League Baseball.
As the team returns to the MLB’s biggest stage for the first time this millennium, the league faces another potential wave of change.
The Braves will play the Houston Astros in the 2021 World Series, which starts Tuesday. The last time the Braves hoisted the World Series trophy, it marked the first MLB championship following a strike that wiped out the 1994 title series.
The MLB looks different now, in no small part because the team Atlanta beat in 1995, the Cleveland Indians, will go by a new nickname next year. Cleveland will change its name to the Guardians after sustained pressure to drop a name critics viewed as racist. Atlanta has kept its name amid similar calls.
Atlanta’s return to the World Series coincides with potential labor issues that threaten to derail the league. As the MLB’s championship caps a rocky year for baseball, here’s where the league stands.
World Series is a ‘rich irony’
The 2021 season started with a record number of no-hitters, as some pitchers gained an advantage by applying substances to baseballs. The league began to crack down on pitchers in June. The MLB still finished with nine no-hitters in the 2021 season, breaking the record of eight set 137 years ago.
In a year where the league was rocked by the crackdown, the MLB had bright spots, including breakout superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Much of the intrigue in the World Series comes from the Braves and Astros themselves. The MLB’s marquee event will feature two of the teams at the center of the turmoil the league has endured for the past two years.
The Astros’ cheating scheme in the 2017 playoffs and 2018 season led to fines and firings. The dismissals included manager A.J. Hinch, who led the team to a 2017 championship. As fans were finally allowed back in stadiums this season with the coronavirus pandemic easing, some booed the Astros during their road games.
Carlos Correa #1 of the Houston Astros participates in a workout prior to the start of the World Series against the Atlanta Braves at Minute Maid Park on October 25, 2021 in Houston, Texas.
Carmen Mandato | Getty Images
Atlanta was involved in a dispute that stretches beyond the baseball world. After Georgia officials passed a restrictive voting law, the MLB moved the 2021 All-Star Game to Denver from Atlanta.
The league received praise and backlash for the decision. President Joe Biden supported MLB’s move. Braves owner, Liberty Media was upset, and Atlanta tourism officials claimed $100 million in losses. A conservative group sued the league for more than $1 billion in damages.
Former MLB executive Marty Conway called the…