The 1999 Atlanta Braves: A Season Atlanta Still Talks About

If you live in Atlanta, you don’t have to be a hardcore baseball nerd to have heard people talk about the 1999 Atlanta Braves. For many fans in and around the city, that team represents the last great peak of the 1990s Braves dynasty—packed with Hall of Famers, dominant pitching, and a deep playoff run that had Atlanta buzzing from April into late October.

Whether you’re:

• a longtime Atlantan reminiscing about the old Turner Field days,
• a newer fan who only knows Truist Park and wants to understand the city’s baseball history, or
• a visitor curious why Braves culture is such a big deal here,

this guide walks you through what made the 1999 Braves special, what that season meant to Atlanta, and how you can still experience that history around the city today.

Why the 1999 Atlanta Braves Matter in Atlanta

The 1999 season was a culmination of the Braves’ 1990s run. Atlanta had already become used to winning division titles, but 1999 stood out because:

• The Braves were stacked with stars: Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Andruw Jones, and more.
• They had dominant pitching and a powerful lineup that kept Turner Field packed.
• They won the National League pennant, giving Atlanta another shot at a World Series.
• For many Atlantans, this was the last World Series appearance of that generation of Braves, so it holds a special, nostalgic place.

Even today, when you go to a game at Truist Park in Cumberland, you’ll see plenty of 1990s-era jerseys and hear older fans comparing today’s team to ’95 and ’99.

Quick Snapshot: The 1999 Braves at a Glance

Here’s a simple overview you can use to get oriented:

This is the team many Atlanta fans point to when they talk about the Braves’ “dynasty years.”

The 1999 Braves Roster: Names Atlanta Still Celebrates

The Pitching Staff That Shaped Atlanta’s Baseball Identity

In the 1990s, the Braves built their identity around elite starting pitching, and 1999 was no exception. If you talk to longtime Atlantans, you’ll almost always hear these names:

• Greg Maddux – The definition of command and control. Fans at Turner Field got used to watching him carve up hitters without overpowering velocity.
• Tom Glavine – Another future Hall of Famer, known for his consistency and ability to work the strike zone.
• John Smoltz – Power arm, big-game reputation, and already one of Atlanta’s most beloved competitors.
• Kevin Millwood – Had a particularly strong season in 1999 and rounded out an intimidating rotation.

For local fans, this rotation is a big reason people in Atlanta still measure every new Braves staff against those 90s teams.

The Lineup: Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, and Company

On the offensive side, the 1999 Braves had a blend of power, patience, and defense:

• Chipper Jones – The face of the franchise. In 1999, he had one of his best seasons, becoming a huge reason the team won the division and one of the main names kids in Atlanta grew up idolizing.
• Andruw Jones – A defensive superstar in center field with serious power. Fans at Turner Field got used to seeing him make tough plays look routine.
• Brian Jordan – A key middle-of-the-order bat and an important contributor in big games.
• Javy López – Offensive-minded catcher who could change games with one swing.

If you go to Braves games today, you’ll still see Chipper and Andruw jerseys all over Truist Park, and they often spark stories from parents and grandparents about going to Turner Field in 1999.

Turner Field in 1999: What Being a Fan in Atlanta Felt Like

Today, the Braves play at Truist Park in Cobb County, but in 1999 the team called Turner Field home, just south of downtown Atlanta.

The Ballpark Setting

• Location back then: Just off Capitol Avenue (now Hank Aaron Drive SE), near downtown and the Georgia State Capitol.
• Crowd atmosphere: Weeknight and weekend games in 1999 often felt like events, with fans filling the stands expecting a win.
• “Tomahawk Chop” and game rituals: Many of the sounds and chants you still hear at Braves games today were already fully part of the experience in 1999.

If you lived in the city at the time, going to Turner Field on a summer night meant:

• Navigating city traffic,
• Grabbing food from nearby spots or stadium vendors,
• And watching a team that almost always had postseason expectations.

Visiting the Former Turner Field Site Today

Turner Field has since been converted into Center Parc Stadium for Georgia State University football, but if you’re in Atlanta and want to walk the old grounds of the 1999 Braves:

• You can still find the area where Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium once stood nearby, marked with a layout of the old field and a monument where Hank Aaron’s 715th home run landed.
• For longtime Atlanta residents, this area carries layers of baseball history—from Aaron in the 1970s to the Braves dynasty in the 1990s.

It’s a meaningful stop if you want to physically connect with the 1999 Braves era.

Regular Season Dominance: How the 1999 Braves Ruled the NL East

In 1999, the Braves were known in Atlanta for stacking up wins and pulling away in the division. Some themes locals remember:

• The team was consistently near the top of the league standings.
• Series against rivals like the New York Mets were especially intense and gave Turner Field a playoff-like feel even in the regular season.
• The combination of deep starting pitching and an offense led by Chipper Jones made the Braves a weekly topic on local sports radio and at offices around metro Atlanta.

If you grew up here, you might remember:

• Checking the standings in the newspaper or on TV,
• Hearing constant chatter about Chipper’s hot streaks or Maddux’s latest outing,
• And planning at least a couple of trips each year to Turner Field.

The 1999 Playoffs: A Big Moment for Atlanta Sports Fans

Postseason baseball has always carried extra weight in Atlanta, and in 1999, the Braves made another serious run.

NLDS and NLCS: Atlanta on Center Stage

• The Braves advanced through the National League playoffs, with tense, memorable games that had Atlanta sports bars and living rooms locked in.
• The National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Mets was especially dramatic, featuring extra-inning battles and pivotal moments that Atlanta fans still bring up when discussing the team’s history.

During those weeks:

• Local sports talk centered almost entirely on the Braves.
• Many Atlantans adjusted schedules around night games.
• Watching the Braves became a shared city experience, similar to how people rallied around the team in 1991, 1995, and again in the modern 2020s runs.

World Series Appearance

The Braves’ playoff push ended in the World Series, where they faced a powerhouse opponent and came up short. For Atlanta:

• It was a disappointing finish, but
• It also cemented 1999 as one of the franchise’s key seasons and kept the Braves firmly in the national spotlight.

For many fans who lived in Atlanta at the time, that World Series appearance felt like the last big chapter of the original 1990s dynasty.

How the 1999 Braves Shaped Atlanta’s Baseball Identity

Even if you’re a newer fan who only started following the team at Truist Park, so much of what you see and feel around Braves baseball today traces back to the 1990s teams, capped by seasons like 1999.

Long-Term Impact in the City

The 1999 Braves helped:

• Grow baseball fandom across metro Atlanta, especially for kids who are now adults bringing their own families to games.
• Establish the Braves as Atlanta’s most consistently successful major pro team for a long stretch.
• Reinforce the idea that winning the division isn’t enough—the fanbase began expecting deep playoff runs as the standard.

This is why you’ll still hear older Atlantans say things like:

• “This team reminds me of ’99,”
• Or compare current stars to Chipper, Andruw, Maddux, or Smoltz.

Experiencing 1999 Braves History in Today’s Atlanta

If you’re in Atlanta and want to connect with the 1999 Braves, there are several ways to do it, even though the team no longer plays at Turner Field.

1. Visit Truist Park and the Battery Atlanta

Location: 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta (Cobb County area)

At Truist Park, you can:

• Walk through the Monument Garden area inside the ballpark, where franchise history—from the 1995 World Series to the 1990s dynasty years—is highlighted with exhibits, memorabilia, and plaques.
• Look for references to Chipper Jones, Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, who were core to the 1999 team.
• Browse team stores for throwback jerseys and caps that reflect the 1990s era logo and style.

Even though it’s a different stadium, the Braves deliberately celebrate their historic teams, and 1999 is part of that story.

2. Explore the Former Turner Field Area

Area: Hank Aaron Drive SE, near Center Parc Stadium

You can:

• Visit the markers that outline the old Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium footprint, including the spot where Hank Aaron’s 715th home run landed.
• Walk around the area that used to be Turner Field’s parking and surroundings, which hosted countless Braves games in the 1990s, including the 1999 season.

While the structure has changed, this part of the city still holds a lot of emotional history for longtime Braves fans.

3. Check Out Local Sports Bars and Fan Hubs

Across Midtown, Downtown, Buckhead, and the Battery, you’ll find sports bars where:

• Older fans might tell stories about going to 1999 playoff games,
• The TVs occasionally show classic Braves highlights, especially on days with baseball themes or anniversaries.

If you strike up a conversation about the ’99 Braves, you’ll usually get more than one detailed memory in return.

For Newer Fans in Atlanta: Why You’ll Hear So Much About 1999

If you’ve only started following the Braves recently—maybe drawn in by the 2021 World Series win or a trip to Truist Park—you might wonder why 1999 and the 90s teams come up so often.

Key reasons:

• Standards and expectations: The 1999 Braves helped set a standard where fans in Atlanta expect the team to be in the playoff picture every year.
• Comparisons to modern stars: New stars are often compared to Chipper, Andruw, or Maddux, and that context usually goes straight back to seasons like 1999.
• Generational connection: Parents and older relatives who grew up with the 1990s Braves frequently introduce kids to the team using stories from that era, including the ’99 run.

Understanding the 1999 Braves helps you better understand:

• Why Braves fandom is so strong in this city,
• Why the team’s history is a regular topic on Atlanta sports talk radio,
• And why Braves fans around the metro area often carry a mix of pride and unfinished-business feelings about the 1990s.

Simple Ways to Learn More in Atlanta

If you want to dive deeper into the 1999 Braves while you’re in or around Atlanta, you can:

• 🎟️ Attend a Braves game at Truist Park and spend extra time in any historical or exhibit areas that highlight franchise milestones.
• 📺 Watch classic Braves highlight reels on local sports channels when they revisit the 90s era.
• 🗣️ Talk to longtime local fans—coworkers, neighbors, or fellow fans at the stadium—about their memories of the 1999 season. Many are happy to share personal stories from Turner Field days.

You don’t have to memorize every stat to appreciate that the 1999 Atlanta Braves represent a peak moment in the city’s sports history. For Atlanta, that team is a symbol of dominance, tradition, and what Braves baseball means to this city, from the old Turner Field stands to the modern energy at Truist Park.